Won't you be my neighbour? A conversation about "neighbourism"
Details
Fred Rogers invited us all to be his neighbour, although he spelled it without the "u". Did he have it right? Is "being a neighbour" the best way to live? Tonight we will be discussing neighbourliness and the pros and cons of living in a neighbourhood.
- How would you define "neighbourhood"? Why?
- What makes a good neighbour? Why?
- Do "good fences make good neighbours"? Why or why not?
- Would you consider becoming part of a Neighbourhood Watch group? Why or why not?
- What is the best neighbourhood you have ever lived in? Why?
- Do your neighbours provide a social network for you? Why or why not?
- Can you name all of the neighbours who live within two house distance (or within a couple of apartments) from you?
- Have you ever intentionally gone to welcome a new neighbour to your neighbourhood? If so, what was the response? If not, why not?
- How do neighbourhoods affect poverty and isolation?
- How do neighbourhoods affect property values?
- Is a Neighbourhood Association a good idea? Why or why not?
- What can municipalities do to encourage neighbourhood growth and cohesion?
- What are the biggest barriers to the development of a sense of neighbourhood community? Why?
- When new people move into a neighbourhood, should they be responsible for introducing themselves? Why or why not?
- Does your neighbourhood have all of the facilities that it needs? What would make it "better"? Why?
- Does your neighbourhood have street parties (or equivalent social gatherings)? Why or why not?
- Do you feel safe and at home in your neighbourhood? Why or why not?
- Are there key characters in your neighbourhood who "know everyone"? What makes them different?
- What role do local businesses play in the formation and growth of neighbourhood cohesion?
- What municipal design guidelines and by-laws would positively affect neighbourhoods? How about negatively affect them? Why?
*** Bonus Questions *** - What role (if any) do the police have in establishing and maintaining neighbourhoods? Why?
- What do you think are the key characteristics of a "good neighbourhood"? Why?
- What do you think are the key characteristics of a "bad neighbourhood"? Why?
- Does a neighbourhood have to be geographic? Is Table Conversations a "neighbourhood"? Why or why not?
- When are neighbours most important? Why?
I hope that you will join us for this neighbourly discussion.
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Given the success of this format we are going to be continuing to gather via Zoom. We will be allowing up to 30 participants for this meeting and, after a brief introduction, we will be splitting off into virtual "tables" of six.
As long as you have RSVP'd before 5:30PM on the day of the event you should receive an email from Robert prior to 6:30PM giving you the Zoom meetup credentials.
*** PLEASE NOTE ***
If you are a member of Table Conversations and you didn't receive an email announcing THIS Table Conversations meetup then you likely won't receive the email with the Zoom information on the evening of the event. Please confirm that your Meetup.com profile is configured correctly by carefully following the step-by-step instructions in this link: https://www.meetup.com/tableconversations/events/270360456/
Otherwise, since I don't control Meetup's mail system, if you are not receiving notifications please contact Meetup.com for assistance.
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* Room opens at 6:45PM (often earlier) for socialization
* Discussion starts at 7:15 and finishes at 8:45ish
* Keep talking until dawn!
