Creating an amazing city or neighbourhood is less about a silver bullet solution and more about rediscovering a lost art. A neighbourhood manifesto helps us see with new focus the ways in which we are all invited to bring life to the places where we live. New language can inspire us to nurture community and aspire to create a dynamic thriving city of abiding hope and grace.
We’re for Facebook mentions that lead to face-to-face connections
We’re for listening to stories, and creating even more
We’re not afraid of crisis or pain, it will come; we’re in this together
We’re expecting mistakes, grace is the cornerstone of our city
We’re for hand delivered cards, not trading barbs
We’re for sharing our BBQ steak and our Kraft Dinner, there’s always room at the table
We’re for loving enemies and making allies
We’re for surprising our neighbours with fresh hot biscuits, not bylaw tickets
We’re for kids, we slow down and we get to know them
We’re for joining in whatever is already happening, cheering good things along
We’re more than residents or citizens, we’re neighbours
We’re sure that making our neighbourhoods welcoming places will always be the better way
We’re for generosity experiments and sneaky acts of kindness
We’re for throwing snowballs and block parties, not tirades
We’re for bringing the best out in others, and for being in our neighbour’s corner
We’re for forgiveness
We’re for waiting when patience is needed
We’re discovering that the best security system is a well connected neighbourhood
We’re setting the DNA of our city – for good or bad
We’re here for a purpose, our neighbourhood is better because we’re in it
We’re for celebrating what we have right now, not angry about what we don’t
We’re sure that the small things are important, in fact they may be the most important
We’re for our teachers, our firefighters, our politicians, our barbers, and our tattoo artists
We’re neighbourhood environmentalists, creating space for growth
We’re for creating cultures of trust
We’re discovering that a neighbourhood is more like a garden, and less like a veneer
We’re convinced the people around us are amazing, unique, rare, and eternally valuable
We’re for solving problems over coffee, not over a pitchfork
We’re fluent in the language of potlucks, garden parties, and impromptu marshmallow roasts
We’re for good ideas, and the courage to see them happen
We’re sure we can do this together
This is my Neighbourhood Manifesto
