I am not totally familiar with what new urbanism is. I have a vague concept of it. There was an article in the Washington Post about it. Apparently it is a suburban planned community with some stores, amenities and schools targeted to the demographic that is buying in the community. All the comforts of urban living none of the hassles?
On the issue of community the author, points out there are conditions and structures that allow for members of the community to bump into each other. What was missing was whether the subject she was following, another mom, actually experienced what the planners were trying to create. The kids seem to get the most out of it but what about the adults?
Living in Shaw I get sometimes the benifits and the hassles of urban living. My Laurel cousin remarked how everything around here was so close. I like being able to hop on my bike an be downtown in no time. On my bike I can shop both Giant and Whole Foods, pick up drycleaning (I have baskets), and maybe pick up some Thai. I am two stops away from the movies and a short bus ride away from several of Washington’s highly rated restaurants. I also have high crime and drug dealers on the corner.
I’ve also got diversity where I get to know people different than myself on a down to earth level. Also I was a little disturbed by the mother’s idea of how to introduce diversity in her kids lives, a shelter. I wounder will they see things in extremes. We’ve got diversity out the ying yang on my block, not just economic and racial, but there are a variety of ages, nationalities, lines of work (not everyone has an office job) and familial structures. I wonder if diversity can be found in finding a girl scout troop or soccer team or camp or after school activity where the kids could interact with different kids as equals, so that ‘other’ does not always equal disadvantaged. But I’m not a parent, so I might be asking too much.
