Tearing down the walls that separate us

By Kristen Green, Globe Correspondent | October 20, 2005

Many residents of the western suburbs may think they have it made, with nice homes on leafy streets, fenced-in yards for the children, and garage doors that lock firmly behind them when they get home, shutting out the world.

But is there something more?

Dave Wann, a Colorado author who specializes in environmental issues, thinks there is.

He's urging people to get off their couches and shake hands with a couple of neighbors, knock down the towering fences around their backyards, and plant a neighborhood garden in its place, or pitch in to buy a nearby house that can be converted into a community center.

Wann believes that Americans' quest for wealth, privacy, and exclusivity in the suburbs has left them feeling empty and suggests these measures as ways to change suburban life into something great -- something he has dubbed ''superbia."

The miniature mansions that dot the landscape of Boston's suburbs isolate their owners from the community, he says. ''The American dream is kind of a fantasy."

In ''Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods," Wann and coauthor Dan Chiras argue that a life disconnected from our neighbors is not a fulfilling one. Leading a healthy, happy life requires communicating with other people, but the way suburbs are designed, residents don't even know their neighbors three houses down the street, Wann said.

His ideas have a special resonance for some local residents and planning specialists.

Stephanie G. Doss, a 31-year-old social worker from Ashland, once wanted one of those huge homes built far off the street.

''We are sort of programmed to think that is the ideal," she said.

But Doss said she's unhappy now in her neighborhood, where she knows only one neighbor. What she would value more than a big house offering privacy is having neighbors who can look after her twin sons while she runs to the grocery store.

Doss is hoping to find a greater sense of community when she moves to a proposed cohousing development in Berlin. Wann lives in one of those developments, where a group of families shares common spaces and eats some meals together.

Kristina Egan, director of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, a coalition of environmental, affordable housing, planning and other groups, said some of Wann's ideas mesh with the ''smart growth" philosophy, which encourages compact, walkable neighborhoods that are transit-friendly and respectful of the land.

She emphasized that communities could be improved by better design. Garages shouldn't be the first things one sees, and all houses should have a front porch to encourage interaction among neighbors. A variety of housing should be offered, including rental units, to ensure that communities are diverse. And there should be sidewalks and plenty of open space.

''The opportunities to be part of your community and better your community are increased when you have a well-designed neighborhood," she said.

Egan said Boston and its suburbs have an advantage over many areas of the country because a significant number of the cities and towns are built around downtown centers that are more oriented toward pedestrians. She described Phoenix, which she visits often, as ''one big monolithic parking lot."

Vera Kolias, the town planner for Southborough, said local cities and towns should change their zoning to allow for more intimate communities. In many municipalities, builders now need a variance to construct homes close to the street, whereas older neighborhoods were traditionally built with houses near the street, which encouraged interaction between neighbors.

She said a movement is afoot to build neighborhoods ''a little less like what we're used to and a little more like what we want."

In Norfolk, some officials think that another way to create a greater sense of community is to eliminate cul-de-sacs so people aren't isolated into little ''pods."

Wann said the important question for suburban residents to ask is, ''How can we take the suburban street and capture the feeling we're in this together?"

He suggested a series of steps, from ''easy" to ''boldest." One of the simplest things to do, he said, is to introduce yourself to your neighbors, even if you've seen them for years but never said hello. Provide them with your contact information and ask for theirs in return. Later, you can talk with your neighbors about creating a community contact list.

Establish a community newsletter, he suggested, or sponsor regular community dinners. Form weekly discussion groups and establish a baby-sitting cooperative.

Wann, 56, said neighbors can take it to the next level, too. Aside from his suggestions to create a community garden or center, he suggests narrowing or eliminating streets to create more space for parks, walkways, and picnic spots.

Wann acknowledged that his suggestion to tear down fences angers some people because they have come to value privacy, but he contended that large community spaces do a lot to enhance a neighborhood.

Wann said he feels a greater sense of support living in his cohousing development, a collaborative community of private residences built around substantial public spaces.

''I don't think there's any down side to it," he said. ''You grow as an individual because all of a sudden you realize there's something bigger than you."

Sharon Machlis Gartenberg of Framingham promotes walkable neighborhoods on her website. A former member of the Framingham Town Meeting Planning and Zoning Committee, she said she got to know her community simply by bumping into her neighbors on morning walks, and chatting with them when they were out raking leaves.

She welcomed some of Wann's ideas, but said she probably wouldn't take some of the boldest steps he suggests because she believes there should be a balance between community involvement and privacy.

''There's such a thing as too neighborly."