The Mercury has posted an article and interview conducted a few weeks back. The interview is probably of more interest to readers of this blog. Here’s an excerpt:

Q: What … effects does poor community planning have on Americans today?

A: When you have a loss of social capital - a lack of community - the problems are many. Basically if you don’t have community at a local level, you may not have democracy.

When you are isolated, statistical research has shown you are more unhealthy, you age faster, and you are two to five times more likely to die of all causes if you’re socially disconnected. Crime rates are known to be directly related to social connectedness. A lot of the things people think are crime problems, and they tend to try to solve them by creating more barriers, more walls, more fences, more isolation, more separation. That actually makes the problem worse, not better.

Q: What would you tell someone who tries to strengthen the connections within their subdivision communities?

A: Most people do want some kind of connection to others to varying degrees. There are some who will always want to be pretty isolated and shut in. It’s very hard to overcome neighborhood inertia and style. The style of neighborhood I was in before was basically cold. To overcome that takes a tremendous amount of effort and understanding as to what makes things work and not work.

Q: What are the differences between subdivisions and communities like Little Forest Hills?

A: Planning means everything. Modern subdivisions are very poorly planned for community and for people. They’re planned for automobiles, for one thing. When you create subdivisions, which are disconnected from everything else - shopping, work and school - and are economically segregated, you’ve created a situation that encourages isolationism.

Q: How do you plan neighborhoods that will encourage strong social interaction?

A: The main thing is to be able to enter public space. There should be a public realm.

There should be something to do, places to go, places to interact with people in a casual way.

I (appreciate) some elements of modern design, but I also recognize that it can be very cold and inhuman.

Read the full interview here.