Engaged citizens typically means active communities. In all the surrounding communities, there is significant development occurring. In the middle of these rapidly developing and extremely active and engaged communities is Gateway. Amidst significant development, Gateway lies dormant. There are no cranes or community centers. The park is empty except for a few homeless individuals. The streets are quiet. Gibson states that the most important factor to check is a community’s culture, “a sense of ongoing practices, habits, norms, identities, and relationships—that can sustain engagement against cultural trends going in the other direction”.
Fort Lincoln
When you drive through Fort Lincoln there are hundreds of articles, renderings of new apartments being built, exciting community centers and tons of events. The community has conference centers, lounges, dog washing stations, and a 10,000 sq ft. courtyard for all residents of the Fort Lincoln community to enjoy. This hub brings people together, facilitates communication, breaks down barriers, and allows citizens to engage and mingle.
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Langdon
Hundreds of articles about Langdon, the new, “up-and-coming” area for Washington DC. A significant number of younger professionals, a category known for their activism is moving into Langdon. Furthermore, Langdon Park is the central hub for this community which has basketball and tennis courts, skate parks, a community center, and other amenities. It also has a brand new dog park. To round out the community, many new business have opened like Zeke’s Coffee and a few different pizza places.
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Ivy City
Ivy City is a rapidly expanding neighborhood built almost exclusively by Doug Jemal. Within Ivy City is the brand new Hecht Building which houses apartments, offices, and retail space, several other new commercial spaces, specialty alcohol venues like Atlas Brew Works, New Columbia Distilliers, and several gyms, yoga studios, and more. Again, Ivy City has experienced rapid growth and revitalization and because of that, the area is busy and citizens are out and about comingling with each other.
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Gateway
In 2014, the Gateway community had a proposed new development coming into the neighborhood which a majority of residents didn’t support it and attend the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) meetings to show that position. The project moved slowly as city officials were not thrilled about the project.
In Gateway, citizens know each other and recognize each other, there is no overarching theme or goal that is holding the community together like the communities above. The lack of social groups, soup kitchens, community centers, and more creates a void that just isn’t filled. What is lacking is any real drive to change which stems from the fact that Gateway finds itself in a pseudo equilibrium. There is not enough wrong that warrants extreme community activism. Crime isn’t off the charts. Homelessness is in check. Therefore, the residents live their lives without having to be extremely active.
How do communities like Gateway balance the expanding activism that happens typically when new citizens come into the community with managing the expansion and development of the community and ensure older citizens don’t get pushed aside? For Gateway, it makes sense that they don’t want to be an active “up-and-coming” neighborhood because it could threaten their existence within the neighborhood. Gateway needs resources, food access, healthy access, and more to fully achieve human flourishing. The problem is, once a community flourishes, it doesn’t stay a secret for long. Newcomers desire to move into the community increases demand, rent or buy new places, and therefore, shorts supply. Basic economics tells us that this property becomes more valuable and those who cannot afford this anymore have a choice to make – either deal with the increased cost or move out. Typically, the later is chosen, ripping communities apart and relocating them. Sure, the community that emerges is a more engaged community but at what cost?
In Gateway, citizens know each other and recognize each other, there is no overarching theme or goal that is holding the community together like the communities above. The lack of social groups, soup kitchens, community centers, and more creates a void that just isn’t filled. What is lacking is any real drive to change which stems from the fact that Gateway finds itself in a pseudo equilibrium. There is not enough wrong that warrants extreme community activism. Crime isn’t off the charts. Homelessness is in check. Therefore, the residents live their lives without having to be extremely active.
How do communities like Gateway balance the expanding activism that happens typically when new citizens come into the community with managing the expansion and development of the community and ensure older citizens don’t get pushed aside? For Gateway, it makes sense that they don’t want to be an active “up-and-coming” neighborhood because it could threaten their existence within the neighborhood. Gateway needs resources, food access, healthy access, and more to fully achieve human flourishing. The problem is, once a community flourishes, it doesn’t stay a secret for long. Newcomers desire to move into the community increases demand, rent or buy new places, and therefore, shorts supply. Basic economics tells us that this property becomes more valuable and those who cannot afford this anymore have a choice to make – either deal with the increased cost or move out. Typically, the later is chosen, ripping communities apart and relocating them. Sure, the community that emerges is a more engaged community but at what cost?