Canadian media have been busy these past few weeks. As one disaster after another has rattled our nation, journalists have relayed images of floodwater, spilt oil, and damaged homes. While the stories have been bleak, in the face of adversity we’ve seen citizens come together to support each other, overcome odds, and hold out hope.
From Calgary, to Toronto, to Lac-Megantic, Canadian communities have shown tremendous strength and solidarity. They’ve reminded us that, ultimately, it’s people and the relationships between them that sustain cities.
As individuals we’re often compelled to put up fences, both literally and metaphorically. On a daily basis many of us detach ourselves from our communities – our would-be friends, neighbours, advocates and supporters – in the name of privacy, safety, or maybe just convenience. But as we (citizens and governments) become more obsessed with protecting ourselves from each other, we undermine our own long-term prosperity.
Public interaction is key to building efficient and trusting societies. The more we encounter the diversity of people around us, the more we build social trust and a sense of mutual obligation or responsibility. As we learn about each other through simple interactions, we develop what Robert Putnam calls generalized reciprocity: “I’ll do this for you without expecting anything specific back from you, in the confident expectation that someone else will do something for me down the road”. It’s this sense of mutual obligation or responsibility for action that leads to more cooperative communities; communities where people pick up litter off of the ground, vote in their municipal election, donate blood, or hold the elevator for their neighbours.
Governments can help build these norms by designing policies and places that support interaction with diversity and foster social cohesion. They can create public spaces where people of all ages feel welcome and comfortable, without the obligation to spend money, and enact laws that facilitate enjoyable use of those spaces.
In Putnam’s words, “regular connections with my fellow citizens don’t ensure that I will be able to put myself in their shoes, but social isolation virtually guarantees that I will not”. As citizens, we need to take the time to get to know one another, be open to difference and engaging with our communities. Governments, meanwhile, need to trust that citizens can enjoy public spaces responsibly and encourage them to do so. They too need to be open and inviting, and encourage citizens to take part in public life.
Whether a natural disaster or a shaky global economy, the best hope we have at overcoming adversity and maintaining happy, healthy communities are each other. Together, we are our greatest contingency plan.
