Like most large U.S. counties, King County has seen its communities grow more diluted over the past 50 years–the combined effect of sprawl, busier schedules and dependence on cars, television and computers. A quarter of all residents wish more restaurants and entertainment were closer to their homes. Countering the trends of modern life requires thoughtful cooperation among policymakers, developers and the public. Communities thrive when neighbors can meet easily in pleasant common spaces. In neighborhoods with high quality of life, schools, jobs, retail space and other essentials are all a pleasant walk, bike or bus ride away. Restaurants, bookshops, community centers and parks allow people to gather. Public art adorns and connects spaces, greenspace or front porches encourage neighborly interaction in residential areas, and people feel safe on the street. Such neighborhoods connect people to one another, build support for local merchants, reduce automobile-related pollution, and improve health and happiness.

Promising Strategies in Neighborhood Living: Work That Donors can Fund

• Create and install public art that reflects the surrounding community's character, history and values.
• Organize local volunteers to enhance and restore public space and greenspace near the center of neighborhoods.
• Deliver social services at the neighborhood level.
• Encourage residents to walk and bike around the neighborhood and spread the message through schools, faith communities and cultural organizations.
• Foster cooperation among developers, government, nonprofits and the public to encourage strong neighborhood life.
• Support community development corporations, which undertake housing development, physical revitalization and economic development.

What's Working in Neighborhood Living: Local Programs in Action

• The Pomegranate Center engages community members to create artistic gateways, benches, shelters, lights and other features that provide gathering places and give their community a distinct identity.
• P-Patch Trust develops community gardens that bring neighbors together across economic, racial, ethnic, disability and gender lines. People garden together, learn from each other and create a more livable urban environment.
• Transportation Choices Coalition's Active Transportation Working Group works to strengthen requirements for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in city and county development plans.