Not So Big Communities: A Promising Future for Human Beings of All Ages

Abstract

In many American communities today, the methods of construction, as well as the almost exclusive orientation to the convenience of the automobile, limit the functioning and independence of the aging population, and offer little opportunity for human interaction. Sarah Susanka's Not So Big series of books points toward a new way of building communities that is tailored to the particular needs and lifestyles of all generations. By designing communities to be beautiful, walkable, accessible to those with disabilities, and sustainable, we can create places where all ages of humans can thrive, no matter their ability to maneuver an automobile. We then discover that community is not only a place, but a process; and the more people who are fully and passionately engaged in its making, the more alive, regenerative, and sustainable that community is likely to be.