We believe this loss of community and the erosion of civic life represent the most important challenges facing the housing and community development movement today. Community and civic participation are the building blocks of our future. Family breakdown, teen pregnancy, and irresponsible fatherhood have all added to an atmosphere less and less suited to raising the next generation to be productive adults. Meanwhile, political institutions have declined. Party organizations have been replaced by media campaigns.
Voter participation continues to drop.
Added to the breakdown of community has been a widening gulf between city and suburb. Today, city residents are dispirited, resigned to expect inaction, incivility, and further decline. Suburbanites are further removed than ever from their urban neighbors and find it harder to empathize with their plight. In the face of these dismal changes, a hopeful, fledgling movement seeks to rebuild a spirit of community and restore civic life. As we begin our third decade of publishing, we want to add our voice to that movement.