The character of a neighborhood is a reflection of the people who live there. When people feel connected to a place, they feel more connected to one another. The community becomes an extended family and life more meaningful. Thus, Re:Vision is looking for urban planning approaches where revamped environments bring current residents together, particularly families. This is a chance to repair the essential relationships between social work, nature and urban infill with ideas that value humanistic thinking and imagination over bulldozers. Ponder the kinds of structures and landscapes that typically exist in run-down areas and transform them into eco-wise spaces that make life better. How might you overcome the inevitable resistance to change, and harness the community’s human resources? Introducing eldercare and childcare programs or sustainable landscaping with useable harvests might be just what’s needed. The best plans, no matter their originality or scale, will aim to positively affect neighboring blocks as well.

The Re:Connect registration and entry deadline is Monday June 2nd, 2008. Visit the site to learn more.