A new neighborhood school in the central core would have a significant economic impact on the whole of Evanston. According to a recent study released by Nicholas & Associates, the District 65 construction manager, an estimated 285 jobs could be created by direct employment, construction sales revenue from local suppliers could exceed $3 Million and local retail sales in the area around the new school could increase by a quarter of a million dollars over the next three years. A new school in the central core could also increase property values, encourage continued public and private investment in the neighborhood and attract more young families to the area. This, in turn, would increase the tax base available to all schools.
The economic value of a new neighborhood school is significant and undeniable. However, when considering the issue of "value," we should do more than simply consider economic impact. We must also consider the value of what Robert D. Putnam refers to "social capital."
As Bruce Miller writes in Rural Distress and Survival: The School and the Importance of Community, “economic development is often equated with community development, leading to an emphasis on economics at the exclusion of the social dimension of community.” Yes, economic development is certainly critical to community development. But Miller urges that we also consider other, equally-important facets of community well-being. These include the value of place, the quality of environment, one's history as a member of a community, and perhaps most importantly, a sense of belonging and affiliation among caring friends, neighbors and relatives. Miller asserts that this psychological sense of community provides the foundation upon which successful economic community development efforts should be built; not the other way around. Even more, Miller concludes that “mounting evidence suggests that, without building this sense of community, development efforts are likely to fail.”
The issue here is the fundamental importance of community.
The fact that people live close to one another does not necessarily mean that they have much to do with each other. There may be little interaction between neighbors; therefore precious little actual community. Mark K. Smith writes, “It is the nature of the relationships between people and the social networks of which they are a part that is one of the most important, if not the most important, aspects of community.” Smith continues, “The nature of the networks within in a particular place or grouping is, thus, of fundamental importance when making judgments about ‘communities’ – and the extent to which people can flourish within them. Humans are social animals. Connection and interaction both widen and deepen what we can achieve, and makes possible our individual character.”
Robert Putnam refers to these networks as “social capital.” In his groundbreaking book “Bowling Alone,” Putnam provides an impressive compilation of research concerning the many benefits of communities rich in social capital. Putnam’s work demonstrates that:
When people are asked about what "community" means to them, it is these social networks that are most commonly cited. For most of us, our deepest sense of belonging is to our most intimate social networks, especially family and friends. Beyond that perimeter lie work, church, neighborhood, civic life and school. As well as helping us to build a sense of self and individuality, such informal relationships “also enable us to navigate our way around the demands and contingencies of everyday living.” (Smith).
A neighborhood school is a critical component of a community rich in social capital. In fact, those in favor of a new neighborhood school in the central core have argued from the very beginning that a neighborhood school is the heart and soul of a community. The central core was once a community rich in social capital. It was a community connected by a neighborhood school (Foster School), family-owned businesses, trusted, longtime neighbors, a sense of place and belonging and community pride. Building a school in the central core is not a magical panacea. It will not immediately cure all of the social and economic ills that have increasingly plagued this community. But it would be a significant step forward in rebuilding the bonds of social capital that made the central core such a unique and special place to live.
Closing Foster School might have been the right decision in 1967. Building a new school in the central core is, without question, the right decision now.
Michael E. Summers
The economic value of a new neighborhood school is significant and undeniable. However, when considering the issue of "value," we should do more than simply consider economic impact. We must also consider the value of what Robert D. Putnam refers to "social capital."
As Bruce Miller writes in Rural Distress and Survival: The School and the Importance of Community, “economic development is often equated with community development, leading to an emphasis on economics at the exclusion of the social dimension of community.” Yes, economic development is certainly critical to community development. But Miller urges that we also consider other, equally-important facets of community well-being. These include the value of place, the quality of environment, one's history as a member of a community, and perhaps most importantly, a sense of belonging and affiliation among caring friends, neighbors and relatives. Miller asserts that this psychological sense of community provides the foundation upon which successful economic community development efforts should be built; not the other way around. Even more, Miller concludes that “mounting evidence suggests that, without building this sense of community, development efforts are likely to fail.”
The issue here is the fundamental importance of community.
The fact that people live close to one another does not necessarily mean that they have much to do with each other. There may be little interaction between neighbors; therefore precious little actual community. Mark K. Smith writes, “It is the nature of the relationships between people and the social networks of which they are a part that is one of the most important, if not the most important, aspects of community.” Smith continues, “The nature of the networks within in a particular place or grouping is, thus, of fundamental importance when making judgments about ‘communities’ – and the extent to which people can flourish within them. Humans are social animals. Connection and interaction both widen and deepen what we can achieve, and makes possible our individual character.”
Robert Putnam refers to these networks as “social capital.” In his groundbreaking book “Bowling Alone,” Putnam provides an impressive compilation of research concerning the many benefits of communities rich in social capital. Putnam’s work demonstrates that:
- Child development is powerfully shaped by social capital.
- Public spaces in high social-capital areas are cleaner, people are friendlier, and the streets are safer. Traditional neighborhood “risk factors” such as high poverty and residential mobility are not as significant as most people assume. Places have higher crime rates in large part because people don’t participate in community organizations, don’t supervise younger people, and aren’t linked through networks of friends.
- Where trust and social networks flourish, individuals, firms, neighborhoods, and even nations prosper economically. Social capital can help to mitigate the insidious effects of socioeconomic disadvantage.
- There appears to be a strong relationship between the possession of social capital and better health. According to Putnam, if you belong to no groups but decide to join one, you cut your risk of dying over the next year in half. If you smoke and belong to no groups, it’s a toss-up statistically whether you should stop smoking or start joining. Regular club attendance, volunteering, entertaining, or church attendance are the happiness equivalents of getting a college degree or more than doubling your income. Civic connections rival marriage and affluence as predictors of life happiness.
When people are asked about what "community" means to them, it is these social networks that are most commonly cited. For most of us, our deepest sense of belonging is to our most intimate social networks, especially family and friends. Beyond that perimeter lie work, church, neighborhood, civic life and school. As well as helping us to build a sense of self and individuality, such informal relationships “also enable us to navigate our way around the demands and contingencies of everyday living.” (Smith).
A neighborhood school is a critical component of a community rich in social capital. In fact, those in favor of a new neighborhood school in the central core have argued from the very beginning that a neighborhood school is the heart and soul of a community. The central core was once a community rich in social capital. It was a community connected by a neighborhood school (Foster School), family-owned businesses, trusted, longtime neighbors, a sense of place and belonging and community pride. Building a school in the central core is not a magical panacea. It will not immediately cure all of the social and economic ills that have increasingly plagued this community. But it would be a significant step forward in rebuilding the bonds of social capital that made the central core such a unique and special place to live.
Closing Foster School might have been the right decision in 1967. Building a new school in the central core is, without question, the right decision now.
Michael E. Summers
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