The article this week touched upon a very important concept involved in community planning: the prospect of community land. Not only does proper utilization of community land jump start the economic worth of the area in question (for example, placing a park in the neighborhood), it also promotes a sense of unity between the residents. As put in the reading, “Community planning can strengthen community land as a basic element in building a sense of place and showing that place matters” (21); when used for communal use, public land becomes an area in the neighborhood for interaction between people who wouldn’t have otherwise interacted. It’s also interesting that the article pointed out the very “modern North American tradition” (21) of using land only as a place to walk on rather than as a place of inherent importance. While I don’t think every plot of land in an urban environment should be viewed as an area with a soul, I do think it’s important to recognize that a good community park or something of the sort can easily become a “living room” of sorts for the residents in the area. If people can go to a place to feel comfortable and united with others, they will project these feelings onto those others. I suppose the major question left by this mention is that of safety. While parks and other public areas promote community and a sense of belonging, they also can sometimes give rise to delinquent behavior; how, if in any way, can this be prevented?