01 Nov 2017 Welcome Home: 10 Tips to Turn Your Neighborhood Into a Hometown Haven by Linda Williams "Communities work better (students perform better, crime rates are lower, kids are safer, people live longer) when neighbors know one another better. Knowing your neighbor on a first-name basis...is a surprisingly effective first step." - Robert Putnam, Harvard Public Policy Professor and author of Bowling Alone While advancements in technology have made it possible for us to connect with people from around the world, numerous studies show that it has led to a decline in face-to-face interactions. 1 Places where we used to strike up casual conversations—such as a doctor’s office waiting room, bus stop or grocery line—are now filled with people looking at their smart phones, barely acknowledging those around them. Even many families dining together or relaxing in the evenings can be caught spending more time focused on screens than each other. Is it any