I had no idea the task I was taking on when I decided to investigate the “architecture of community” in Northfield.  The general subjects of suburban development, new urbanism, shifts in architecture, and sense of community run much deeper than I could possibly touch on in this website and the breadth of literature out there is astounding.  I highly recommend looking further into these concepts as they have enormous implications on our communities and the way in which we live within them.  Northfield itself has such a rich history and strong commitment to community that books should, and in fact have been (Clark and Zellie), written on the history of the neighborhoods in this town.  Indeed the project began to expand more and more as I made my way through the literature in the library and as I ventured into the vast array of neighborhoods in Northfield.  This is a summary of the results of this investigation.

Although architectural elements contribute to the visual impact a neighborhood possesses and can shape a community in certain ways, I’m not convinced that they are the cause or demise of one’s sense of community.  Through a review of literature we have seen that porches have been cited for several reasons as a means of promoting community, while garages seem to be a mere symptom of our dependence on automobiles.  Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the fact that people utilize their porches less as technology continues to draw people into their homes, somewhat decreasing their effectiveness as tools for neighborhood interaction.  We have also seen evidence that garages can be used as in-between space, providing interaction in the public realm of the street, if residents make an effort to do so.  This lends to the idea the community although somewhat affected by the physical structures of homes and neighborhoods, is more dependent on a commitment by individuals within these neighborhoods to interaction with one another on a regular basis.  The conversations I had with residents in Northfield support this theory. Kris, Joan, and Julie are all active citizens in Northfield and their individual neighborhoods, whether they are porch communities or “garagescapes.”  These women seemed committed to being active members of their neighborhoods, knowing their neighbors, investing themselves in their communities and in Northfield as a whole, providing them with a sense of place.

As for the community of Northfield as a whole, I cannot draw generalizations from my few conversations but I believe Clifford Clark summarizes nicely when he says,