[ted id=1037]
We like to call Laurel Park Sarasota’s urban village. But what do we mean by that? Isn’t “urban village” an oxymoron? Not necessarily. At Laurel Park Management, we see “urban” as a condition of density and diversity, basically a place where a variety of people come together to make a variety of things happen. Urban places are often intensely built-up, like New York City, but they don’t have to be. And we see “village” as an approach to local life taken by residents, by those who get to know their neighbors, who stop to say hello when passing you by on the street, who lend a hand during times of need and invest themselves in the future of their community.
Due to its proximity to Main Street, Washington Blvd (301), Towles Court, and Burns Square, and thanks to its many involved residents, we think Laurel Park is indeed a budding urban village. At the heart of such a place is collaboration, exchange, sociality. We think a place grows great when the varied strengths of residents merge and mitigate individual shortcomings. Two heads is better than one, so to speak. And the shift to sustainability will unquestionably require a group effort.
Some say that technological and entrepreneurial developments, from the internet to social media and car-sharing, herald a boom of cooperation and interaction that may well rival the rise of cities in the first place. Don’t believe us? Check out the TEDtalks video above featuring Rachel Botsman. Interesting stuff…