3 Reasons Your Neighborhood Should Start Throwing Block Parties
Ever been to a block party where there’s a wrestling ring? How about a block party in the middle of winter? Or one where you compete with your neighbors in a low-stakes game of pothole golf? These are just a few cool block party ideas I’ve seen in my city.
Closing a street, setting up a couple of grills and shooting the breeze while standing around with cold drinks may simply feel like neighborly fun. But what if I told you that a block party could actually be foundational to improving your neighborhood, town or city?
It would be easy to write off the block party as a feel-good, fluffy event, but I think that’s a mistake. Here are three reasons block parties are a highly valuable, underused tool for building stronger places.
1. Reducing Fear and Building Trust
Gatherings with no agenda or goal other than spending time together are the kind that will draw people in, much more so than meetings to address problems or issues. After many years of serving on a neighborhood association, I know this to be true.
I’d never given this much critical thought; it seems fairly obvious that most people would rather spend their time having fun than tackling tough problems.
But then I heard an episode of the It’s the Little Things podcast (the former name of The Bottom-Up Revolution podcast) when a guest framed this in a way that really resonated with me:
A lot of neighborhood associations coalesce around the fear of burglary, the fear of cars getting keyed, hoodlums running around rampant. ... I don’t like energy that comes from being afraid. … I’ve always been more about positive steps.
The antidote to that “energy that comes from being afraid” is getting to know more people. It’s spending time with folks you wouldn’t normally spend time with and learning about their lives — their needs, hopes, skills and gifts. Given the chance to develop a relationship, even a casual one, a stranger can become a familiar face; someone with a name, a job, and a favorite team or vacation destination. Someone you could ask to bring in your mail when you’re away, borrow a tool from or ask for help when in a bind.
Block parties are a perfect, low-stakes opportunity to do just that. Research from 2018 found that, among Americans who knew at least some of their neighbors, 58% said that they never met those neighbors for parties or get-togethers. Why not change that?
2. Fostering Community and Creating Agency
Developing connections within a neighborhood is incredibly valuable in itself. It becomes even more critical if you want to achieve meaningful changes within your place. It’s not always easy, though, especially when you feel like you’re the only one who seems to be worried about speeding traffic or the latest megaproject downtown.
Strong Towns board member Andrew Burleson dropped a deep truth about building neighbor relationships during an Office Hours session, and his words have stuck with me. (Burleson’s remarks begin at the 20:50 mark. They’re well worth the watch.)
In a conversation about how to get organized to take action on problems in your neighborhood, he said part of the challenge in finding allies and creating momentum is that many folks simply take the built environment for granted. “Most of your neighbors have never thought about this. They're not opposed [to change]. It has never occurred to them that the street in front of your house is a disaster. It just hasn't occurred to them. … It's just how the world is. How else would it ever be?”
And the reality is that, even if you can open their eyes to better possibilities, many of them will not have a sustained interest. You won’t win them all. But if you’ve put in the time and effort to know your neighbors and be invested in them as people, then you’re much more likely to succeed when it comes time to raise support for an issue you care about.
“I feel like I've learned this the hard way," Burleson admits. "You can't have [the built environment] be the only thing you ever talk with your neighbors about, or you're that annoying guy who lives next door who won't shut up about bike lanes.”
Andrew concludes, “Try to build authentic relationships with your neighbors. That’s the most important thing you can do to build a strong town."
Andrew’s words have stuck with me because I know them to be true. Relationships built on a single issue may have some success in the short term. However, truly strong, powerful and enduring relationships are based on genuine interest, care and concern for your neighbors.
3. Dreaming Big and Starting Small
My friend Brian, who was featured in the local paper for his love of block parties, has seen firsthand how one event can inspire continued community connections. After he brought the block party tradition to his new street, neighbors enthusiastically came up with more ideas and ran with them: corn roasts, movie nights, chili cook-offs and more.
North American society is beginning to understand the devastating toll that loneliness can have on human health and how vital social bonds are. Those bonds take time to build, but they can be nurtured. Brian found that people are yearning for connection and time spent face-to-face with the people in their neighborhoods.
The saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” is a good reminder that relatively small actions can add up to big change. As Brian puts it, ”We can make the entire city better one block at a time and it starts on your very own street. Make the community you want to see.”
4. Bonus: Refilling Your Tank With Good Vibes
This one is for the folks out there who are working hard as advocates and activists for healthier, safer, more financially sustainable places. I see you! This is long, hard work. It can be exhausting and the challenges can feel insurmountable. Hyperlocal, feel-good events like block parties are a really good way to recharge your batteries and can serve as a reminder that there are many different ways to be a strong citizen.
Go Big or Go Home?
A block party should be something relatively easy to organize, especially if you have a small team of people helping out. But that isn’t always the case. A big, formal block party can get complicated and costly. Some towns and cities have decided to prioritize community-building events like block parties, while others give lip service but actually make things very difficult.
And so I feel the need to tell you this: For decades, there was one street in my neighborhood that had an epic block party every June. It was a well-oiled machine and people looked forward to it every year. However, it was primarily organized by one single person. That one person got all the permits and insurance, coordinated all the volunteers, and created the schedule. And so, understandably, that person eventually ran out of steam. And sadly, no one stepped in to fill those very big shoes.
What has remained and evolved is a collection of smaller events that gather clusters of neighbors — the spirit of a block party on a smaller and more manageable scale. Things like front-yard pancake parties and back-lane barbeques. Some day, I would love to do a full-fledged block party on my street, but I know that there’s no need to make perfect the enemy of good (in other words, you shouldn't wait for perfection at the expense of acting.) The time we spend getting to know the people on our streets and in our neighborhoods, regardless of the scale of the gathering, is an investment that will never go to waste.
Emma Durand-Wood likes walkable cities, front porches, street trees, bumping into neighbors, riding her bike, downtowns, and any excuse to check out a new coffee shop, bakery, or shop. A Winnipegger by choice, she lives in Elmwood with her husband and three children. You can connect with her on Twitter @emmaewood.