‘Neighbourisms’: Rethinking Housing Design to Reignite the Art of Neighbouring
- Savannah Fishel
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Neighbourisms: everyday acts of informal care, interest and reciprocity between neighbours that build trust, belonging, and community resilience.
A quiet revolution of everyday care
Picture this: staff at Bridge Meadows - a housing community in Portland for youth who have experienced foster care, their families, as well as single elders - are taking me on a tour, and we bump into Rose* in the corridor. I briefly explain who I am, and what I’m doing there. Immediately she welcomes me and generously shares her own experience; “I didn’t realise how lonely I was. I never knew my neighbours before”. In her hand she’s holding molasses which she’s just borrowed from someone a few doors down.
When was the last time you chatted with a neighbour, lent a hand (or some molasses), or even stopped for a chat on your way home? Perhaps you're in a fortunate minority who have developed bonds along your street, but for many of us in Western society, especially in urban environments, the 'art of neighbouring' has faded - and with it, we've lost a priceless social currency.
Funded by the Churchill Fellowship, I recently visited 54 intergenerational housing models across the US and Australia which intentionally encourage organic social bonds. Whether it was a rural cooperative, an urban cohousing apartment block, or a suburban tiny home village, these communities demonstrate the far-reaching benefits of living in more sustainable and connected ways.
I frequently heard of neighbours rallying around one another; in particular many communities spoke of organised meal trains, visits in hospital, and stepping in to cover community responsibilities when someone fell ill. At Santa Rosa Creek Commons, a limited equity cooperative with around 30 residents aged 0-80, a total of 63 car rides were organised for a resident undergoing chemotherapy. In many of the communities I visited, it was the everyday social awareness that allowed support needs to be identified in the first place. Small signs, such as a build-up of mail or absence at community dinners, offered subtle clues that something was wrong, which would rarely be noticed in more disconnected, individualised societies.
Introducing ‘Neighbourisms’: informal practices of care that strengthen neighbourhood bonds
I've witnessed how communal housing communities, which blend a mix of private and shared spaces, create cultures of care through intentional practices such as shared meals, collaborative decision-making, and socially-minded architecture. These in turn create enabling conditions for connection and spontaneous 'neighbourisms' to flourish.
'Neighbourisms' is a term I use to describe the rich ecosystem of everyday acts of support, care, and interest that flourish in communal living environments, yet remain rare in broader society. These practices range from spontaneous moments of kindness to systems of mutual aid, and include intentional rituals that establish group identity.
At The Village, an 18-person family-oriented co-living house in San Francisco, a simple sheet on the wall invites residents to share how others could ‘add joy to their day’ or make life a little easier. In Los Angeles Ecovillage, home to around 50 residents aged 3 to 88, a ‘freebie table’ is often piled with books, clothes, and homegrown food. And at Cennednyss, an 8 person community in the Adelaide Hills founded in 1978 and home to residents aged 1 to 85, a weekly community tea draws “almost everyone” together and welcomes visitors too. “It’s a lovely time for catching up,” one resident said to me. When I visited, I saw toddlers, parents, and older adults chatting, laughing, and sharing food around the same table.
Small acts of kindness – watering someone’s plants while they’re away, offering a lift to a non-driver, returning misdelivered post – operate as a refreshing currency based on trust, not transaction. They build a sense of belonging and connection beyond your own front door.
The profound impact of small gestures
Whether it's a smile, a wave, or a shared cup of tea, tiny gestures create trust, belonging, and security. They remind us that we're not just individuals occupying separate spaces but part of a larger, interdependent whole.
Neighbourly favours – checking on someone who is grieving, cooking for someone who is sick or watching children to give parents a break – build community resilience. These supportive environments can help avoid minor challenges escalating into crises requiring formal intervention. Studies have shown that a significant number of hospital visits could be prevented with early community interventions [1], and the impact relationships have on our health is profound [2]. As such, a country creaking under rising demand of public services [3] should not be underestimating social capital and informal community-based support.
As well as potential health impacts, neighbourisms have economic benefits, with acts of exchange reducing financial strain while strengthening social bonds. For instance, a neighbourhood swap for clothes or books is simultaneously practical resource conservation and creates opportunities to meet, connect, and build trust.
In an increasingly disconnected world, small acts of neighbourly care are not only rare but deeply powerful in countering our isolationist tendencies and increasing community resilience. Instead of turning inward, communal housing pioneers have turned toward each other, embedding networks of support into their lives through developing housing that is intentionally social.
The building blocks that facilitate ‘neighbourisms’
In thriving communal living spaces, neighbourisms are the norm, not the exception. But these micro-communities exist within broader society where mistrust and competition are dominant, so what makes their culture so different?
My research surfaces some key building blocks that create the conditions for neighbourisms to flourish.
Physical Foundation: the spatial design of communities provides groundwork for social connection.
Designing for Connection: spaces that prioritise visibility and spontaneous interaction, balanced with privacy. Green areas and shared practical spaces - such as laundry or mailboxes - are important for chance encounters.
Multi-purpose Spaces: age friendly design that accommodates diverse activities.
Ageing in Place: safe, accessible architecture with transition opportunities for life's stages, such as larger units as families grow or units without stairs as accessibility needs change.
Social Infrastructure: systems and practices that structure community engagement.
Community Rhythms and Rituals: regular social and task-oriented events, with food sharing being particularly important.
Community Agreements and Processes: proactive frameworks for key decisions and conflict resolution.
Accessible Communication: digital and physical tools (such as whiteboards) supporting regular communication, as well as transparent decision-making processes, and convenient meeting times for different age groups.
Belonging and Purpose: intentional and spontaneous elements to build meaning and longstanding collective identity.
Skill Sharing and Learning: individuals sharing knowledge and expertise, as well as collaborative projects such as gardening, DIY and storytelling.
Celebration and Care: mutual aid processes, cultural recognition, acknowledgment of life transitions, and expressions of gratitude.
Evolution and Renewal: changing roles and governance approaches as needed, integrating new members, responding to external context and allowing for community reflection.
These building blocks were consistently present across communities I visited, though implemented in different ways according to each community's unique context and values.
From communal kitchens to welcoming rituals, these communities create environments where lending a hand, sharing a tool, or offering a kind word becomes standard. These small acts build trust, reduce friction, and build collective responsibility – all hallmarks of resilient communities.
The radical act of caring
In a world that often values productivity over presence and competition over cooperation, practicing neighbourisms becomes a quiet form of resistance. Our economic system rewards individual achievement, not connection. Turning toward community care under capitalism represents a radical reorientation of priorities.
The communities I visited demonstrate that another way is possible. Their everyday acts of kindness and mutual support create microcosms of a more connected society, where people look out for each other, share resources, and recognise our fundamental interconnection.
We don't all need to move to intentional communities to experience the benefits of neighbourisms. Here in the UK, even in London, I’ve come across people reviving neighbourly practices through activities such as street potlucks, starting a tool library or establishing a simple communication channel for intentional connection and resource sharing.
In a world grappling with rising inequality, increasing digitisation, and deep political polarisation, this currency of kindness offers a refreshing antidote to division and isolation. These simple gestures aren't just niceties; they're the foundations of a more connected, resilient society.
As we face mounting social and environmental challenges, we can’t underestimate the revolutionary and simple act of being a good neighbour.
[1] Read more about this at: Local Government Association, Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust
[2] Read about the benefit of strong relationships on our health here, and the impacts of loneliness here
[3] Read about the UK’s NHS backlog here
*Name changed for privacy
Savannah’s 2024/5 Churchill Fellowship research explored intergenerational communal living models across the United States and Australia. To learn more about neighbourisms and her research, visit https://www.thinkitforward.net/communal-living
