I’m a 60′s baby with all kinds of ideas and opinions that I’m sure were shaped by the “groovy” generation that taught me in grade school, the explosion of the civil rights movement and…episodes of Star Trek.
This week my daughter was watching some cable station that was airing old Star Trek programs and she was keeling over with laughter at the exaggerated acting and the “peculiar” story lines. Always trying to find a teaching moment, I explained to her that Star Trek was really a tongue in cheek program that was providing commentary on the current times which was the 60′s.
Trekky story lines dealt with social issues that were becoming explosive during those groovy sixties. Issues like racial and gender equality and authoritarianism vs. freedom of personal expression.
I bring all this up to highlight that the attributes of good, new urbanism communities we celebrate today – walkable and eco-friendly communities intentionally built to support our personal, work and recreational “priorities” – is in all likelihood a natural by-product of that 60′s generation.
Today we have the freedom to ask those questions that would have seemed, well, counter cultural in the 50′s and early 60′s.
Today it is perfectly normal to ask questions like: How can I (mom or dad) work from home so that I can be near my children? How can I work out a telecommuting plan with my employer so that I can cut out that daily, hour-long drive and help out the environment at the same time ?
We’ve finally realized that compartmentalizing our lives is killing us and keeping us out of touch with the living things in our world that really give us energy, purpose and health–our families, friends, and a healthy, “green” environment.
I think it’s fair to say that life in our integrated, new urbanism communities is pretty groovey!