Community Livability Survey

These were some of the main themes I took out of the survey:

• Methods of travel
• Safety concerns
• What is available
• Walkability
• Connection
• Volunteer opportunities
  
• Diversity of social opportunities
• Community involvement
• Trust in media
• Acceptance in community

I think these are interesting because it goes to show how many different aspects of a "community" there are. Having a sense of community is very important to me, but there were some aspects of the survey that I had never really considered before, such as which media outlets I trust (none! well, except the CBC radio a little) and the connections of the community. Eventually, when I decide where I want to put down some roots, I will consider a lot of these factors, but it really wasn't until going through the survey that I realized how much I would not have considered...just because I didn't recognize the need. For example, I know that if I end up living in an urban setting, walkability and accessibility to various services are a must. But will I walk around to the potential neighbors and see what their ethnic backgrounds are or if they are associated with any "questionable" groups (like NAMBLA!)? Probably not, thought I certainly see the wisdom in it.

The exercise we did in class on April 10, in which we spoke with our group about our own sense of connectedness, was interesting for me. As I said last week, I don't feel particularly a part of the Langford community because I feel transient, so I also don't feel very connected. I do have a lot of connections through the school and my cohort, but in my personal life the connections are definitely lacking. One team member suggested that he feels the same because he doesn't see any point in putting a lot of effort to build a community here when he knows he'll be leaving fairly shortly. I kind of agree with him. But then another classmate said that he feels that line of thinking is lazy and a bit of a cop out, because even if we are here for a short amount of time, there is definitely enough time to get involved and be a part of the community. The investment is worth putting the effort in. This made me think that my community is really what I make of it. I could be doing a lot more to make living in Langford a meaningful experience.