We need housing developments where people can easily gather on a regular basis. The sub-divisions we have been building are classically roads, lots, and houses that almost perfectly separate people like the cubes in an ice tray. If we really want the kind of "community" we ideally think of, then, we need to construct the gathering places within our sub-divisions that make that community possible. The phrase "it takes a village to raise a child", strikes deep at the heart of this quest. As a social architecture team, the Arcturus design group, has gone about examining working villages around the globe to determine what kind of gathering places would work for our contemporary housing developments. The scouting report and illustrations follow.

We are familiar with the very versatile pavilions that are found in our beach parks. They satisfy gathering needs that include family picnics, small ceremonies, and occasionally include music and dancing. If you had to add just one thing to a sub-division then it might be a pavilion. Some other communities have experimented with community gardens. Although there hasn’t been much emphasis on where people can gather before or after the planting or harvest. Yet others have created playgrounds and ball fields. All of these developments are good solutions for Hawaii and frankly just barely what is needed.

Lets look together at some other gathering place ideas that could significantly increase the "community-building" needed to really experience the power of that village that we all want to help raise our children in. Lets also remember that we are approaching an age where the elders in any community may be half the population. Both of these non-working groups, the kids and the elders, need something besides television to nourish their sense of belonging.

There are some interesting models of gathering places found around the world. The British isles has perfected the pub. This is a grown-ups club house complete with games, drinks and light food. The rules and dress are without social pretense. Come in any time … there will be friends there to talk-story with. CHEERS!

The Balinese have the Banjar. This is a pavilion that invites the village to come and prepare for seasonal ceremonies. There is nothing quite so permissive as "decorating for the senior prom". We in Hawaii are skilled in pulling together plants from the forest and decorating for ceremonies. The Balinese seem to drag that into a multi-day opportunity for everyone to sit together and weave artful do-dads that eventually decorate the main thoroughfares. It is a powerful time of social connection. The chatter is fun and the hands are busy.

The Mexicans have the zocalo. This is a combination of promenade, small park for picnics, and a marketplace for all kinds of exchanges to occur. Occasionally that occurs in Hawaii when we have our farmers markets. If the pavilion roof overhangs a little this can work as a market place with booth spaces. The farmers could be there one day and the healers on another. Roller skating, community meetings, and dance classes can work inside.

Our recommendation is that all housing developments embrace not one but several of the following kinds of gathering places. We also recommend as a matter of practice that the best of these ideas are artfully combined for efficiency and cost. In our Hawaii 2020 plan presented some years ago we focused on thoughtful combinations at the district level. You may remember the middle school that included a day care center, an animal shelter, and a small nursery to support the meetings between elders and after school children to create a botanical forest around the school grounds. This kind of multi-use thinking is a powerful way to satisfy both social needs and economic realities.

As you scan the sketch map and photo’s with this article try to imagine the combinations that might work to gather the respective people of your housing area together as community. Below are the basic ingredients for the core of a village-like development. Enjoy the menu!

The Pavilion: This is a covered general purpose gathering place that with the right design can host family events, community meetings, a farmers market with swap meet, a healers day, and occasional ceremonies.

The outdoor amphitheater: This is a landscape grown outdoor theater with a stage for community players, dance groups, weddings, graduations, and special guest speakers that include our storytellers. If possible, it is nested together with the covered pavilion in case of bad weather. It can also be created with edible landscaping to act as a community garden to hedge against times when we might need more on-island food.

The community garden zone: This area also can be close by so that extra food can be shared at the market stalls. A small community garden center can make special tools available so that the gardeners don’t each have to invest in special equipment.

A small village green, a play zone, and a ball field: This could be a very simple multi-purpose space for sports. The secret here is to create an all ages space so children, elders, and working age people can all find a way to commune in a playful way. For the elders create a small green suitable for lawn bowling, tai chi, croquet, and interesting putting courses. Nearby find a tree with ropes, old tires, movable boxes, and plenty of sand for the kids. And for organized sports the ball fields can use the same space but include the backstops or goals needed for different games. This games complex can begin simply and grow as the demand requires. Most communities are willing to fund the equipment needed as the interest increases.

A natural landmark: You can appreciate those villages and towns where a great tree marks the center of the activities. We have the choice of Banyans, Monkey Pod trees, and Kapocs here in Hawaii. We can create magic in a relatively short time. You can haul in a thirty year old Banyan tree and within two years have a sixty foot canopy to play under.

A surplus zone: It has been a tradition in Polynesian culture to share surplus. We can still find interesting things at the transfer station or the second hand store or even a swap meet. If we take that idea to its ultimate level then green waste, building materials, containers, baby things, furniture, tools and the like can be collected and reused sometimes more than once. It has not proven economical to ship our surplus off island. A really good solution is to create a place where it can be reused with the minimum cost in sweat and gasoline. Be aware that there are presently unemployed people who enjoy working with salvaged materials. They are artists, hobbyists, welders, and creative home-makers to name a few. This idea may take a little time to mature but our recycling solutions to date are more than disappointing.

Meeting rooms: Depending on the ages of the residents there can be a tavern like meeting place that is shared by groups according to style. It’s a coffee shop during the day, a meeting and classroom space at night and a singles place on the weekends. A council room in the native American tradition could be added if there is a sacred aspect to the meeting approach. The idea is that the meeting space is protected from the weather and has basic amenities.

Now with that menu in mind imagine the size of your community and its various demographic groupings. See the right combination of gathering spaces growing from a central core. We recommend you start with several of these ideas you have support for and grow from there.

If you can believe it, our research shows that the basics here can be built for the price of several new fancy automobiles. The costs are what a builder should make on a fancy home created for some off island retiree that imagines, without much thought, that they need six thousand square feet to live in. We imagine some free community labor for parts of the village core and paid skilled machine operators for others. We believe that the volunteer labor is an important part of the "community building" process. Just remember that just five per cent of the housing development landmass must be reserved for such an adventure. We hope you think it’s worth it.

Jim Channon