The safety and power of knowing your neighbors

Do you know how to connect with your neighbors? According to Pew, the share of Americans who know and trust their neighbors is on the decline.

There are a lot of structural reasons why you might not trust the people around you and it can be hard to put yourself out there with people you don’t know – and don’t want to bother. But getting to know the people who live near you can bring so much safety, connection, and power to your life.

So how can you get to know your neighbors – and what’s standing in the way? TED Radio Hour producer Katie Monteleone tells Brittany how she built her neighbor community brick by brick – and Brittany hears from experts on why good fences can sometimes make bad neighbors. (00:00) Why Americans know and trust their neighbors less (01:28) How do you get out of isolation? (04:18) Good fences make bad neighbors (06:01) The space between us and our neighbors (10:44) Building neighborly relationships brick by brick (16:13) Can microgrants bring neighbors together? (18:25) Safety, support, and communal problem-solving (24:37) Addressing segregation and building cross-class bonds (30:38) Recovering hospitality and embracing shared destiny For more episodes on creating better connections in our lives, check out: Boundaries, bodies, and better sex The joy of breaking up with dating apps How to make friends & get good gossip Support Public Media.

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