In a recent essay on the Infrastructurist , Peter Kageyama author of “For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places” indicates that there is a “strong correlation between peoples’ emotional attachment to the communities they live in, and higher levels of local GDP.” He goes on to explain that people or places flourish when they are loved, but this important concept is often left out in the planning and budgeting process.  Politicians make decisions based on the socio- economic climate, making conventional choices and Kageyama fears this myopic approach overlooks the other essential elements that create cohesive communities. Emotional infrastructure, like dog parks, beautification programs, interactive public art and other quirky urban design features and cultural events are considered trivial.  

Kageyama advocates that cities make symbolic gestures to strengthen the emotional bond citizens seek with their communities. While acknowledging that municipalities will have to make risky choices, he justifies that innovative and creative ways of engaging citizens are not necessarily costly. He adds that people often cite “a comfortable place to people watch, a favorite street corner, a local dog park, a street festival or outdoor movies in the park” as things they love about their cities. Investing in emotional infrastructure is critical because it creates attachment, satisfaction and belonging and these attributes create a social capital that makes resilient communities.

The essay illustrates the impact of citizen’s attachment to their city with the recent community-organized Marry Durhum festival, wherein 2000 people showed up to “marry” Durhum, N.C. and demonstrate their commitment to its future. Citizens vowed to keep the city clean, safe, buy local, preserve the environment, engage with local government and collected $25,000 for city charities.

What role do city managers play in growing citizens’ emotional attachment to their communities? In many ways, everything a manager does has an effect on residents’ quality of life and the way they feel about the places they live and work. The message of ICMA’s current “Life, Well Run” campaign for the value of professional local government management is that city and county managers are responsible for all of the details that help communities thrive. Kageyama’s essay suggests great places are more than just efficient; they’re also fun. In this view, if managers can do more to strengthen emotional bonds to the community, the city will be rewarded with happier and more productive citizens.

Initiatives big and small can be a powerful way for local authorities and citizens to come together and reinforce their ownership of the city. Visit the Knowledge Network to browse through a vast collection of resources on successful civic engagement, community development and other initiatives taken by local governments to improve the city experience. 

• Glendale Students Say “I Love My Neighborhood” – A case study of Los Angeles County where a students’ poster contest was used as a platform to engage the community and build civic pride and ownership of the neighborhood.
• The Citizen Returns – A case study of Polihale State Park, Honolulu demonstrates how community initiative to clean up the beach after a storm was extremely effective when timely aid was not available.   
• Art in City of Palo Alto – Palo Alto art in public places policy provides 1% of its contraction costs to incorporate public art as a city improvement project. 

Do your citizens have an emotional bond to the community? What is your local government doing to promote these feelings?