(from USA Today)

“I think we’re tribal creatures, and I think we need close personal connections.”(…) Miller says communal living’s appeal stems from questions many people ask themselves: “Why do we live fragmented, separate lives? … What happened to the old idea of neighbors and interaction? People would like to recapture it.”

What it means: this excerpt from a USA Today article specifically talks about the appeal of “intentional communities” (what used to be called communes in ’70s) but I think the questions seen above are more widely asked than we think. These concepts are definitely in the zeitgeist. Many people wonder why we’re so out of touch with our neighbors and neighborhood. For that reason (amongst others), I am a firm believer in the future birth of a very social hyperlocal Web where everything that’s happening in your neighborhood is available at your fingertips. Hyperlocal is not only about local businesses. It’s everything in your neighborhood including local politics, crime prevention, classifieds, events, interest groups, etc.