Thus The New York Times today. “Improvised, cheap DIY weekend block parties can jump-start transformations to more people-oriented urban areas.” Lovely, this. So simple that it sounds rather obvious, and yet so surprising at this day and age. So surprising, in fact, that it has to be brought up by one of the leading newspapers in the world. Indeed, getting together over food and drink is one of the oldest tricks ever. It goes back at least a hundred-thousand years. That is how a community is built and maintained. Once people get to know each other, and well, they can do many things that are unimaginable between strangers. And do it all by themselves. It is precisely the most simple and obvious ideas such as this one that have the best chance to build a better world, not only a better neighborhood. One feature that all such ideas will share is their longevity. Every idea that does not go back at least a hundred-thousand years is for the birds. Amen.