There are many things that come together to make a community work successfully, from civic planning and infrastructure to the everyday experiences of the people that live there. If you care about your community, you probably put at least a little bit of thought into how you can work to improve it. After all, the community in which you live affects almost every aspect of your daily life. One thing that you may not have considered when thinking about how you can make your community better is the way in which design can improve the way a community functions.

For example, one thing that pretty much everyone who drives, bikes, takes public transportation, or walks in a community thinks about the transportation infrastructure. You may just take this for granted, but the truth is that good transportation design can make the difference between a happy, bustling community and one that is stuck in traffic. Learn more about highway engineering baltimore or in your own neighborhood to find out how your transportation situation can be changed or how you can benefit from the changes that are already occurring. Can your community benefit from improving or adding roads, adding bike lanes, or repairing sidewalks?

Another way in which good design can improve a community is by making public spaces where people feel safe. There are many great parks out there that are not used as often as they should be, for example, and for many people, the reason is that they are worried about their safety. Parks should be well-lit, for example, and there should not be shadowy areas that could attract crime. Setting up a dog park is a great way to bring neighbors together, as is building a fun, safe place for kids to play together.

Finally, no amount of good design is as useful as good neighbors themselves. Encourage your neighbors to keep their porch lights on at night and to walk around during the day. You can build a better place together.