How well do you know your neighbors?

If you have a home, you have a neighbor. That’s true whether it’s the renter in the apartment next door or the people who farm down the road.  

But do you know your neighbors’ names? And, do you interact with them?  

Just over half of Americans say they know only some of their neighbors and a quarter of adults under age 30 say they don’t know any of their neighbors, according to a Pew Research Center study.  

And Americans are much less likely to spend social time with neighbors than they did a generation ago.

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about neighbors, why our ties to them matter and how to make connections with the people who live nearby.

Guests:

• David Burton is a national expert on neighboring and a community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. He created the Engaged Neighbor program, which runs a class called “Neighboring 101” and provides other resources on building neighbor connections. He is also the founder of Missouri Good Neighbor Week, which was named the Best Neighborhood Program Award in 2023 by the organization Neighborhoods USA. He lives in Republic, Mo.

• Jenne Nelson is executive director of the Hamline-Midway Coalition in St. Paul, which is one of 17 nonprofit neighborhood community councils in the city. She lives in the Como Park neighborhood where she talks over the fence to her neighbors and is active on the board of the Como Community Council.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.