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I~ :~fI. ~'m' . "Real" neighborhoods are those that are perceived by residents to be neighborhoods. . There are many more real neighborhoods in New Brighton than there are planning neighborhoods. . The home is the focus of real neighborhoods and residents perceive neighborhoods as being relatively close to home. . Parks are the single most important and identifiable neighborhood focus but there are fewer parks than there are perceived or real neighborhoods. . Residents believe that events, social gatherings and familiar faces are critical elements in defining a neighborhood. . A neighborhood focus such as a park, better defines the neighborhood for residents than edges. Neighborhoods would, perhaps, be more recognizable if they had discernable edges but real neighborhoods are generally too small and established to create note worthy edges that re-enforce their identity. What does this tells us about New Brighton's neighborhoods? First, real neighborhoods must share a neighborhood focus with other neighborhoods. Second, social events and activities are critical elements of neighborhoods so neighborhood facilities must be designed to accommodate these activities. Third, parks need to be more than just places to play. They, like schools, are intended to be places where neighbors come together to share. They are the "stage" for a broad-range of neighborhood activities, games, meetings and learning experiences. Policies The City's policies for neighborhoods are to: 1. Strengthen the image and broaden the focus of neighborhood parks to include play, social and learning activities for all age groups. 2. Facilitate a stronger sense or feeling of place within neighborhood parks for the neighborhoods that surround them by maintaining and upgrading facilities as user need and desires change. 3. Maintain compatible relationships between neighborhoods and uses or activities that occur at their edges. 4. Integrate all neighborhood components, including houses, apartments and neighborhood businesses, so they are compatible and supportive of one another. 5. Protect established neighborhoods from land use and traffic incursions attributable to new development which would adversely impact neighborhood quality, values and character. 6. Locate medium and high-density housing where its traffic will not he required to use local residential streets that serve established single-family neighborhoods. 7. Ensure that new housing development is designed to have a relationship and connectedness with the larger neighborhood of which it is a part rather than an inwardly focused island or buffer for another use. 8. Continue to communicate and involve neighborhood residents in the public planning process. August 4,1999 New Brighton Comprehensive Plan Page 5.10