George Zamary Response - Community

Q. We have 52 recognized communities in Cincinnati. How do you define community?

Community is home. Community is where we feel safe, comfortable, supportive and supported. Communities work together to make their situations better, by helping those in need and making even small changes to improve the “community”. Communities also share services like garbage collection and road maintenance to make infrastructure more affordable and higher quality. Cincinnati has 52 neighborhoods, all of which could individually be defined as communities. Collectively, they are also one community. We have a wonderful city with enormous untapped potential for making its citizens happy and productive. Improving the sense of community in our city is a good way to unify it.

Successful corporations employ “communities” in order to give their employees a sense of belonging and connectedness. For example, a global consulting company with offices downtown has employed communities that meet regularly for networking and social events. These communities offer its members information on what is happening or has changed, and creates opportunities for them to improve their individual situations by finding their next project and meeting new people. These “communities” also complete community service activities together, like building a home for Habitat to Humanity, to improve the situations of others outside their direct company “community” but who are part of their “extended” community.

It is us up to us all to create a community in which we are comfortable living. Council should do everything in its power to facilitate this with regular communications, creating opportunities and making our city safe and clean.