Plan Institute just put up a new poll asking readers, "Where do you get your strongest sense of belonging?"

Here is a report released in January 2009 called Guidance on building a local sense of belonging. It looks makes some interesting comments and recommendations about how to build a stronger sense of community in your neighbourhood.

Here's the Executive Summary:

• People have multiple parts to their identities, with different parts coming to the fore in different circumstances. This means that building up the part of identity which is a local sense of belonging will not be at the expense of other parts of identity
  

• People want to belong and can change elements of their identity more easily than in the past, providing the opportunity to increase local sense of belonging
  

• Building a local sense of belonging needs to focus on the things we have in common and so be inclusive, rather than place of birth or ethnicity, which are exclusive
  

• Local areas may wish to develop a local vision following consultation with the public and other key local stakeholders
  

• Local areas may also wish to undertake specific initiatives including:

1. Communicating the vision
2. Using history, key events in the past and local memories
3. Using geographical features and key buildings, parks and other symbols
4. Using symbolic events – celebrations, festival, carnivals
5. Using activities and shared interests – arts and culture, sport
6. Welcoming new residents
7. Using activities to promote empowerment.