We don’t really have the option to build our cities from the ground up. We can influence future development, but as has been shown many times, back room development deals often trump public opinion and participation. (Block E anyone?) We have, however, been able to build our virtual cities. That really is what social media is about, “more people interaction.” Our cities may feel less like communities than we would like them to, but social media is connecting people. I don’t mean to sound Utopian about it, as it’s not perfect, and I certainly wouldn’t want social media to replace in-person gatherings, but it does build community. I think likemind is a good example. Some people heard about it from friends, but I just noticed that Johnny and Sean from Anomaly (likemind’s coffee sponsor) were going in NYC, and decided to check if there was one here.