March 20 marks the birthday of one of the most influential neighbors America has ever known:   Fred Rogers , the creator and host of   Mister Rogers' Neighborhood . For more than three decades, Rogers welcomed children into a gentle, thoughtful television neighborhood where feelings mattered, kindness was normal, and neighbors looked out for each other. The show aired from 1968 to 2001 and became a cultural touchstone for generations of Americans. In many ways, Mister Rogers was the original champion of the idea that neighboring matters. That’s why several posts on this blog explore the relevant lessons we can learn from him. If you’re looking for a meaningful way to celebrate his birthday this year, here are a few Mister Rogers–inspired ideas worth revisiting. Three Ways to Celebrate Mister Rogers’ Birthday If you want to honor Fred Rogers this March 20, consider doing one of these simple things: 1. Learn the name of a neighbor you don’t know yet.  Mister Rogers bel...

When I watched the trailer for HBO’s new series about bad neighbors , I felt a familiar tension. On one hand, I understand our cultural fascination with conflict and disruption — it’s dramatic, it’s sensational, and in media terms it grabs attention.  On the other hand, from the work that I’ve devoted years to (studying neighboring, civic trust, community belonging, and the conditions that make neighborhoods thrive), focusing on the worst of human behavior is  exactly the wrong lever  if our goal is healthy, connected communities. Here’s why I think that emphasis is destructive: What we focus on grows.  There’s a psychological and cultural feedback loop: when we celebrate the negative or elevate it to entertainment, we inadvertently normalize it. People see the most extreme behavior and think that’s what “neighbors” are like — not just a few bad apples, but representative of everyday life. That corrodes trust and increases social distance, exactly the opposite of wha...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Residents of Missouri are encouraged to participate in appropriate events and activities to help establish connections with their neighbors during the fourth annual Missouri Good Neighbor Week from Sept. 28 to Oct 4. The official website for the week can be found at http://missourigoodneighborweek.com . The celebration is created, organized and supported by two organizations: University of Missouri Extension and The Hopeful Neighborhood Project. Missouri Good Neighbor Week was established by legislative action in 2022 and signed into law by Missouri Governor Mike Parsons on July 1. This weeklong effort was recognized nationally in May of 2023 at the annual Neighborhoods USA conference as the “Neighborhood Program of the Year for the United States.” In 2024, over 31,000 acts of neighboring were reported across Missouri, 20 individuals were recognized as “Missouri’s Most Engaged Neighbor” and five cities earned the title of Missouri’s Most Neighborly City: Houst...