Eric Klinenberg

"An eminent sociologist--and coauthor, with Aziz Ansari, of the #1 New York Times bestseller Modern Romance--makes the provocative case that the future of democratic societies rests not only on shared values but also on shared "social infrastructure": the libraries, childcare centers, bookstores, coffee shops, pools, and parks that promote crucial, sometimes life-saving connections between people who might otherwise fail to find common cause"--

how social infrastructure can help fight inequality, polarization, and the decline of civic life

Palaces for the people

Gisela Ayala 

There are quite a few good points in there although at times I felt like it was a little all over the place. The main idea though is important and I believe we definitely (especially now everything that is happening) give me more time and effort into our public institutions. 

“Today, as cities and suburbs reinvent themselves, and as cynics claim that government has nothing good to contribute to that process, it's important that institutions like libraries get the recognition they deserve. After all, the root of the word "library," liber; means both "book" and "free." Libraries stand for and exemplify something that needs defending: the public institutions that -- even in an age of atomization and inequality -- serve as bedrocks of civil society. Libraries are the kinds of places where ordinary people with different backgrounds, passions, and interests can take part in a living democratic culture. They are the kinds of places where the public, private, and philanthropic sectors can work together to reach for something higher than the bottom line.”

Palaces for the people how social infrastructure can help fight inequality, polarization, and the decline of civic life

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