Community is a tough concept to pin down. The old rules no longer apply in our wired and more mobile society. What were once mostly physical places with distinct boundaries are today spread out across a landscape of shared interests, experiences, and aspirations. We mark our communities less by our neighbors, than by the people whose lifestyles, values, and goals we share.

Doblin is keenly interested in the underlying properties of strong communities. Many physical communities are breaking down and newer virtual versions seem somewhat lacking. Since communities are central to how we relate to one another, we all have a role in understanding and shaping their changing patterns.

Doblin whittled a small mountain of community research down to a framework of six general properties. Our sources ran the gamut: from the Bible to the WELL, from Margaret Mead to the Communitarians. This framework can be applied to any community - real, pseudo, and virtual.

Work on the changing nature of community continues at Doblin.