Fragile Neighborhoods by Seth D. Kaplan

A Reminder That Change Starts Right Outside Our Front Door

Seth Kaplan’s Fragile Neighborhoods makes a powerful case that some of our biggest national challenges — disconnection, distrust, division — are playing out most clearly in our neighborhoods. And more importantly, that these same neighborhoods hold the answers we’ve been searching for.

He doesn’t offer quick fixes. Instead, he invites us to zoom in — to the street, the school, the church, the local nonprofit — and ask: How strong are the relationships here? Who feels seen? Who’s left out? It’s a deeply human approach that resonates with everything we’re trying to do at The Change Lab.

Kaplan talks about something called “social poverty” — the kind of poverty that comes from not knowing your neighbors or not having someone to call when life gets hard. And he reminds us that belonging doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intention, trust, and small acts repeated over time.

Why We’re Sharing This

At The Change Lab, we believe that connection is the foundation of change. This book gives language and structure to what many of us already feel: when neighborhoods thrive, people thrive. And when we invest in the people and places right around us, we start to build something that can’t be easily broken.

Whether you’re part of a block club, a city council, or just someone who cares about where you live — Fragile Neighborhoods is worth your time. It’s not about solving everything everywhere. It’s about starting where you are, with what you have, and who you’re with.

We’ll be revisiting this one often.