The Republic of Super Neighbors
Nope, it’s not in Texas. In fact, it’s over 5,000 miles away in Paris. Yes, Paris — that beautiful city many believe is populated by snooty, unfriendly people. Yet the need for community and connection is as strong there as it is here or, for that matter, anywhere in the world. It began with simple exercise designed to get neighbors along one street in the 14th arrondissement (or district here) to say bonjour to each other. That tiny word quickly evolved into social revolution of conviviality that has spread throughout the city.
For some, that greeting led to the first meaningful exchange between neighbours. “I’d never seen anything like it before,” says Benjamin Zhong who runs a cafe in the area. “It felt like the street belonged to me, to all of us.”
The revolutionaries pledged their allegiance that September day in 2017 to the self-styled République des Hyper Voisins, or Republic of Super Neighbours, a stretch of the 14th arrondissement on the Left Bank, encompassing roughly 50 streets and 15,000 residents. In the five years since, the republic – a “laboratory for social experimentation” – has attempted to address the shortcomings of modern city living, which can be transactional, fast-paced, and lonely.