In many cities an increasing number of people do not know their neighbours and there is a lack of a sense of community.
What are the causes of this problem?
How can it be solved?

It is certainly true that the more people nowadays do not have a close relationship with their neighbours and that this has weakened communities in our cities. This is probably due to a combination of our more mobile society and the nature of new building developments and is a problem that will require better planning policies.

的确，现在越来越多的人与他们的邻居没有亲密的关系，这削弱了我们城市的社区。这可能是由于我们社会的流动性更强，以及新建筑开发的性质，这个问题需要更好的规划政策。

One main cause of this change is the trend for people to move home to find work. This mobility means that there is less chance for people to put down roots in a community and establish relationships with their neighbours. If, for example, a person moves city once every five years then it is most unlikely that they will form lasting relationships where they live.

这种变化的一个主要原因是人们搬回家找工作的趋势。这种流动性意味着人们在社区扎根和与邻居建立关系的机会更少。例如，如果一个人每五年搬一次城，那么他们在当地建立持久关系的可能性就很小。

Another important factor is that when people move into a new area they often live in apartment blocks and not houses. This matters because these blocks do not have common social areas where people can meet each other in the same way as is possible in more traditional housing estates. It is possible for people who live in these new high rise buildings never to see each other, still less get to know each other well enough to form a bond.

另一个重要因素是，当人们搬到一个新的地方，他们通常住在公寓楼而不是房子里。这很重要，因为这些街区没有共同的社会区域，人们可以以同样的方式在更传统的住宅区相遇。住在这些新的高层建筑里的人可能永远见不到对方，更不用说互相了解到足以建立联系的程度了。

Any solution to this problem will probably involve local government adopting planning policies that are focused on the community. While it is unlikely that anything can be done about social mobility, it is possible for local authorities to encourage a greater sense of community by ensuring new building developments have social spaces where people can meet each other regularly. These could include green spaces where children can play together, local markets and community halls. My conclusion is that there may be nothing to be done about social mobility but it is possible for local government to foster a greater sense of community by ensuring new developments are more community friendly.

任何解决这个问题的办法都可能涉及地方政府采取以社区为中心的规划政策。尽管不太可能对社会流动性采取任何行动，但地方政府有可能通过确保新的建筑开发项目拥有人们可以定期见面的社会空间，来鼓励更大的社区意识。其中包括儿童可以一起玩耍的绿地、当地市场和社区会堂。我的结论是，在社会流动性方面可能没有什么可做的，但地方政府有可能通过确保新的发展更有利于社区的方式来培养更大的社区意识。