The Neighborhood Project: Using Evolution to Improve My City, One Block at a Time

Wilson (Evolution for Everyone), an evolutionary biologist at the University of Binghamton, explains how Charles Darwin's concept of the "tangled bank," which describes how species are influenced by their surroundings, can be used to understand human psychology in order to build healthier societies. Arguing that the "Ivory Archipelago" of disparate disciplines%E2%80%94psychology, anthropology, sociology, urban planning, economics, even theology%E2%80%94should be united under the umbrella of evolutionary studies, Wilson brings various methodologies to his investigation of the city as a living, evolving organism much like a coral reef. The Neighborhood Project, an organization Wilson founded to rejuvenate his hometown of Binghamton, N.Y., provides a test case%E2%80%94it uses evolutionary theories to analyze behavioral data and improve quality of life through a more holistic approach. Wilson searches for how our habitats can influence our propensity for civic engagement and environmental awareness, and our physical and financial health. Although the book meanders%E2%80%94Wilson gives a vivid, in-depth description of several scientific studies, and offers a biography for each scientist he cites%E2%80%94the tangents are mostly pleasurable and provide more evidence for how lives, like ideas, intersect in fascinating ways. (Aug.)