Samantha Goldwin has lived in Kitchener’s Doon South neighbourhood for more than a decade.

There are a lot of things she likes about the area – and one thing she’d change.

“It’d be nice to get to know your neighbours a little bit more,” she says.

Goldwin says she sees and talks to her neighbours “in passing”, but street parties and other events that bring everyone together are virtually non-existent.

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic says he’s often heard the same complaints from citizens in all corners of the city.

“The processes and the red tape are so frustrating,” he says.

In fact, Vrbanovic says, a recent survey of Kitchenerites found that their top civic concern was losing the “small-town feel” they’ve enjoyed in the city for decades.

To help keep that vibe alive, city officials are turning to Kitchener’s first-ever neighbourhood strategy. While the strategy won’t be complete until February, its recommendations were made public Tuesday.

The recommendations are 18 strategies to boost the feeling of community in the city’s neighbourhoods, including making it easier for people to install signs, benches, public art and other items on public property, creating more neighbourhood-focused events, and working with schools and churches to potentially open up more of their facilities for public use.

According to Vrbanovic, the strategy is mostly about removing barriers that prevent people from forging stronger connections with their neighbours.

Bradley Ruffle, an associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, is an expert in behavioural economics.

He says there is an inherent economic benefit to having strong neighbourhoods where people trust each other.

For one thing, he says, trust allows people to leave for vacations knowing their neighbours will keep an eye on their property, instead of fearing that they might break into their homes while they’re away.

“It’s much more pleasant if we can trust our neighbours and live in a neighbourhood where we’re all friendly and we all get along,” he says.

A public survey has been launched for people to prioritize which of the 18 recommendations from Kitchener’s economic strategy should be focused on first.

It is open until Nov. 28, and can be accessed here.

With reporting by Max Wark