If you look at buildings from before WW2 in NYC vs buildings from the last few decades, one thing that stands out is the balconies. Older suburban houses are similar, with large porches prewar and no porches or enclosed porches in the last few decades. Our architecture has simply evolved out of having spaces where we can sit around and chat with our neighbors.
I admire the tenacity of the OP. If you look at the pictures, they're occupying a space that is clearly unfriendly to their goals.
In cities, I think a lot of the motivation for this change is anti-homeless sentiment: good places to hang out and chat with your neighbors are also good places for homeless people to sleep. But this contributes to increasingly isolating residents as well. It's one of the subtle ways in which the war on the homeless has negatively impacted those in homes as well.
I admire the tenacity of the OP. If you look at the pictures, they're occupying a space that is clearly unfriendly to their goals.
In cities, I think a lot of the motivation for this change is anti-homeless sentiment: good places to hang out and chat with your neighbors are also good places for homeless people to sleep. But this contributes to increasingly isolating residents as well. It's one of the subtle ways in which the war on the homeless has negatively impacted those in homes as well.