Want to meet your neighbours? Just ask if you can sleep over.

Thanks to Kevin Harris yet again. His contribution on the ’50 ways to meet your neighbour’ Facebook group, and his past blog post, brought me to the inspiring and moving story of Peter Lovenheim.

Kevin points to the article in the New York Times from June 2008 which tells the story. It also explains his initial premise in a way which had me nodding furiously in recognition. The story is about the way he then put his conviction into practice by asking neighbours, sometimes simply having rung their doorbell, if he could come and sleep over some time. Almost half just said yes, and events led on to a new network being formed.

You can find out more about Peter, and the book he subsequently wrote, on his own website here.

My plans now seem half-hearted (in two senses) by comparison. But what an inspiration!