Des Moines metro city, Norwalk, promotes neighborly porch time

Front Porch Norwalk launches its 2022 series Wednesday from 6pm-8pm.

• The summer event is a chance for volunteers to host their neighbors on their porch, driveway or lawn for conversation.

Why it matters: Strong connections among neighbors is associated with greater personal satisfaction and can help reduce crime, research shows.

Catch up fast: The series started five years ago and hundreds of people have since participated, resident Judy Corcoran, a member of the Norwalk Hometown Pride committee, tells Axios.

• The idea is to counter a trend where fewer people know their neighbors than in past decades, partly because of the absence of front porch space in many modern neighborhoods.

Of note: Norwalk's Police Department is a partner of the event

Bottom line: It's good to know your neighbors.

• Corcoran encourages other metro cities to help organize porch events in their communities.