Take a walk through the community of Evanston and one thing will become very evident, very quickly: community is not the right word to describe it. Evanston was conceived, planned, developed and marketed to be a real neighbourhood. With old-fashioned concepts like neighbours who know one another by name, streets you’re not afraid to have your kids play in and shops you can walk to.

Its planning and architecture are designed to bring people together, rather than keep them apart. You’ll find fewer fences and more open spaces. And ample green spaces with amenities designed to make them perfect gathering places. Meet up with friends at the neighbourhood gazebo for a nightly walk or at the playgrounds for a day of play with the kids. It all adds up to a feeling of openness that extends to everyone’s attitudes.