What happens when a city comes together to collectively explore what community truly means? The City of Naperville, located just 28 miles from Chicago, launched the “Embracing Community Book Read” initiative in the second half of 2024. The initiative invited residents, employees, and students to read and discuss Peter Block’s Community: The Structure of Belonging.

The book read officially began with a captivating conversation with Peter Block. Hosted in July, participants gathered in person to discuss the book while engaging with Peter via Zoom. Over the next two months, Naperville residents were able to read through Community at their own pace. The Naperville Public Library made the book accessible, offering not just physical copies but audio and e-book formats as well. From high school and college students at North Central College to city employees and long-time community members, participants represented a tapestry of Naperville’s population.

Geneace Williams, City of Naperville’s Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, reflected, “What surprised me most was the similarities between the themes that emerged from the community, the students, and the employee participants. We are much more alike than most realize.”

Small-group discussions were held throughout October, and as we know from the book and from Peter Block’s wisdom, “the small group is the unit of transformation.”

A commitment to continued connection came out of the conversation. Inspired by their experience, one group decided to continue the momentum by selecting a second book for further exploration—David Brooks’ How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.

A standout moment came during closing discussions when the community united behind a powerful collective takeaway:

“Create an environment in which we intentionally embrace one another’s gifts and vulnerabilities to unlock the full potential of our community.”

This story from Naperville shows us how powerful it can be to invite our communities in, gather into small groups, and embrace what we have in common. It is an example of what can happen when citizens take control of their collective well-being. Thank you to the City of Naperville for breathing life into this work. You are an example of where the future exists in the present and what happens when we treat our neighbors as partners in creating meaning around what matters to us all.