<em>Research Notes:</em> Toward a History of the Suburban Driveway

Coping and Connecting through Creativity in the Neighborhood Realm during COVID-19

“…. [the] pop culture cache” of garages ( Salomon 2017 ; Girling and Helphand 1994 , 86). Their narrowly described social functions include a setting for children’s games ( Salomon 2017 ) and informal economic activity, such as rummage sales ( Crawford 2014 ), although there is growing awareness of their use for active and passive socialization early in the pandemic ( Mehta 2020 ).…”

“…Second, streets, sidewalks, and driveways exhibit differences and similarities in the extent and functions of their practices over the pandemic. Driveways were dominant sites for socially connective imagistic and verbal expression, which introduces a new social dimension to the utilitarian-focused discourse ( Crawford 2014 ; Salomon 2017 ). These practices offered compassion and care in the context of disruption and loss, reflecting qualities of informal public memorialization ( Sloane 2018 ).…”

“…We use visual analysis to extend theories of the role of the neighborhood realm in residents’ creativity and well-being ( Kim 2012 ; Lofland 2017 ; Loukaitou-Sideris and Ehrenfeucht 2009 ; Rannila and Mitchell 2016 ; Salomon 2017 ) by focusing on (1) the context of a pandemic, (2) informal and uncoordinated creativity, and (3) undertheorized interstitial neighborhood spaces that connect residents in three diverse communities in the City of Phoenix, Arizona. We discovered that residents expressed their interests, concerns, and values on streets, sidewalks, and driveways to cope with pandemic-induced disruptions, losses, and uncertainty.…”