While urbanization continues apace in Western states, people are also relocating to the fringes
of both the urban and rural landscape to a sort of middle ground mixture of urban, suburban and
rural. This diversity expands beyond just geography to culture, income level, education level and
race.. It is in these middle areas that homelessness, drugs, crime, and a need for community all
exist. This study examines a little of how one community, Parkland, Washington, came to be one
of these middle areas. Like many other areas similar to Parkland there has been an influx of
people over the last decade and with it there has been very little help from the city or the state to
address the issues that arise. There are three food banks and a traveling ministry that delivers
food to those who are housebound. There is no dedicated police department or sub station,
homeless shelter, resources centers, fire station or place to get resources or help.
The social media of online communities of practice (OCPG) can facilitate the creation of
an online civic community whose benefits extend beyond the individuals and their online group
to the entirety of the geographically bound area of their group. This can increase both the
breadth and depth of a civic community.
This study helps contribute to our understanding of the way in which OCPGs provide
connections in a physically bound community. Social cohesion and civic engagement were
observed while monitoring the different online groups. The results of this are a stronger and
more effective civic community. Through the observation It was also noticed that on some
occasions the benefits of social cohesion and civic engagement extend beyond both the OCPGs
members and the community of Parkland
