The best definition that I have read comes from Localism.com. Before I paste it, I wonder why For Rent, Apartment Guide and many of the other major ILS don’t have some real localism built into their search.
Localism is the valued point of connection, a place of meaningful
interaction. It’s where neighbors and local merchants share what’s
happening in their community. It’s people collectively communicating
the unique flavor and nuances of where they live, work, eat, and play.
Localism is ‘Old-School’ in a New World portal. It’s reminiscent of
an earlier day when people shopped where they lived, and everyone knew
their butcher. Localism makes the world smaller and more personal. It
reacquaints and re-establishes the lost bonds between neighbors. It
revives and restores the relational elements of what neighborhoods used
to be, and should be.
Localism provides the environment where residents and business
owners can create a micro-social network uniquely attuned to their
individual communities. Together, they use multi-media to paint a
canvas of local color and texture. Their Localism ‘Neighborpedia’
becomes an extension of who and what they are.
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Mike, Great Post
Localism is a fantastic term that we should be using more to describe our properties; however it wouldn’t apply to all. Too, the term ties right into the Walk Score widget, and Google’s new Walk Directions Map. It sure seems to underscore the whole urban shift.
You know, localism is trend that could be incorporated into community portals like Brent Williams’s aptconnect. Plus, on the ancillary income side of things, you could charge a smallish fee for advertising on the portal board. Traffic through the site is a given because people will use the online portal to pay their rent, so it’s really a win-win for the communities and the businesses. Plus, we all know what a boon co-branding can be.