Sometimes it takes a tragedy to meet your neighbors.

On Friday, fire in a Pierce Street apartment building in downtown Lewiston brought out scores of onlookers, firefighters and media types. In the commotion, the stories of heroes emerged, such as Terry Powell, who rushed across the street during the fire to pull children from the building.

Too often in this fast-paced world, it’s difficult to simply wave hello to your neighbors, much less stop for a chat and a cup of coffee. Political scientists call this the erosion of social capital, with the speed of modern society breaking down the historic social connectivities of the past.

We’re more probable, for example, to meet our neighbors when our house, not backyard barbecue, is burning.

Disconnect is prevalent as government as well, especially in Lewiston, where the city administration has been accused of failing to include public opinion in its planning discussion. (They are still being accused today, as the community’s pleas to restore Maple Street Park so far has fallen on deaf ears.)

Downtown revitalization is back before the Lewiston City Council. Last week, councilors talked about establishing a new committee to investigate downtown’s potential for housing or economic development.

City Administrator Jim Bennett feels the committee would create a “kind of guiding master plan that people in the community agree on” as a united future vision, without having the process victimized by skepticism or pessimism.

“That’s the only way to get around the suspicion people have,” said Bennett. “That’s the only way to get people to stop questioning everyone’s motives.”

Bennett also said downtown residents should be included into planning discussions for the area. The city was criticized for overlooking resident sentiment during talks about the Heritage Initiative and boulevard, and should avoid making the same mistake. Bennett is wise to state this ahead of time.

Society is disconnected enough without government making it worse, and if the city fails to include those most impacted by change, the effort could again result in a boulevard that will never be built.

Friday’s fire shows there’s a downtown community that has earned, by virtue of address and interest, a lead role in pondering the future. Residents must speak, and be heard, about what should happen downtown.