Picture Main Street is a test of how we behave as neighbors.

By 2032 — or whenever this all ends — we can be ready to point fingers, declare victory, say “I told you so,” or, more likely, acknowledge that some parts of the plan turned out well and others didn’t.

But if we spend the years waiting to see who was right and who was wrong, essentially mirroring the divide that poisons so much of America, we will have missed the bigger test — which is also an opportunity.

Because even if Picture Main Street turns out to be a master stroke of urban design, we will have failed if we expect the change itself to save us. And if it turns out to be a big, ripe, rotten banana, we will be much better able to survive it if, starting now, we do the things we would do if no one had ever heard of Picture Main Street: show up, help one another, give the town more life, experiment, adapt, and try to make things work.

Would we stop shopping at places simply because we disagree with the owner about something? I hope not. I’m not sure why we care what an owner thinks if the food is good, the product is what we want, and they treat us well when we walk through the door.

There are only so many businesses in town, and we have to support them — whatever the owners’ politics or whichever football team they follow. (Cowboys fans may be the one exception, but they don’t need to advertise that.)

Would we wait to see what happens instead of being passive and divisive if floodwaters were rising or a fire were headed our way? Would “Let the government take care of it” be our response? Would we then blame one another for the job they did?

Or would we fill sandbags and start cutting fire lines?

So, bikers: you have to start showing up at Packards in groups, especially at the end of a ride. In fact, how about a “Raise Money for the Businesses That Hate This Idea” ride, like the one the Iron Horse and The Drake in Amherst just had?

Can high school kids be paid to do some valet parking that addresses concerns about potential shoppers? Can the empty lot across from Northampton Tire become a temporary parking place with a food truck, an espresso stand, and a shuttle that works like the ones at an airport — perhaps offering a 10 percent discount at one of our local drinking establishments?

Personally, what I like least about town is how dark it is at night. How about torches or other lights on a few corners once a month, with people selling their goods underneath and stores staying open late, too? Encourage people to walk back and forth across town from one flickering spot to another.

If you’re standing in line at the Academy of Music, could we hand out a 10 percent-off certificate for eating in town? Why doesn’t something like that get handed to every parent when it’s time for the kids to show up at Smith for the start of the year, and to every alumnus who comes back in the spring?

Where’s the vintage-clothing crowd? Why not a big event once a quarter that gets the kids at Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and UMass into town?

And since coming here for a week and enjoying the beauty of the Valley draws people here, how about some offers from the Airbnb crowd: “Dinner with Locals,” guided bike rides, or whatever else might give visitors an incentive to spend a few extra days, spend a little more money, and really experience the place?

Can we create a local credit card that keeps money in town instead of sending it off to New York or wherever?

I have no idea if any of these ideas are viable. I’m sure plenty of them are stupid. But I am also sure there are better ones out there, and that almost anything is doable if we give it a little effort.

With all due respect — and with my love for this area — Northampton is never going to have the draw of London or Paris.

What it can do is make sure that people who come here say, “Wow, those people treated us well and showed us a good time.” Or, “You know, that late Thursday night sale was fun.”

That’s what makes people come back. It’s what makes them tell their friends to visit.

And, just as importantly, we can offer that feeling to each other every day, too.

Maybe we can even get Mr. Suher to let us put up murals in front of some of his properties.

Parking matters. Foot traffic matters. But energy and vibe matter, too — and maybe even more.

A place that cares about what it’s like to live there, especially now, is magic.

Is it easy to make that happen? No. But it is not a mystery how to do it, either. And making it happen is up to us. It is not up to a blueprint showing this street here and that bike lane there.

There have been lots of meetings to argue about Picture Main Street.

How about one where we talk about what we can do before, during, and after things get dug up?

For that meeting, I’ll buy the first round.

Ted Munter lives in Northampton.