Everyone deserves to live in a good neighborhood with lower crime rates, better gathering places, more beauty, and richer connections between neighbors. But as a single resident in a neighborhood of hundreds or thousands, you may feel somewhat powerless to move the needle – but this is an illusion.
What actionable steps can you take to improve your own neighborhood?
Build a Playground
One of the greatest resources you can create for your community is a playground. A playground for children serves many functions simultaneously, giving the children of the neighborhood somewhere to play, giving parents and adults in the neighborhood somewhere to congregate and make small talk, and even beautifying the neighborhood to make it more welcoming. There may be some zoning or permit issues to take care of, but assuming you have the space to build a playground, constructing an interesting assortment of equipment is easier than you might think. You can start by simply building a border and planning for filling material to make the playground safer for little ones.
According to Matt Allison with Actively Play, “A community playground will need a border to contain the safety surfacing around the equipment. Using premade plastic borders is usually the way to go when DIY is a priority. They are the easiest to install and they are also easy to adjust in the future if needed. Because they are made of recycled material and you won’t have issues with splinters or anything like that.” From there, you can decide on which specific pieces of playground equipment you want to include. Jungle gyms, slides, monkey bars, climbable objects, swing sets, and teeter totters are just the beginning. Depending on how much space you have available and your budget, you could also include more innovative installations like a fitness circuit for adults or interactive musical components.
Organize a Neighborhood Watch
Neighborhood watch programs are designed to keep neighborhoods safer, but they play a secondary role in helping neighbors get to know each other. Through a neighborhood watch program, community members will establish and maintain a positive relationship with local law enforcement officers and help each other with routine monitoring and conversations. If and when community members notice any suspicious activity, they can share information with each other and with law enforcement to take care of the issue. The mere existence of a neighborhood watch program acts as a deterrent as well.
Clean, Fix, and Paint What You Can
Stroll through the neighborhood regularly and clean, fix, and paint whatever you can. If you notice trash on the sidewalk, pick it up. If the weeds in community areas are overgrown, cut them down or call someone to cut them down. Apply a fresh coat of paint to benches and other fixtures that need a bit of love. Ask everyone else in your community to do the same and you’ll be amazed at how beautiful your neighborhood can stay.
Set Up Book Exchange Boxes
Another way to promote better relationships between community members is to set up book exchange boxes. The basic idea is to stock these boxes with books that are free for the taking; community members can take a book to read and leave one behind that they’re finished with – and these books can be for children or adults alike. It’s a great way to build community trust and encourage conversations.
Buy and Shop Locally
Whenever you can, buy and shop locally. Shopping with local businesses keeps those businesses in operation, preserving local jobs and feeding your local economy. It’s one of the easiest ways to make sure your community thrives in the long term.
Pitch In for Community Resources and Events
- Consider getting other community members together to pitch in for shared resources and mutually beneficial events like the following:
- Gardens. In a community garden, everyone shares space and responsibility for nurturing plants. Sometimes, community gardens allow individual members to claim individual plots, but there are no real restrictions on how you plan this type of facility. The point is to garden (and perhaps eat) together.
- Solar panels. It may also be possible to pitch in for shared solar panels to power shared electric needs or potentially even your homes.
- Block parties. If gardens and solar panels sound like too much for your neighborhood, you can always pitch in for a standard block party. Block parties are the perfect opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other.
Just Talk to Your Neighbors
If you don’t have the time for these projects, or if you don’t have the budget to pitch in financially, that’s okay. Any effort you make to build relationships with the people around you and make this space more welcoming and inviting can pay off. Even if all you have is a few minutes a day, you can reach out to one of your neighbors to say hello; it truly doesn’t take much to build or sustain simple relationships with your neighbors, and if we all made the effort, we would all feel more connected and at home.
Improving a neighborhood doesn’t have to be exhaustive or demanding, and any effort you invest will likely pay off in some way. These strategies should be a great place to start for making your neighborhood safer and better connected, no matter what condition your neighborhood is currently in.
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This post is made possible by Larry Alton.
Photo by Power Lai on Unsplash