Establishing Neighborhood Beautification Programs

What do we mean by a neighborhood beautification program? In simplest terms, neighborhood beautification means making a neighborhood look and feel better. A neighborhood beautification program isn’t a single event, but rather a strategy to maintain, enhance, and/or change the character of your neighborhood over the long term.

Aspects to consider as to what might benefit from change Cleanliness Harmony and variety of buildings The condition of individual buildings Other unused or potentially dangerous sites Greenery and plantings Parks and other open space The streetscape Signage Lighting Traffic Parking

Projects that a neighborhood can successfully complete independently A neighborhood, park, or lot cleanup Improvement of individual properties Clearing trash and brush and/or building trails in a natural area Painting over graffiti Creating a mural or other artwork Planting borders, trees, median strips, etc.

Employing Advocacy Your program may need to employ advocacy to get what it needs. You might want to advocate for: Help in realizing a neighborhood vision Tax or other incentives to motivate developers and/or businesses to follow specific standards New laws, regulations, or policies, or changes in existing ones Cooperation or collaboration from neighborhood businesses or corporations or industries that operate in the neighborhood

Why establish a neighborhood beautification program? A neighborhood beautification program can build neighborhood pride and ownership It can improve the quality of life of the residents It can help attract new residents It can help attract new business It can attract entertainment and culture It can serve as the base for neighborhood revitalization

Neighborhood beautification can improve neighborhood and community health It is a way to involve youth and other people who are often overlooked It can build stronger neighborhood relationships It can send a message to the rest of the community about the values of your neighborhood

Employing Advocacy Your program may need to employ advocacy to get what it needs. You might want to advocate for: Help in realizing a neighborhood vision Tax or other incentives to motivate developers and/or businesses to follow specific standards New laws, regulations, or policies, or changes in existing ones Cooperation or collaboration from neighborhood businesses or corporations or industries that operate in the neighborhood

When should you establish a neighborhood beautification program? When a neighborhood group acts as a spearhead When the neighborhood has gone, or is in danger of going, downhill When there’s a specific problem that needs to be tackled When funding or other support is available When there is a conjunction with a brownfields cleanup or similar effort When there is a concurrence with other types of neighborhood improvement efforts

Who should be involved in establishing a neighborhood beautification program? Homeowners. Renters. Landlords and property owners. Business owners and managers. Local officials including: neighborhood City Council representatives, state legislators, Board of Health members, etc. Youth. Specific populations defined by race, ethnicity, or other common denominator. Neighborhood organizations. Possibilities include: neighborhood associations or councils, a neighborhood watch, block associations, and neighborhood youth groups. Organizations and agencies that serve the neighborhood: a local hospital, the public library, health and human service organizations, cultural institutions. Community services (planning, police and fire, garbage pickup, recycling, etc.) Neighborhood faith communities. Service clubs (Lions, Rotary, etc.) Schools and other educational institutions.

How do you establish a neighborhood beautification program? There are three phases to establishing a neighborhood beautification program: Recruiting people to participate in the effort and to determine what needs to be done. Planning for action, including developing a vision, setting short- and long-term goals, devising a strategy for meeting those goals, and developing an action plan (with a timeline) for each goal. Presenting the plan to the neighborhood, getting approval, and implementing the first step.

Phase One: Recruiting neighborhood residents as leaders and participants Recruit people to take the lead Conduct outreach to neighborhood residents to inform them about and involve them in the effort Go door-to-door and/or make presentations in public housing. Visit homeless shelters, particularly family shelters. Contact probation officers. Work with schools, Scouts, clubs, gangs, etc. to get youth involved. Make presentations to ethnic churches, service clubs, and organizations. Contact ethnic businesses both through associations (e.g., Chamber of Commerce) and individually.

Phase Two: Developing a plan for neighborhood beautification Assemble a participatory planning group Conduct a neighborhood assessment Develop a vision for the neighborhood Develop goals Develop an overall strategy to realize your goals and, ultimately, your vision Develop an action plan for each goal Develop a maintenance plan Devise a way to monitor and evaluate your effort

Phase Three: Presenting the plan to the neighborhood, gaining approval, and implementing the first step Present the plan to the neighborhood Collect feedback Incorporate feedback to the extent possible Present the final plan and ask for neighborhood support Implement the first stage of the plan Start working on the next stage of the plan Keep the program going for the life of the neighborhood

In Summary A neighborhood beautification program should do more than just make the neighborhood look better. It can certainly produce a profound improvement in residents’ surroundings; but it can also lead to economic development, cultural opportunities, and the building of a truly inclusive community held together by a strong web of social capital. A neighborhood with those characteristics is more than a place to live: it’s home.