Encourage Communities to Transform Public Spaces and Advance Safety

Thriving public spaces and positive recreational activities are essential for the well-being of any community. In areas with high concentrations of low-income families, however, these resources are often scarce. The absence of safe, engaging activities for youth can increase the risk of destructive behaviors, while neglected public spaces can diminish community pride and safety.

Individuals, families, and faith communities are all positioned to drive meaningful change by working together to improve their neighborhoods. By partnering with residents and local leaders, you can create and maintain high-quality recreational facilities, develop engaging programs, and transform communal areas into vibrant hubs of activity.

To Get Started:

• Assess Community Needs and Assets: Connect with community leaders, resident groups, and local organizations to identify specific needs, such as recreational facilities or improvements to public spaces.

• Focus on High-Need Areas: Prioritize efforts in communities with a scarcity of well-maintained public spaces to ensure the greatest impact.

• Build a Broad-Based Coalition and Implement Inclusive Projects: Form a broad-based coalition that includes residents, local leaders, faith communities, and government representatives. This partnership will plan, fund, and implement projects, ensuring residents are central to the decision-making process. Launch inclusive initiatives such as recreational programs for all ages or community clean-up and beautification events.

• Individual and Family

  As a resident, you know your neighborhood’s strengths and challenges. Your voice and actions can drive change. By uniting with neighbors, you can set shared priorities, like safe play areas or youth programs, and turn individual concerns into collective advocacy. Take the lead by initiating conversations, fostering connections, and ensuring projects align with the community's needs. This grassroots approach creates lasting change and fosters a sense of pride in your neighborhood.

  Best Practices / Innovative Programs:

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of America's local chapters, such as the one in San Antonio, TX, offer safe environments and diverse programs for youth after school and during the summer. Residents can lead efforts to establish similar programs, fostering youth potential and improving neighborhood safety.  

  • The Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative revitalized a vacant lot by planting produce, landscaping, and constructing benches, transforming it into a community asset. This project demonstrates how residents can transform blighted spaces into vibrant community hubs. 

  • Neighborhood Allies AIM Initiative is a six-week summer program in Pittsburgh's Hill District that educates youth about unity and community improvement. Residents can replicate such programs to empower youth and strengthen neighborhood ties. 

  • The Baltimore City Adopt-A-Lot Program allows communities to lease vacant city-owned lots to create community gardens, parks, or healing spaces. This initiative beautifies neighborhoods, provides fresh food, and fosters communal connections.

  • Adopt-A-Neighborhood Project partners with Legal Aid of Western Missouri to address quality-of-life issues in urban neighborhoods. Residents can collaborate with their services to tackle public safety and well-being challenges.

• Faith Community

  Faith communities are trusted neighborhood anchors. They possess space, volunteers, and a commitment to community well-being. Partnering with resident groups provides the organizational support and resources vital for neighborhood improvement projects. This includes offering meeting places, mobilizing volunteers, and bridging connections among residents and leaders.

  Best Practices / Innovative Programs:

  • Enterprise Faith-Based Development Initiative partners with houses of worship to transform underused land into affordable housing and community spaces. It provides funding, training, and expert support to create sustainable community assets. 

  • Zones of Peace, Philadelphia is a region-wide interfaith movement that includes churches, synagogues, mosques, and other organizations working together to revitalize neighborhoods. Projects focus on creating safe, peaceful, and thriving communities.