5 Simple Ways to Invest in the Future of Your Community
As a civic leader or city planner, you have great sway in community development and improvement matters. It’s important to consider the immediate impact each proposed project will have on your city and its neighborhoods. It’s equally imperative to consider the future implications of each project you consider undertaking.
Focusing on the future of the towns and neighborhoods under your purview can help them thrive and ensure they’re equipped to face any challenges. Here are five ways local governments can and should invest in the future of their communities.
1. Improve Local Schools
Schools play an integral role in communities and help set the stage for their future. Many residents think of public schools as societal hubs that foster a sense of community pride and belonging. If your schools feel neglected or rundown, your community interactions may also start to feel that way. TThat’swhy investing in local schools is so important to maintain a vibrant community life now and in the future.
There are many different ways to invest in community schools. It would be best to start by maintaining a vigorous interview and hiring process to ensure your teachers are some of the best. Explore how you can wisely use state and federal funds to improve buildings and properties as needed. Replace your outdated school playground equipment with new and improved equipment whenever necessary. This will generate community excitement and make your playgrounds safer areas where children can develop physically and socially.
2. Create More Gathering Areas
Communities tend to grow stronger when individual members have opportunities to interact and socialize with others. When developing different neighborhoods and areas in your city, bitwise to ensure plenty of gathering areas. These can be green spaces like community parks or enclosed buildings like theaters and community centers. Review the proper voting processes before committing public funds to any large community project.
Once you’ve planned and created gathering areas, ensuring they’re well-visited is important. You can do this by forming a planning committee to organize various public events in these areas. Ideas include fundraisers, live shows, fun runs, and swap meets. These types of events will encourage neighbors to interact with each other in fun community spaces. If you’re unsure where to start with event planning, look at the events page for a larger town near you. Movie nights in the park and 5Ks aren’t that unique, but you can make them your own.
3. Incentivize Neighborhood Improvement Efforts
If you want to pave the way for a bright future in your community, generating a sense of individual ownership is important. You can spend massive amounts of city money on local improvements. But if the residents of your towns and cities don’t feel personally invested in improving their surroundings, your efforts may fall flat. Many of the cleanest and most beautiful neighborhoods look that way because residents feel a sense of ownership and pride.
Some local governments use small grant programs to incentivize residents to improve their neighbors. Grants such as these offer funds to improve city blocks or even individual homes. Keep America Beautiful is a grant program offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual community grants. Consider learning more about available grants and using them to incentivize neighborhood improvement efforts.
4. Offer More Recreational Opportunities
Boring towns have a hard time experiencing positive growth. Residents tend to travel to other cities for entertainment, and their children often choose more exciting living destinations when they get old enough to leave tthparents’nts’houses. In short, boring towns usually feel dull and disconnected. Consider offering more recreational opportunities to ensure a bright future of growth and togetherness in your communities.
Take time to poll residents to determine what types of recreational opportunities they want. They may vote for more dirt biking trails or a skate park where teenagers can socialize and stay out of trouble. Or they may decide to invest some of their tax dollars in building something larger, like a recreational center. Once you find out what the majority wants, create a plan to make it happen. Residents are more likely to likelier towns and neighborhoods with good entertainment options.
5. Encourage Community Farming
More communities are turning to local farming and gardening efforts to improve nutrition and nurture a sense of belonging. Urban agriculture can also help low-income communities gain access to nutritious foods. It’s IIt’sa way to unite neighbors in a shared effort that benefits everyone involved.
To make community farming and gardening possible, you may need to dedicate certain community zones for urban agriculture. Develop a plan to use city-owned land for this purpose. Make sure there is enough water to make a large community garden possible. Provide guidance and rules for community members’ implementation and use of used spaces. As residents become involved in this shared effort, they’ll likely feel a greater sense of accomplishment and belonging.
If you want your communities to thrive in the coming years, it’s important to start planning now. Consider implementing some of these tips to foster stronger relationships and set your city up for a successful future.
