Neighborhood

VISION: In the best neighborhoods, the ones we mean to nurture, people know that "the heart is more important than the head" (from Streets of Hope). Residents recognize one another and count friends and family among their neighbors. They have a sense of concern and responsibility for the neighborhood and its people that is translated into action.

In the best neighborhoods:

Schools with small enrollments are one core of neighborhood life. The schools have strong parent and resident involvement. They work in partnership with the neighborhood to achieve high shared aspirations for youth, educate adults, and solve community problems. Residents are welcome to use the gym, recreational fields, auditorium, and meeting rooms.

The school site is the place where human service agencies collaborate to address the needs of families. Their staffs realize that people turn first to friends and neighbors when they have problems. These informal helping systems are sought out and strengthened.

Many housing options exist for people in different stages of life and income levels. Housing values are neither rising rapidly (gentrification) nor falling (decline). Quality is maintained through upgrading by residents made possible by private capital or well-crafted affordable housing subsidies.

Local businesses such as grocery and other retail stores, professional offices, bookstores, restaurants, and coffee shops are within a walk of home. Neighborhood life forms a network of relationships that helps people find jobs, start new businesses, and raise capital.

People ensure public safety by looking out for each other, and creating partnerships with the police and public agencies to solve crimes and reduce the causes of crime.

The neighborhood is well kept. Problems that arise (housing deterioration, trash, or abandoned autos) are dealt with quickly by responsive agencies. The neighborhood has a comforting sense of place expressed through its physical character.

The best neighborhoods are not utopias. They are places where people care about one another enough that there are few problems that cannot be solved by working together.