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Glossary 

​Strategic Plan

By-Laws

Public Safety

Crime

Litter

Illegal Dumping

Bulk Waste Piles 

Neighborhood 

Community 

Resident 

Community Association 

Partner 

 

Pride is all about the outside of the neighborhood. 

• Cleanups

• Green spaces

• Parks

• Streets

• Etc.

 

Spirit is all about the inside of the neighborhood. 

• People

• Engagement

• Social

• Cultural celebrations

• Etc.

 

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A Neighborhood Watch can contribute to both safety and the spirit of a neighborhood, but it leans more toward enhancing the spirit than just the external "pride." Here’s why:

 

How Neighborhood Watch Aligns with Spirit

• People-focused: It builds connections and trust among neighbors, fostering a stronger sense of community.

• Engagement: Regular meetings, shared goals, and collaboration create opportunities for social interaction and unity.

• Empowerment: Residents feel a greater sense of ownership and shared responsibility for the neighborhood’s well-being.

• Cultural Celebrations: A watch group can evolve into hosting events like safety fairs, potlucks, or block parties to promote cultural exchange and camaraderie.

 

Indirect Impact on Pride

• While the primary focus of a Neighborhood Watch is safety, it can indirectly contribute to pride by:

  • Encouraging residents to care for their shared spaces (parks, streets, etc.).

  • Providing a sense of security that allows people to enjoy outdoor areas more freely.

  • Making the area more appealing to visitors or future residents.

 

Decision Point: Safety, Spirit, or Both?

If your goal is to strengthen people and engagement while enhancing security, a Neighborhood Watch is a "spirit" initiative that naturally supports safety. If you’re focused on improving physical aspects like cleanups or aesthetics, Pride initiatives (e.g., cleanups and beautification projects) might be better suited.

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Sidewalk Survey https://createthegood.aarp.org/volunteer-guides/walkability-survey.html ​

 

Pocket Park 

A pocket park, also known as a mini-park, vest-pocket park, or parkette, is a small outdoor space accessible to the general public that is often created on a single vacant building lot or small, irregular piece of land. These parks are designed to offer a green space in densely populated urban areas where larger parks are not feasible. Here are some key characteristics of pocket parks:

 

Size: Typically very small, often less than an acre in size.
Location: Found in urban areas, often in spaces that would otherwise go unused, such as between buildings, on vacant lots, or as part of larger development projects.

 

Features: They may include benches, playground equipment, fountains, sculptures, gardens, and other landscaping features.

 

Purpose: Serve as a communal space for relaxation, socializing, and recreation in neighborhoods that lack sufficient green space.

 

Design: Often highly designed and landscaped to maximize the utility and aesthetic appeal of the limited space.

Pocket parks play a crucial role in improving urban environments by providing accessible green spaces, enhancing neighborhood aesthetics, and contributing to the well-being of residents.

 

KLCB Sustaining practices

• Coalition building 

• Outreach and engagement 

• Advocacy 

• Monitoring, evaluation, accountability, learning 

• Mobilizing resources 

• Neighborhood planning and implementation

• Resident leadership

• Asset-based community development (ABCD)

• Common barriers to lasting community change

  • Cycle of poverty.

  • Displacement of residents and neighborhood culture.

  • Individual prejudice and bigotry.

  • Inequitable and predatory policies and systems.

  • Institutionalized racism.

  • Lack of localized and citizen political power and voice.

  • Lack of market control.

  • Neighborhood disinvestment.

  • Poor design and land use.

  • Regular shifts in the demographic makeup of neighborhoods.

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