This Is How Change Starts

Image Credit: Flickr

If I asked you what your neighborhood needs right now, I bet you could come up with an immediate list of priorities: street lamps that actually work, roads without potholes, more local restaurants and fewer liquor stores…

But what if I asked you what your neighbors need right now? Could you answer that one? Do you have a good sense of whether the people next door share your concerns about lamps or potholes or restaurants?

Well, today, I want to invite you to take one small step to learn about your community’s needs.  And it’s very easy.  Whether you’re a dedicated resident, city staffer, or local business owner, this simple action is a first step toward meaningful transformation in your neighborhood.

Here’s my invitation to you:

This week, ask 3 of your neighbors what they think your neighborhood needs right now.

You could start the conversation as you’re passing on the street or waving to someone in their yard, with something along these lines: “Hi, it’s great to see you! How are you and your family doing right now? I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenges our city and our country are facing, and it seems like the best place to start addressing them is here in our neighborhood. What’s something you’d like to see change in our neighborhood? What’s a challenge you’re encountering right now?” 

It might feel like this question is a small, meaningless thing.  How could your town get stronger just by talking to your neighbors?  But this question is a starting place for more questions, conversation and eventually, action.  Instead of letting someone in a distant capitol building decide that your neighborhood needs a wider road or a new zoning law (and then come to you down the line to ask for feedback before proceeding to do exactly what was already planned), these decisions should start at the neighborhood level.

Maybe after asking these questions, you hear from people on your block that they’re worried about an abandoned house down the street that poses a safety hazard and looks unsightly.  Maybe another neighbor says she knows a local developer who might be interested in buying the foreclosed property and turning it into some much-needed additional housing.

Or perhaps a common concern that arises in conversation with your neighbors is the speeding drivers who zip down your street while children are out playing. Perhaps neighbors come together and put some cones or planters out to narrow traffic lanes and encourage slower speeds.

Even if the issues that come up in conversation feel insurmountable—creating better bus routes so seniors can get around, or finding more job opportunities for unemployed neighbors—the conversation is the starting place.  It’s a chance to recognize common concerns and, later, to work together to address them alongside elected officials, business leaders, community organizers and anyone else with a stake in your place.

So this week, give it a shot. Ask some neighbors what they think the neighborhood needs, then share the responses you get on the Strong Towns Community site. I’ll do this alongside you and we’ll see what we learn together.

---

---