Gating Alleys for Beauty, Safety, and Neighborliness
September 2007
Have you ever wished that there was less trash in your alleyway or worried about the security around the back of your house? From time to time have you wanted a safe place for your kids to play right near your house, where you could keep a watchful eye? And what about your neighbors? Do you know all of them? Would you like to? Well now you can create a clean, safe alley, where kids can play and where you can relax and get to know your neighbors. How can all this be true? Well, alley gating and greening has arrived!
In May of this year, Mayor Shelia Dixon signed into law an historic ordinance that gives city residents the option of undertaking gating, beautifying, and/or full blown greening of the alleyways that their homes abut against. This ordinance is the culmination of four years of effort on the part a number of community groups, elected officials, and probono attorneys.
Already one block in the Patterson Park area has taken advantage of this bill. They took an alley that looked like this ……
And they transformed it into this:
The residents now get together in the alley, kids play, and adults unwind at the end of a busy day. They know and support one another now!
Their beautification techniques have been simple but effective. Planters, pots, paint, and benches now enliven the alley and make it inviting.
People of all ages can safely enjoy the alley now!
From the residents’ own experiences at Patterson Park and from the work of others around the country it is clear that an awful lot of benefits accrue to these shared outdoor spaces, namely: they make a sometimes anonymous city warmer as block residents become friends. They create a cozy sense of place, give children safe areas in which to play, and offer adults much needed respite. They also help stabilize blocks by reducing crime, increasing home values, and are the vehicle for more civic engagement. They help the environment by reducing storm water runoff and the urban heat island effect. As people get to know one another a stronger sense of community is created and people feel more in charge of their block, their neighborhoods and their lives. In sum, they are transformative!
It’s not hard to get started. If you want to learn more contact Ben Nathanson (greens@ashoka.org, 410-925-0166) or Kate Herrod (kherrod@ashoka.org, 703-600-8224). Both Kate and Ben work for an initiative, Community Greens, whose mission is to improve social, familial, and environmental conditions in cities around the country by creating these types of shared outdoor spaces. Community Greens was involved with a number of other partners in helping bring about this historic legislation, so don’t hesitate to give them a call. To learn more about Community Greens you can also check out their website at www.communitygreens.org.
They are here to help and look forward to hearing from you!
Gating Alleys for Beauty, Safety, and Neighborliness - PDF - 4mb
Home