Community Involvement

A city is much more than buildings, parks, restaurants, ball parks, offices, theaters and fountains.  Those things are nice but by themselves offer very little to connect with emotionally.  Not to say that these things do not play a part in creating a vibrant city, but they are just that - a part.  What does make for a vibrant city?  What plays a much more important part?  One word: People.  And not just people for the sake of people.  I am talking about people that are directly involved with their community.  People that are not just visitors that are casually passing by, but actually part of the fabric that makes up the experience.

    One aspect to urban living that is sometimes unique to the city is the need for community involvement.  The urban city comes with many challenges that are not necessarily issues in the suburbs.  There are the problems of poverty, homelessness and crime - these are all community issues that are faced in every urban center in the country, and it takes very dedicated people that have made it their life's mission to put even a small dent in them.  But then there are the less urgent but just as important challenges that can be overcome when a small group of concerned citizens decides to give up just a small part of their time and get together to figure out solutions.

     Neighborhood associations are a great way to get involved in your community.  And in Dayton, we also have the Priority Board System which brings together all of the neighborhood groups into a few large groups based on geography that serve as a direct link between the city government and the city residents.  As with any organization, some groups are more effective than others at determining their mission, defining their objectives and then implementing solutions.  But they all are made up of people that care enough about their communities that they give up some of their spare time in order to participate.

    Many of the neighborhoods we have listed on our Districts & Neighborhoods section have websites that give you more info on their respective neighborhood associations.  Some are very active while others haven't been updated since 2003.  Those that are not so active should note:  people that choose to live in urban neighborhoods are typically looking for an active community in which they can get involved, and the Internet is becoming the first place people go to get information.  So do everything you can to get your sites active again so you can attract more people to your neighborhood.

    We would like to hear from all of you that serve on your neighborhood associations and/or Priority Boards.  What do you enjoy about your experience?  What changes would you make to improve your group's effectiveness?  What would you say to those who might be interested in getting involved?  And what could Dayton.MostMetro.com do to help your group?

Comments

[Jon L.]

As an active member of my neighborhood association, I am thrilled to see that somebody is doing something to spread the word about how important community is. Our group has done alot to bring the neighborhood residents together, and we have been successful at maintaining the harmony of our nice little neighborhood. It is a constant battle though - if our residents weren't so vigilant I could see things begin to slip. Though our neighborhood is nice, just outside of it isn't so nice. I wish more could be done to improve things around us, but at the same time I am happy that I live where I do. I most definitely recommend to anybody out there that has even just a little spare time to volunteer for their neighborhood association - it is actually fun!

[Nancy]

• Why are neighborhood groups so important? They offer us an opportunity to partner in projects and ideas. They let us share opinions on issues that concern us all, but are unique to our neighborhood. They seek information for problem solving from a broader base of organizations, individuals and experiences.
• What are some of the things that your group has accomplished that you are proud of? I cannot speak to this.
• What can these groups do to encourage more citizen participation? My suggestions include; have Town Hall meetings, possibly focus groups, and possibly a neighborhood information sheet, newsletter or piggybacking on an existing neighborhood newsletter with a regular column.
• What changes would you suggest to your current group to improve communication and overall effectiveness?
Sorry, not enough information.
• What would you say to someone that might be interested in participating in a neighborhood group? I would welcome them onboard…any interest in being a viable member is grounds for adding most people. If they have proven to be a chronic problem and would weigh the group down from making progress, you may not wish to include them in part or all of the process.