At the East Hills Council of Neighbors Annual Meeting neighborhood activist Gabriel Works presented this collaborative nine-point plan for neighborhood improvement.
Nine Point Plan for Urban Love AKA the sustainability of our neighborhood
The success that East Hills (the heart of Uptown IMO) is enjoying didn't happen spontaneously or overnight. As Carol Moore says - the only way to keep our hard-won progress going is to work at it consciously, consistently and persistently.
As she also says, this success is important from another perspective - the most environmentally green strategy is the one that works with, improves the quality and extends the useful life of East Hill's assets. This includes its buildings, its walkable streetscapes, its trees, its thriving businesses and residents rooted in the neighborhood.
In a nod to this political season, I propose a nine point plan for ‘Urban Love’ a.k.a. the sustainability of our neighborhood:
Related to our houses
1. Buying a piece of property in our urban neighborhoods, fixing it up and living in it is emotionally very gratifying and financially rewarding
2. Home Networking – we all have people within our social networks who would love to own one of these beautiful homes (so pay attention to those For Sale signs!) and would work as hard as we have to repair and maintain them – this keeps the urban love growing – talk to them!
3. Maintain what we’ve got, but do it with love – just like humans, homes don’t thrive without some consistent TLC
4. Landlords – at Cherry Hill we believe it is your civic duty to communicate with the owners around you – especially in the cases of absentee landlords. If their tenants are keeping you up, they need to know about it – even if it is 2 AM. On the other hand - good landlords need validation.
Related to our streetscape
5. Maintain your home and yard. Whether you are owner or tenant, look for opportunities to plant some flowers that everyone can enjoy. Mow your yard – and mow your neighbors too if they need help.
6. Water the trees – both yours, and your neighbors if necessary. Mature trees especially are irreplaceable so we need to do all we can to keep them healthy and stress-free (just like us!)
Related to our well-being
7. Keep alert and involved – and keep your porch lights on. It really does take a village to keep everyone safe and comfortable
8. Goodness is just as contagious as badness (another from Carol)
Related to our thriving businesses
9. Think local, frequent those businesses regularly and bring your non-local friends
-written by Gabriel Works, East Hills Annual Meeting 10/16/2012
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