Thursday, July 05, 2018

City Renewal With Vacant Lot Clean Up

By Jessica Stewart


Urban crime is a major concern these days. However, one simple process has proven to help decrease that crime. It is vacant lot clean up. Studies have shown that the clutter and neglect of the lots lead to higher crime, because they show there is no pride in the area. Drugs and guns are easy to hide here, as well as criminal behaviors. If the grass and weeds are tall and overgrown, it is easier for criminals to hide in them and stay concealed.

In many cities, citizens in the area do the mowing. The city pays them, but a much lower cost than that of a professional service. This allows the people in the community to earn a little extra money, plus they gain a little more pride in their community. In some cases, volunteers get together as a community committee and mow the areas with combined responsibility, taking turns and not charging, saving their city money, but still keeping the area clean.

Some cities are also charging fines for overgrown lots and requiring they be made presentable. They are also using ordinances to acquire properties from owners who receive repeated citations for neglect. In potentially prone areas, they are taking things into their own hands and doing the work, at the owner's expense.

Contrary to all the controversy over gun control as a means to lessen crime, this approach has fewer objections. Most approve of it. With this method, everyone benefits from the efforts. That is, all except the criminal. Neighborhoods take responsibility for their own areas.

Maintenance of abandoned properties by the city costs up front, but it is cost effective overall. Less crime, increase in property values, and reimbursement by citizens who received this maintenance help offset some of the cost. Studies have estimated that for every dollar of expense, twenty-six dollars are recovered.

Contributing to the decline of a neighborhood, trash is often dumped in these abandoned areas. This further discourages home owners from keeping up their own yard. A severe decline in the community results, causing a loss of pride as well. There is also danger to children playing there, and disease that is caused by the trash.

A few cities have even considered ordinances, called mow to own, that allow a neighbor to maintain the lot next door to them to be able to get the lot either at a nominal fee, or for free. This encourages not only cleaning up the vacant one, but it encourages them to keep their own yards in perfect condition. For cities that have large areas of neglect, this helps rebuild them.

Downtown areas are the focus in many cities. Volunteer groups got from one abandoned lot to another and clean them up. They choose a different one each week, making their rounds. If they come back the second time and it has not been maintained, they let the owner know they won't be back again until the owner takes responsibility for their own improvements. This helps those cities who have a neglected downtown area and want to rebuild it.




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