Engaged communities make a difference

Residents urged to take part in city programs to support neighborhoods.

What can a neighborhood do to successfully participate in its own well-being and future? How can a city government best support neighborhoods in their efforts to solve problems and to thrive?

The answers and possibilities are many and can vary from one community to another. The city of Dayton is working to support neighborhoods in building the community pride, strong relationships, and quality of life required to grow. City programs designed to support healthy, self-sustaining communities are undergoing transformation, and Dayton residents and neighborhood organizations are encouraged to participate.

The establishment of five Priority Land Use Boards in 2014 provided a new structure for community development. But the content and quality of collaboration between city government, residents, businesses and other stakeholders are also essential to building engaged and thriving neighborhoods.

To help develop a comprehensive new community engagement program, staff members of the Department of Planning and Community Development conducted outreach to Dayton neighborhoods and community leaders. In addition to their outreach efforts, they surveyed community engagement practices in comparable and regional cities. This research involved in-person communication, online work and review of scholarly articles. The key findings are:

1. Dayton has an advantage. The city has staff members dedicated to community engagement and neighborhood relations. Comparable cities have eliminated programs or dramatically reduced or eliminated staff. In fact, employees of other cities indicated they look to Dayton as a community engagement model.

2. The city should help “create spaces.” Dayton residents and best practices observed in other communities point to the success of opportunities to gather, collaborate and build community pride. These opportunities don’t have to occur in buildings or permanent meeting spaces. Special events, outdoor activities and opportunities to get acquainted with fellow residents from across the street or across town can make a big difference (neighborhood festivals, movie nights, block parties, sister neighborhoods, and collaborative events such as The Longest Table Dayton are examples).

3. Residents clearly indicated that attending meetings is no longer a desirable way to conduct business (“no meetings for the sake of meetings”). In addition, research and community input indicate that high-capacity neighborhoods (those that are able to bring about meaningful and lasting change) tend to have these attributes: longtime, active involvement; ability to organize; willingness to engage others; active interest in engaging with local government.

Throughout 2018, the city’s community engagement program and its associated activities will undergo further development and refinement. Residents and organizations including neighborhood associations, churches, educational institutions, businesses and others are encouraged to participate. Look for announcements of opportunities, and events in this publication, at daytonohio.gov and in the city’s social media channels (@cityofdayton, facebook.com/ cityofdayton).

For more information and to learn about participation opportunities, email cityhall@daytonohio.gov or call Verletta Jackson at 937-333-3288.

The Longest Table event, presented by UpDayton with support from the city of Dayton, brought together hundreds of residents to break bread and barriers on the West Third Street bridge.