Let's face it, some neighborhoods are just seedier than others.

The decay of a neighborhood isn't something that happens overnight. It begins with a property owner who either doesn't take pride in his property or can't afford to maintain it. The house eventually takes on an air of shabbiness, the yard piles up with broken cars & appliances, and the landscaping is let go. As adjacent homeowners leave the area, new property owners may be less inclined to maintain their properties and the seediness spreads to other blocks.

These sorts of cycles seem to happen in neighborhoods, and eventually, many of them bounce back. For those that don't, neighbors have to jump in and start a neighborhood beautification effort.

Clean it up

Most people aren't aware that it is illegal to have junk cars up on the lawns, piles of accumulated garbage & doggie do-do, abandoned vehicles on the street, and waist high weeds. The Code Enforcement department of your city's Planning & Zoning department enforces these ordinances. Pick up the phone, place that call, and have the heavies at City Hall deal with the nuisance.

If the garbage is in the public right of way areas, why not organize a neighborhood cleanup day? Your city's Public Works department can help pull together this event which is free for most neighborhoods.

Free trees

Here in the City of Trees, our local department of Urban Forestry provides street trees free of charge to plant in right of way areas. Neighbors fill out an application and from there, the city determines if there is sufficient space in front of your home for a city tree. Qualifying neighbors have their new trees planted by volunteers during the city's annual Releaf Boise event. For information about free city trees in your community, contact your City Forester.

Have a street tree that is overdue for some pruning? Check with the city Forester as well; in most communities, street trees are maintained by the city's urban forestry division, at no cost to the property owner.

Free landscaping

Some older neighborhoods have parkways; a small landscape strip located between the street and the sidewalk. Although parkways are city property, neighbors are usually responsible for maintaining these areas. Parkways can be a real asset to a neighborhood, but can also be one of the hardest areas to maintain. The heat reflecting off the concrete bakes everything to a crisp, and without shade trees, not much will survive.

To clean up our neighborhood parkways, we partnered with horticulture students to develop a street garden program. Student interns designed a low water landscaping & irrigation plan, prepared the soil, and provided the plants and mulch free of charge. University & high school students, 4H and Junior Master Gardening clubs always welcome the opportunity for real "hands on" experience and are a wonderful resource for small, community gardens.

Free street lights

Our neighborhood used to be pretty dark at night; so dark that it
really wasn't safe to walk to the store. We placed a call to our local
Public Works department, and learned that the city would place street
lights free of charge in every intersection that lacked one. Neighbors
selected intersections that could benefit from street lights, and the
poles and lamps were installed free of charge. And who pays the power?
The city of course; it's all part of the service. 

Paint a mural 
Murals
are a terrific way to reclaim a long stretch of wall that is a frequent
target for graffiti and other types of vandalism. If no one in the
neighborhood is a muralist, why not check with a local high school or
college art class? Our town has a number of murals painted by local
students, with the paint donated by area businesses.

Apply for neighborhood improvement grants

Many
larger cities have moneys set aside for neighborhood improvement
efforts. This can include replacing sidewalks, installing historic
street lights and park benches, establishing pocket parks, neighborhood
monuments and community art. 

Neighborhood improvement grants
have to be applied for and must describe the specific project, along
with a proposed budget. They definitely involve a little work, but the
payoffs are incredible. In our community, improvement grants range
anywhere from $500 to $90,000. 
Improvement grants are usually administered through the Mayor's office.

Start a plant exchange program

Those
of us who are active gardeners always have seeds and seedlings to give
away. We neighborhood gardeners cultivate these seedlings, and root
them in nursery pots to be given away at an annual neighborhood plant
exchange. These thinned perennials, fruit & ornamental trees, bulb
plants, low water Xeriscape plants and native grasses all find their
way into new yards at no cost to others. It's a terrific way to provide
free plants to neighbors who couldn't otherwise afford to beautify
their yard.

Beautifying a neighborhood can take a lot of work,
but is not an impossible job. For more information about neighborhood
beautification programs and grants in your community, check with your
mayor's office or the Division of Public Works located in the city hall.