Jamestown’s Post

🌳 🏙 Imagine wandering through a vibrant street market, lounging in a serene park, strolling along a bustling riverwalk, or discovering community in a welcoming center. What unites these experiences? They represent the mosaic of public spaces that breathe life into our cities. These arenas are crucial for the wellbeing of every urbanite, yet they often fall short in inclusivity, failing to embrace the full spectrum of social groups. More on the importance of public spaces: https://loom.ly/h_CcplI

The Activate Your Neighbourhood Tactical Guide is packed with creative ideas and practical strategies to help communities activate their spaces and encourage physical activity and social connections. Here’s one example of how you can make it work for your neighbourhood: Activity: Park(ing) Day🚗➡️🌳 🔹 Deconstruct: Re-purpose a typical parking space into a mini park. Focus on nature, accessibility, and community engagement. 🔹 Reconstruct: Find a paved space in your neighbourhood, like an unused parking spot or a local plaza. Add foldable chairs, greenery, or interactive elements like art. Encourage local businesses to join in for a fun competition! Reimagine how your neighbourhood can use its spaces to bring people together, foster activity, and build connections. Want more ideas? Check out the full Tactical Guide here: https://buff.ly/4a6ccYE

Imagine waking up each morning to the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze. 🌳 That's the charm of living near a green space in Intown Atlanta – your home could feel like a cozy getaway every day without leaving the city! Having a green space nearby offers more than just a pretty view. It gives you: 1️⃣ A space for morning jogs or evening strolls, keeping a healthy lifestyle within arm's reach. 2️⃣ A natural playground for kids where they can play freely and safely. 3️⃣ An escape from the daily hustle and bustle, helping you unwind and relax. 4️⃣ Opportunities for community events where neighbors become friends. As someone who specializes in helping clients buy and sell homes and condos in this vibrant area, I've seen firsthand how these green spaces make a neighborhood feel like a tight-knit community. Are you thinking about making a move to an area where every day feels like a getaway? Let's chat! What do you love most about living near a green space? 🌿 #RealEstate

New York's Montague Street transformed into a wellness oasis this past Sunday! 🧘♀️🏋️♂️ As a real estate professional, I'm always excited to see how our city's spaces can be reimagined to enhance community life. The Open Streets event on Montague Street is a perfect example of this creativity in action. Imagine stepping out of your Brooklyn Heights apartment to find: • Car-free streets filled with neighbors • Outdoor yoga and Pilates classes • Energizing interval training sessions • Live music from local talents • Delicious offerings from nearby eateries This is the kind of vibrant, health-focused community experience that adds immense value to urban living. It's not just about the properties themselves, but the lifestyle they offer. What's even more exciting is that this isn't a one-off event. Future Open Streets will focus on sustainability and Halloween themes, showcasing the area's commitment to year-round community engagement. As we consider the future of urban living, events like these highlight the importance of flexible, multi-use spaces in our neighborhoods. They create a sense of community that can significantly boost property values and resident satisfaction. What do you think about initiatives like Open Streets? How do they impact your perception of a neighborhood's desirability? #NYCRealEstate #CommunityLiving #UrbanWellness #BrooklynHeights #OpenStreets #TopPropertiesTeam #RealBrokerLLC #RealBrokerage

Transforming community spaces isn't just about beautification; it's about fostering connections and enhancing well-being. Dr. Troy Glover, #UWaterlooHealth professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, sheds light on the need for inviting spaces that encourage positive social interaction in the latest issue of Waterloo Magazine. Read the full article below to learn more about transformative placemaking: https://bit.ly/3JG3BPY

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🌆 Why do public spaces matter in our cities? From parks and plazas to greenways and community hubs, these spaces boost mental health, foster connections, and even fuel local economies! 🏞️ Discover how they transform urban life! 🌳 #UrbanLiving #PublicSpaces #CityLife #UrbanPlanning #GreenSpaces #CommunityBuilding #SustainableCities #MentalHealth #Medium

Studies show that people are experiencing extreme levels of loneliness, polarization, and division. City parks are among the last public spaces where people can meet and build community. Check out the latest findings --- just released today --- from Trust for Public Land on the transformative power of high-quality park systems. #TPLparkscore

There's an interesting trend happening, with young people leaving big cities and heading to rural areas. The need for amazing spaces in places like Owego, NY is no less than in growing communities of Brooklyn or Queens, just different. Third places for work. Cafe's to socialize and meet new friends. Welcome centers and community spaces for events. They're all SUPER important to the functioning of even the smallest of towns. When environments are well designed and furnished with great furniture, and they feel good to be in, it's a win not only for the owner of the space, but for the people who so desperately want somewhere to be. Link in comments to a USA TODAY article talking about the growing trend of rural living for young people.

Had a great day with the Sunbury Revitalization team this weekend! A few weeks ago, I ran a training for their team and facilitated a dinner for local businesses. On Saturday, we built upon that momentum and hosted a community block party to collect the ideas, stories, and dreams of local residents when thinking about the future they want to create for their downtown. Here’s how we did it. We leveraged an approach I call the 3P’s: Pause, Possibility, Participation. We started with music, big colorful flags, and free cookies and popcorn. That was enough to cause people to pause and wonder what was going on. The first step is to always disrupt people’s routine. Next we invited them complete three simple stations that all were designed to show what’s possible in their town. Station 1: What I Appreciate… They wrote down what they appreciated about Sunbury on 60 cards that broke down their town into small aspects (safety, education, street lights, events, senior life, transportation, etc). Station 2: What I Hope to See… They added their ideas through post it notes and mini lego structures that they placed on a giant map print out of their downtown. Station 3: What We Can Co-create… They placed stickers on a mosaic to reveal an image that symbolized their future. Each sticker was a photo that neighbors had previously taken highlighting all of the aspects of their town they most love - it included people, businesses, places, events, and historic photos. After they completed each station, they were invited to share their information in a raffle to win gift cards to local businesses. On the raffle ticket, we invited them to share how they’d like to further participate in downtown revitalization efforts. It was such a fun event and we had an amazing turn-out, far more than the organizing team had hoped for. I love seeing communities come together in ways like this and how simple events can inspire a multitude of other ways they could creatively engage their community. Big thanks to the team for inviting me in to help guide the process alongside you all. #community #facilitation #placemaking #downtownrevitalization