Every broken city is broken in its own way. Heck, every neighborhood is broken in its own way. Unless you're more specific about what is going on, the advice you'll get here will be not be effective.
Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
51–60 of 346 posts
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#52> "What is the micro thing I can do today, that can have a chance of a macro change tomorrow?"
You could to a small thing, making your home exterior look presentable. By cleaning/improving the outside of your home, you have a positive impact on the rest of the community. After that, you can try helping neighbours improve their homes and the area will slowly improve...
This is related to the [1] Broken Window Theory.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory#:~:text=....
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#53A small thing: Take responsibility for your neighborhood. I like to run in the park next door to my home (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Eola_Park). When someone discards a spent cigarette onto the ground around me, I pick it up, give it back to them, and point them to the nearest wastebasket.
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#54Would you mind linking to the list you’re referring to? My off-the-cuff thought was, “join Transportation Alternatives and push for more bike lanes, public transit, etc.”, as I see automobiles as one of the most significant dangers to both urban areas and even the planet. But when I google "ten most dangerous cities," they seem to list places whose danger is more poverty-driven.
Automobiles (and their drivers) kill, maim, or injure significantly fewer people than intentionally aggressive individuals in major cities. For example, in 2017 there were 343 murders in Baltimore [0] (which I knew would be on the list before looking for one) vs. 38 fatalities due to car accidents [1]. Here's an example of a list: https://www.statista.com/statistics/217685/most-dangerous-ci... These lists are based o…
That's highly misleading. Overall cars kill way more people than murderers (at least double) in America. Baltimore just happens to be at the top of the list for murders per capita and apparently slightly below average for auto fatalities. For most cities there is a greater chance of dying from a car crash than from being murdered.
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Automobiles (and their drivers) kill, maim, or injure significantly fewer people than intentionally aggressive individuals in major cities. For example, in 2017 there were 343 murders in Baltimore [0] (which I knew would be on the list before looking for one) vs. 38 fatalities due to car accidents [1]. Here's an example of a list: https://www.statista.com/statistics/217685/most-dangerous-ci... These lists are based o…
That's highly misleading. Overall cars kill way more people than murderers (at least double) in America. Baltimore just happens to be at the top of the list for murders per capita and apparently slightly below average for auto fatalities. For most cities there is a greater chance of dying from a car crash than from being murdered.
OP did say "top 10 most dangerous cities in the US" and those studies usually don't count auto accidents.
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#56Pick up litter around your block. Smile and wave to neighbors. Become active in and or donate to community projects. Spread a general sense of kindness and support to others near you. These are the smallest and easiest things you can do that'll have an impact on people.
In addition to being a quality human in these ways, I'd recommend googling "tactical urbanism." That means: do quick, low-cost interventions in your neighbourhood, like painting a mural on the street, building flower boxes, or creating a pocket park. (Should probably get permission, but for some things, just do it). This all helps attract people to the street and builds a sense of ownership, which encourages folks to…
> Keep in mind that "gentrification" also tends to make local residents wealthier — it's not as simple as the usual picture in which locals are simply pushed out.
I'm genuinely curious to see your sources on this -- isn't displacement of original residents the primary definition of gentrification?
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#57Would you mind linking to the list you’re referring to? My off-the-cuff thought was, “join Transportation Alternatives and push for more bike lanes, public transit, etc.”, as I see automobiles as one of the most significant dangers to both urban areas and even the planet. But when I google "ten most dangerous cities," they seem to list places whose danger is more poverty-driven.
Automobiles (and their drivers) kill, maim, or injure significantly fewer people than intentionally aggressive individuals in major cities. For example, in 2017 there were 343 murders in Baltimore [0] (which I knew would be on the list before looking for one) vs. 38 fatalities due to car accidents [1]. Here's an example of a list: https://www.statista.com/statistics/217685/most-dangerous-ci... These lists are based o…
I think the point was that a street full of car traffic is much less liveable than a street full of cyclists and pedestrians.
Cars are still dangerous and noisy which leads to a stressful atmosphere. Many hide in their cars as if they were tanks, afraid of connecting with anyone outside.
What's needed instead is people coming together to form a community.
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#58Fight for just housing/zoning policies and against NIMBYism
Join orgs supporting the homeless and fighting against the criminalization of homelessness.
Buy from locally-owned businesses that treat their employees well. Not the gentrifying upscale cafes and restaurants and boutiques
Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#59Get involved in local politics. Observe council meetings and school board meetings and committee meetings. Whatever is public. This stuff can be boring; you'll observe pointless personality clashes and interminable dumb arguments, but at the same time, this is where important decisions that affect your community get made. Once you understand the issues, you can work to influence policy in the direction that you think…
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Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?
#60Fight for just housing/zoning policies and against NIMBYism Join orgs supporting the homeless and fighting against the criminalization of homelessness. Buy from locally-owned businesses that treat their employees well. Not the gentrifying upscale cafes and restaurants and boutiques
That stuff is nice, but in the context of OPs original request, how would any of that lower the rape rate in OPs city? Or the murder rate?