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Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

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Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#101

Post by bserge »

impendia wrote: post #74
omarhaneef wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know someone who has a great position at a well known financial firm. He had the cops called on him twice (he ends up taking long conference calls in his car outside). The first time the cop was apologetic. The second time the same cop recognizes him and says, "Dude, you have got to get to know your neighbors. Pie goes a long way."

Wait, he was just taking phone calls in a parked car? Is there something objectionable with that? If my neighbors called the police on me for that, my first thought wouldn't be to bake pie for them.

Funny anecdote, two friends and I were sitting in a car in Eastern Europe in a rich neighbourhood (pretty much only VIPs and foreigners lived there).

We had some business with an army officer and he was busy with something so we had to wait.

About 20 minutes after we parked, an American woman comes and asks us what we're doing here and whether we need help.

That was weird because no one in our country does this, everyone minds their own business.

She did accept my explanation, but I had a feeling if we didn't move from there 10 minutes later she would've called the police on us :D

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#102

Post by susiecambria »

As a public policy and budget wonk, advocate, lobbyist, and five-year veteran of city government (Washington, DC), as well as a social worker by training, I LOVE the question and am stoked 1) by the responses and 2) by the number of responses.

I am a firm believer in doing something. As others have said, get informed, get connected, and then get and stay active. This can be personal stuff or political stuff. It all needs doing. Play to your strengths.

And I would document even if it's just for you. What you did and why you did it. What worked, what didn't. It's good to have a contemporaneous written record.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#104

Post by OldHand2018 »

You can invest in testing apparatus and identify areas in need of environmental remediation, and then advocate/fundraise for the remediation.

Lead exposure in children is highly correlated with crime rates, and is also negatively correlated with academic achievement.

Helping to improve chances for success is definitely a micro thing you can do that has a macro effect.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#105

Post by musingsole »

Retric wrote: post #88
burlesona wrote: post #44

The single best thing you can do is pick a neighborhood - not the whole city - and invest deeply. Get to know everyone in the neighborhood and understand what they want and need, then try to find ways to bring that. When you have a strong network of neighbors and a little bit of cash, you can ramp up investment by cleaning up dirty corners and getting the basic services that a neighborhood is missing. Here’s an examp…

I mean this in the most objective way possible. The risk with urban improvement is making the area more desirable eventually prices people out of the community. So, the real question is do you help the land or current residents? When you own property it’s seriously worth considering local improvements for several reasons, but it’s also easy to confuse the two. Further, if most people in the community own property the…

By being cognizant of these effects, you can probably accomplish both at once. Improve your community with an eye towards projects that empower the residents -- even if they were to move away. Things like financial education/mentoring or around-the-house handyman type skills sharing.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#106

Post by yobert »

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #90
burlesona wrote: post #44

The single best thing you can do is pick a neighborhood - not the whole city - and invest deeply. Get to know everyone in the neighborhood and understand what they want and need, then try to find ways to bring that. When you have a strong network of neighbors and a little bit of cash, you can ramp up investment by cleaning up dirty corners and getting the basic services that a neighborhood is missing. Here’s an examp…

for a year I lived in a city on a nice block that was near some not so nice blocks. One thing we had that the other blocks did not, was an old lady with a bunch of brooms that knocked on everyones door once a month and made us all sweep. It really made a difference.

This is so great. Old ladies that will not be argued with should never be underestimated.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#107

Post by bko »

burlesona wrote: post #44

The single best thing you can do is pick a neighborhood - not the whole city - and invest deeply. Get to know everyone in the neighborhood and understand what they want and need, then try to find ways to bring that. When you have a strong network of neighbors and a little bit of cash, you can ramp up investment by cleaning up dirty corners and getting the basic services that a neighborhood is missing. Here’s an examp…

> When you have a strong network of neighbors and a little bit of cash, you can ramp up investment by cleaning up dirty corners and getting the basic services that a neighborhood is missing.

I don't think you need a network to begin cleaning up dirty corners.

Just pick up garbage you see on the street when you walk around. It has an immediate impact, is easy and doesn't cost anything. Other people may see it and may begin doing that as well. I'm surprised more people don't do.

If you want, you can make a facebook group telling people you're going to be picking up garbage at a certain time, if anyone would like to join.

Garbage on the street has a very negative externality as people are less mindful of tossing garbage if there is already garbage on the street. It also strips people of dignity about where they live and can have other negative side-effects to the neighborhood or even promote lawlessness.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#108

Post by omarhaneef »

impendia wrote: post #74
omarhaneef wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know someone who has a great position at a well known financial firm. He had the cops called on him twice (he ends up taking long conference calls in his car outside). The first time the cop was apologetic. The second time the same cop recognizes him and says, "Dude, you have got to get to know your neighbors. Pie goes a long way."

Wait, he was just taking phone calls in a parked car? Is there something objectionable with that? If my neighbors called the police on me for that, my first thought wouldn't be to bake pie for them.

I think -- and I know as much about it as you do now -- from the neighbor's perspective it looks like: some stranger is outside my neighbor's (your) house in a car for hours. Is he casing the place? Why is he on the phone? Is he a lookout?

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#109

Post by pgnas »

in so far as improving your city, one idea would be to start with the children. Improving their mental health and growth is vital to sustaining a healthy community. Cities all around the United states continually fluoridate their drinking water under the guise of dental health, this has been scientifically proven to be inaccurate and outdated ideologies.

Today, there is science to demonstrate that the use of Fluoride in drinking water is harmful to early development as well as during regular use.

https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2011/02/fluoride-your-water-h...

https://www.fairwarning.org/2020/06/courtroom-battle-fluorid...

“Case No. 17–cv–02162–EMC” Food & Water Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, 291 F. Supp. 3d 1033, (N.D. Cal. 2017)

This is something you can do in your community.

Re: Ask HN: As a person, what can I do to improve a city?

#110

Post by nine_k »

davidn20 wrote: post #64
Eric_WVGG wrote: post #6

Would 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.

Yep, those are the cities I'm referring too. I wanted to know what people can do to help poverty-stricken cities.

If you want to help some poor but able fellow, hire him / her to do some job, and pay reasonably well. Even a one-time job.

Acquring money is an obvious way to get out of poverty. But living on handouts kills morale.

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