DCVB has taken a role in litter clean up locally by: identifying it as a community priority, providing support to groups helping to close gaps between agencies, providing surveys results of resident opinions, and researching various best practices. Durham’s curb appeal is definitely related to visitor centered cultural and economic development.But it is also closely correlated to crime, property values, community engagement and attracting new or relocating employers. But this isn’t just a Durham problem. The 2008 State by State Litter Analysis and Rankings shows North Carolina as a state in the “worst 10.” My worry at the state level is that is a concern for nearly everyone but the mission or core concern for no one. So, just as has happened in Durham, we trim local and state clean up budgets again and again and again
So often we forgot what they need to be because clean up is so easy to dismiss it as “superficial” and no one is outraged but we don’t realize we’re slowly cutting our own throats in areas like crime, lost economic development opportunities, suppressed property values and local tax base.
2 comments:
Reyn,
Durham has made some progress with curb appeal, thanks in part to the Keep Durham Beautiful program.
Keep Durham Beautiful began its annual "Litter Index" program in 2005: the 2009 program will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (lunch included).
KDB is seeking volunteers to participate in this important survey.
Rosemarie Kitchin
It is still not enough. I worry about the interstates, I-85 has been a mess of litter recently, does this get cleaned up by the State or City? We need to hold government accountable to have quick response times with regards to this problem. Why cannot more inmates be used, I used to see this occur much more frequently in the past.
Park like entry ways at key intersections leading into the City need to be funded.
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