Neighborhoods Take to the Streets to Build Social Bonds
Cities are helping residents connect at block parties and create supportive relationships close to home
Anne Colby
June 16, 2018
Houzz U.S. Editor
Block parties — street gatherings that bring together neighbors for socializing, shared meals, games and entertainment — have been around for decades. But some cities today also see block parties as an important tool to help create safety nets for their residents and make their communities stronger. Here are five cities across the country that are promoting block parties with supportive and sometimes innovative programs.
Neighbors gather at a block party in Boulder, Colorado.
Helping Residents Become More Resilient
In September 2013, Boulder, Colorado, like other parts of the state, was hit by torrential rains. More than 17 inches fell in just over a week, and the city, with its 15 creeks, experienced massive flooding. Six thousand — or 14 percent — of Boulder’s households were damaged.
After the floodwaters receded, the city launched a recovery and resilience program to bounce back and prepare for future disasters. Along with repairing infrastructure and assisting with rebuilding efforts, the city has focused on strengthening social connections. Block parties are part of that effort. “We wanted to be sure that our city is positioning itself to be in the best possible place should [flooding] happen again,” Boulder neighborhood liaison Brenda Ritenour says. “Block parties are one fun and accessible way that we can invite people to become more resilient.”
In an emergency, Ritenour says, a next-door neighbor may be a “responder zero” — the first one there before other help arrives. Good relationships with people who live nearby can help residents cope with daily stresses and landscape-altering shocks such as floods or recession.
Helping Residents Become More Resilient
In September 2013, Boulder, Colorado, like other parts of the state, was hit by torrential rains. More than 17 inches fell in just over a week, and the city, with its 15 creeks, experienced massive flooding. Six thousand — or 14 percent — of Boulder’s households were damaged.
After the floodwaters receded, the city launched a recovery and resilience program to bounce back and prepare for future disasters. Along with repairing infrastructure and assisting with rebuilding efforts, the city has focused on strengthening social connections. Block parties are part of that effort. “We wanted to be sure that our city is positioning itself to be in the best possible place should [flooding] happen again,” Boulder neighborhood liaison Brenda Ritenour says. “Block parties are one fun and accessible way that we can invite people to become more resilient.”
In an emergency, Ritenour says, a next-door neighbor may be a “responder zero” — the first one there before other help arrives. Good relationships with people who live nearby can help residents cope with daily stresses and landscape-altering shocks such as floods or recession.
Boulder makes a block party trailer available to residents.
To promote and support neighborhood gatherings in the city, Boulder in 2016 started lending out a block party trailer for weekend gatherings from June through September. Included are folding tables and chairs, water jugs, coolers, first aid kits, street barricades and an assortment of games and recreational items such as hula hoops, coloring books and jump ropes. The trailer has been a hit and this year it was fully booked 10 days after reservations opened.
“We found that it’s a great resource for all of our residents,” Ritenour says. “For some, it makes a block party easy to do. For others, it makes it possible.”
Good idea: One Boulder block party this year is featuring a comment board where residents can write down their wishes for the neighborhood and describe the kind of community they want to live in.
To promote and support neighborhood gatherings in the city, Boulder in 2016 started lending out a block party trailer for weekend gatherings from June through September. Included are folding tables and chairs, water jugs, coolers, first aid kits, street barricades and an assortment of games and recreational items such as hula hoops, coloring books and jump ropes. The trailer has been a hit and this year it was fully booked 10 days after reservations opened.
“We found that it’s a great resource for all of our residents,” Ritenour says. “For some, it makes a block party easy to do. For others, it makes it possible.”
Good idea: One Boulder block party this year is featuring a comment board where residents can write down their wishes for the neighborhood and describe the kind of community they want to live in.
A Portland, Oregon, block party includes face painting, cupcakes and socializing. Photo by JAGwired
Buildng on a Vision for City Streets
Portland, Oregon, gets an abundance of rain in winter. So when summer arrives, residents are ready to head outside and enjoy the sun and warm weather. “Block parties are a great way to do that,” says John Brady, director of communications and public involvement for the city’s Bureau of Transportation. In some of Portland’s neighborhoods, block parties are a tradition that stretches back for years, he says. And the city encourages these gatherings as a way for residents to build community, promote healthy lifestyles, celebrate with neighbors and help local businesses.
But a couple of years ago, the city noticed that some East Portland neighborhoods weren’t taking advantage of its block party program. So last year it launched a pilot program to make it easier for them to participate. Among other things, it waived the permit fee and provided eye-catching pink street barricades for free.
Buildng on a Vision for City Streets
Portland, Oregon, gets an abundance of rain in winter. So when summer arrives, residents are ready to head outside and enjoy the sun and warm weather. “Block parties are a great way to do that,” says John Brady, director of communications and public involvement for the city’s Bureau of Transportation. In some of Portland’s neighborhoods, block parties are a tradition that stretches back for years, he says. And the city encourages these gatherings as a way for residents to build community, promote healthy lifestyles, celebrate with neighbors and help local businesses.
But a couple of years ago, the city noticed that some East Portland neighborhoods weren’t taking advantage of its block party program. So last year it launched a pilot program to make it easier for them to participate. Among other things, it waived the permit fee and provided eye-catching pink street barricades for free.
Firefighters give kids a tour of a fire truck in Portland. Photo by JAGwired
The improvement in participation was dramatic, and so were the testimonials. The city issued four times as many permits in East Portland as it had in previous years. People who had lived on the same streets for years without meeting finally did and enjoyed it. The parties were well-attended, and people said they would do it again.
So the city made the pink barricade lending program permanent in those neighborhoods and doubled the free lending area. And it also, in March, eliminated the block party permit fee for everyone in the city.
It’s all part of the city’s Livable Streets Strategy, approved by the City Council last year, which encourages people to use streets for community gathering spaces, placemaking and programming. “Portland streets are the city’s largest public space,” Brady says. “We want [block parties] to be as easy and community-oriented as possible.”
Good idea: Find out if your city offers any special block party programs.
The improvement in participation was dramatic, and so were the testimonials. The city issued four times as many permits in East Portland as it had in previous years. People who had lived on the same streets for years without meeting finally did and enjoyed it. The parties were well-attended, and people said they would do it again.
So the city made the pink barricade lending program permanent in those neighborhoods and doubled the free lending area. And it also, in March, eliminated the block party permit fee for everyone in the city.
It’s all part of the city’s Livable Streets Strategy, approved by the City Council last year, which encourages people to use streets for community gathering spaces, placemaking and programming. “Portland streets are the city’s largest public space,” Brady says. “We want [block parties] to be as easy and community-oriented as possible.”
Good idea: Find out if your city offers any special block party programs.
Yoga kicks off a block party in Chicago’s 47th Ward, with donations to the event going to a good cause. Photo from Kerry Rebora
A Close-Knit Neighborhood With Deep Roots
Block parties are “a big, wonderful tradition” in Chicago, says Dära Salk, community outreach director for the city’s 47th Ward, located north of downtown near Lake Michigan. “Summer is so short here in Chicago that we’ve got to enjoy every minute of it. Lots of good things have come out of block parties, like book clubs.” And Halloween is a “big, big event” in the 47th Ward, Salk says. People close off the streets and set up haunted houses and fire pits.
Last year, the ward’s 50,000 residents held 180 block and neighborhood group parties, Salk says. “Chicago’s an old city, and our neighborhood has very deep roots. Many people were born and raised here, and raised their children in this community. The reason that people love to be in a close-knit neighborhood is it’s so much fun. And block parties do so much for that.”
The ward starts to remind people in January to begin planning their gatherings. Block party applications in Chicago go through ward offices, and Salk will help people navigate the process. The city also offers residents free rentals of inflatable jumping jacks, or bounce houses, on a first-come, first-served basis. It will send a fire truck into the neighborhood for a visit if one is available.
A Close-Knit Neighborhood With Deep Roots
Block parties are “a big, wonderful tradition” in Chicago, says Dära Salk, community outreach director for the city’s 47th Ward, located north of downtown near Lake Michigan. “Summer is so short here in Chicago that we’ve got to enjoy every minute of it. Lots of good things have come out of block parties, like book clubs.” And Halloween is a “big, big event” in the 47th Ward, Salk says. People close off the streets and set up haunted houses and fire pits.
Last year, the ward’s 50,000 residents held 180 block and neighborhood group parties, Salk says. “Chicago’s an old city, and our neighborhood has very deep roots. Many people were born and raised here, and raised their children in this community. The reason that people love to be in a close-knit neighborhood is it’s so much fun. And block parties do so much for that.”
The ward starts to remind people in January to begin planning their gatherings. Block party applications in Chicago go through ward offices, and Salk will help people navigate the process. The city also offers residents free rentals of inflatable jumping jacks, or bounce houses, on a first-come, first-served basis. It will send a fire truck into the neighborhood for a visit if one is available.
Live music helps get 47th Ward residents into the groove.
The ward’s alderman, Ameya Pawar, has a master’s degree in threat and response management. In his studies, Salk says, Pawar found that people affected by Hurricane Katrina who came out of it best knew one another and were closely knit. “Getting to know neighbors keeps us safe — and happy,” she says.
“Building community is so important. It’s so good for your children,” Salk says. “Everybody thinks it has to happen in small towns, but there are a lot of cities with wonderful communities in them.”
Good idea: Get creative when planning block party activities and traditions. In Chicago, one block makes flags and strings them across the street. Salk’s neighborhood has a block party for the summer solstice. Others have toy and book swaps, cupcake-decorating stations and parades on wheels.
The ward’s alderman, Ameya Pawar, has a master’s degree in threat and response management. In his studies, Salk says, Pawar found that people affected by Hurricane Katrina who came out of it best knew one another and were closely knit. “Getting to know neighbors keeps us safe — and happy,” she says.
“Building community is so important. It’s so good for your children,” Salk says. “Everybody thinks it has to happen in small towns, but there are a lot of cities with wonderful communities in them.”
Good idea: Get creative when planning block party activities and traditions. In Chicago, one block makes flags and strings them across the street. Salk’s neighborhood has a block party for the summer solstice. Others have toy and book swaps, cupcake-decorating stations and parades on wheels.
In Roanoke, Virginia, the Fairland Civic Organization hosts a neighborhood block party and fish fry for National Night Out.
A Sense of Community Makes a City Desirable
Roanoke, Virginia, a city of 100,000 in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has had a partnership with its neighborhoods since the mid-1980s. That’s when, in response to complaints from residents that they weren’t being heard, the city worked with neighborhoods to help create and organize neighborhood groups that would be their voice. Today that partnership still exists, says Bob Clement, neighborhood services coordinator for the city’s Office of Neighborhood Services. The city has 29 neighborhood organizations and watch groups.
Block parties are one of the activities Roanoke promotes to help residents meet and socialize, develop community spirit and create a safe living environment. Some of the parties are organized around National Night Out in August. Clement, a Roanoke native who moved away and later returned to his hometown, provides neighborhoods with support when needed to line up block party permits and publicize events.
“Block parties are a way of bringing people face to face, one on one, so they then can begin building a relationship with one another,” he says. “Once we start building a relationship, then we start caring for one another, and that’s when we start watching out for one another. And when people look out for one another, that’s when community exists.”
When a city has community, he says, it makes it a desirable place to work, live and invest in. Without community, he says, who would want to live there?
Good idea: A block party can be a first step toward a larger neighborhood effort, such as cleaning up streets and keeping a good neighborhood strong.
A Sense of Community Makes a City Desirable
Roanoke, Virginia, a city of 100,000 in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has had a partnership with its neighborhoods since the mid-1980s. That’s when, in response to complaints from residents that they weren’t being heard, the city worked with neighborhoods to help create and organize neighborhood groups that would be their voice. Today that partnership still exists, says Bob Clement, neighborhood services coordinator for the city’s Office of Neighborhood Services. The city has 29 neighborhood organizations and watch groups.
Block parties are one of the activities Roanoke promotes to help residents meet and socialize, develop community spirit and create a safe living environment. Some of the parties are organized around National Night Out in August. Clement, a Roanoke native who moved away and later returned to his hometown, provides neighborhoods with support when needed to line up block party permits and publicize events.
“Block parties are a way of bringing people face to face, one on one, so they then can begin building a relationship with one another,” he says. “Once we start building a relationship, then we start caring for one another, and that’s when we start watching out for one another. And when people look out for one another, that’s when community exists.”
When a city has community, he says, it makes it a desirable place to work, live and invest in. Without community, he says, who would want to live there?
Good idea: A block party can be a first step toward a larger neighborhood effort, such as cleaning up streets and keeping a good neighborhood strong.
Holland, Michigan, puts on its annual Tulip Time Festival. Photo by Michael Sprague
A Small Town With Much to Celebrate
Holland, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Macatawa near Lake Michigan, is a city known for its Dutch heritage and annual Tulip Time Festival in May. But Holland’s 30,000 residents have many other occasions for a party, and the city is there to help them.
Last year, Holland logged 22 block parties and four parties in city parks. This year, for National Night Out, the city is encouraging people to have porch parties with an ice cream social. “A porch party is a really good way to start if you don’t want to go all out,” says Sue Harder, the city’s community development coordinator. “The key is to make it easy for people and make them feel welcome.”
The city will help residents with flyers to help publicize block parties, and it will send a fire truck to the party. “They squirt the kids and everyone loves it,” Harder says. “When there’s a fire truck on the street, people just turn out.” Police units and city officials also may be requested for party days. At a park party, for which a small grant is available, the local nature center might visit with animals or a smoke house might be set up to help children practice getting out of a building on fire.
“It’s important to know who lives around you,” Harder says. “We all have to keep an eye on each other from a neighborly perspective.”
Good idea: Consider other events such as a neighborhood garage sale, a spring cleanup, a holiday party or a neighborhood beautification project.
Your turn: Tell us about your neighborhood block party and share ideas in the Comments!
More
How to Throw a Block Party
9 Non-Awkward Ways to Meet Your Neighbors
Find outdoor grills, smokers and more
A Small Town With Much to Celebrate
Holland, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Macatawa near Lake Michigan, is a city known for its Dutch heritage and annual Tulip Time Festival in May. But Holland’s 30,000 residents have many other occasions for a party, and the city is there to help them.
Last year, Holland logged 22 block parties and four parties in city parks. This year, for National Night Out, the city is encouraging people to have porch parties with an ice cream social. “A porch party is a really good way to start if you don’t want to go all out,” says Sue Harder, the city’s community development coordinator. “The key is to make it easy for people and make them feel welcome.”
The city will help residents with flyers to help publicize block parties, and it will send a fire truck to the party. “They squirt the kids and everyone loves it,” Harder says. “When there’s a fire truck on the street, people just turn out.” Police units and city officials also may be requested for party days. At a park party, for which a small grant is available, the local nature center might visit with animals or a smoke house might be set up to help children practice getting out of a building on fire.
“It’s important to know who lives around you,” Harder says. “We all have to keep an eye on each other from a neighborly perspective.”
Good idea: Consider other events such as a neighborhood garage sale, a spring cleanup, a holiday party or a neighborhood beautification project.
Your turn: Tell us about your neighborhood block party and share ideas in the Comments!
More
How to Throw a Block Party
9 Non-Awkward Ways to Meet Your Neighbors
Find outdoor grills, smokers and more
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We have an annual block party that everyone looks forward to. We go all out. Everyone brings delicious, home-made dishes or picks up local specialties. We block off the street, setup grills, tables and chairs outside. We eat, drink and socialize all day. We have kegs of craft beg, and we show kids movies at night on a giant blow up screen on the golf course of our development. We even order a bounce-house castle for the kids! It's such a hit. It gets bigger and bigger every year, and we have all become great friends as a result. This is a fantastic tradition and a great way to get to know your neighbors. We feel SO lucky to be part of such a great, friendly group of people.
A cornhole court makes for a great ice breaker.