A new neighbor inspired Johanna Ohm to reflect on the power of individual action in building community & liveable spaces.
A few weeks ago, I was driving home from work when a new neighbor flagged me down. I rolled down my window and met David who introduced himself with his address and the announcement of a weekend project. “I am going to clean up the street,” he said. “I’m not looking for help or money, just space in green bins for all the weeds I plan on pulling.”
I live in Pacifica on a steep hill with beautiful views of the ocean. I love my street but the street is like many others: weeds come through the cracks, cans and bottles dot the sides of walkways, debris covers many of the drainage grates, and ivy spills over fences and beyond the boundaries of the sidewalk. The spaces that no one considers “ours” get neglected. The spaces we use and need and look at every day are left for the city or someone else to take care of.
I lent David my green bin. He spent all weekend trimming the grass in the in-between spaces, pulling vines, and cleaning up trash. After sunset, he was still out there working with a headlamp to finish the project. The street gleamed. People came out of their houses. Neighbors chatted and asked “who,” “how?” Kids skate boarded and played while the parents felt a new compulsion to step outside. I chatted with neighbors I had lived next to for months but never seen.
How often had I been annoyed at the stretch of sidewalk so covered in plants I had to run on the street instead? How many times did I pass random soda cans and bottles but not bother to pick them up? Why is the beauty of my street, someone else’s job?