We use to have a saying when I was growing up. "If you didn't stand for something you would fall for anything." Today as many of our communities and neighborhoods continue to struggle with crime, drugs, and trash I think it is important to have a set of standards or values that a neighborhood strives to use in their dealings with the outside world but more importantly amongst themselves. Here is a list of 10 neighborhood values, please let me know what you think.

Neighborhood Values

1. Community – Reestablish, reinforce, and nurture a sense of community within our neighborhood.
2. Safety – Create a safer neighborhood through community involvement in combating crime and through designs that deter crime. (lighting, landscape, etc.)
3. Cleanliness – Provide adequate trash receptacles and promote neighborhood pride and involvement in maintaining a clean neighborhood through outreach and education.
4. Economic Equity – Seek to promote locally owned businesses and employee owned businesses that provide members of the neighborhood the opportunity to grow and expand their career goals. Seek to encourage outside firms to provide training for neighborhood residents who want to learn or develop new skills.
5. Sustainability – Strive to use the highest level of energy efficiency, green design and products, and sustainable technologies in all of our projects.
6. Education – Provide ongoing education in our neighborhood to promote the benefits of sustainability, provide the arts to our children, and provide the opportunity for basic education within our community.
7. Health – Promote healthy lifestyles and food products to all of our residents through locally grown food, education, and screenings.
8. Participation – In order to receive private resources all neighbors except the elderly or infirmed must contribute some form of “sweat equity” through the neighborhood association or some other community entity.
9. Diversity – Seek to create a neighborhood that encourages and promotes diversity.

10.  Integrity – Whenever possible maintain the historic integrity of neighborhood design, boundaries, and character.