THE CHALLENGE
A missing piece in the safety conversation
In the past year and long before, communities around the country have been reckoning with new paths to public safety beyond increasing police presence. Reducing surveillance in favor of investments in community assets — from housing to education — are increasingly seen by practitioners as a path to safer, more vibrant communities (1).
A national intermediary supporting community-based projects, LISC’s Safety and Justice initiative is turning to the creation of quality, community-developed responses — including open spaces — as an alternative to policing. By laying a foundation for community connection, trust, and belonging, open spaces are a key ingredient in building neighborhood power and well-being.
1) John Jay College of Criminal Justice Research & Evaluation Center, November 2020
There’s a missing middle in creating safe spaces. We have first responders, but there’s less attention to the spaces that surround us, make us feel more secure, promote community life, and deter crime.
Rendering of The Well (SHoP Architects)
THE PROJECT
Supporting a resident-led public space process
LISC is supporting the community design and engagement process for Oxon Run Park and The Well at Oxon Run, a farm and community wellness space in the Congress Heights neighborhood of DC’s Ward 8: a historic Black neighborhood that has experienced systemic disinvestment. The Well is an effort by DC Greens and DC Parks and Recreation to bring new resources to this community, investing in community leadership and ownership of the project. By convening a mix of stakeholders with the shared priority of creating a neighborhood asset, led by neighborhood residents, this project has lifted up the community’s vision for health, wellness, inclusion, and safety in open space. Key stakeholders include DC GREENS, DC DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, FRIENDS OF OXON RUN PARK, The Green Scheme, SOUL OF THE CITY, and neighboring residents.
For example, the Framework is being applied to:
- Convene multiple stakeholders · Through the engagement and design process - and with particular attention and respect for community context - this diverse group is aligning on definitions of inclusion, strengthening ties in local networks, and building trust with one another.
- Launch grassroots initiatives · Through network-building, DC Greens is creating a systematic approach to transferring resources to community-led organizations. This has come to life in the funding of a local stewardship program; the connection of external funders to onsite youth programming partner, The Green Scheme; and the launch of ‘Wellness Wednesdays’ — a weekly fresh produce distribution on-site that is cementing its role as a hub for health, wellness, and community life in advance of the launch of The Well.