Neighborhoods
IMPROVING the quality of life in neighborhoods
Burlington residents have expressed the need to restore and strengthen our neighborhoods as Burlington expands into a larger city. In order to encourage interconnectedness, increase the quality of life, and improve housing options, Burlington has initiated the following projects.
Front Porch Forum hosts networks of online neighborhood forums that blanket metro areas. In our initial pilot, we cover all 19 towns of Chittenden County, Vermont with 130 forums and 16,000 households subscribe, including more than 40% of Burlington, Vermont’s largest city. The mission is to help neighbors connect and foster community within the neighborhood. Common sense and a growing body of research say that well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and public utilities.
Restorative Justice Panels are small groups of community volunteers who meet with offenders and victims of low-level crimes. The Panel holds the offender directly accountable to the victims and community they harmed. They discuss the circumstances and impact of the crime and ways the offender can avoid making similar mistakes in the future.
The Graffiti Removal Team (GRT) works to stop the deterioration of Burlington’s neighborhoods by repairing damage done by property crime. Although acts of vandalism are often considered low-level crime, the community is greatly affected when the damage is not addressed. Neighborhoods with lots of litter, graffiti, and broken windows start to look run down and feel unsafe. GRT gives residents and business owners the tools they need to take control and restore neighborhood pride.
The impact of “party noise” is a big issue in Burlington’s downtown neighborhoods. Residents regularly express frustration at constant noise and other impacts from large parties. The City of Burlington’s new Noise Ordinance requires that all persons who receive a “social gathering” noise violation attend a three-hour restorative session at the Community Justice Center and pay a $300 fine. Noise sessions are held monthly and include: discussion of noise incidents and their impact, information about how to resolve conflict, a review of all of the City’s Quality of Life Ordinances, and a victim impact panel.
An evaluation by Champlain Housing Trust in Burlington, Vermont, the nation’s largest community land trust, shows that the community land trust model of shared equity has expanded access to home ownership while also providing permanent affordability. Resale restrictions have succeeded at maintaining affordability, even when home prices increased. More than two-thirds of the 205 residents who exited the land trust have “stepped up” to full home ownership after realizing their land trust equity
Youth On Boards is a civic engagement project of the City of Burlington’s Legacy Project and its partners. This model program seeks to provide youth leaders with opportunities for representing Burlington’s youth on City Commissions and Boards. Youth on Boards engages youth in developing leadership skills, contributing to building sustainable communities and sharing the wisdom and insight of young people.
Is a non-profit group that develops outreach, education, and service-learning programs to cultivate and sustain community-based gardens, as well as to increase public assess to gardening resources. Their hope is that Vermonters of all ages are able to experience the benefits gardening including becoming healthier through improved diets, exercise, and social interactions. They launched the Vermont Community Garden Network” as well as earned $50,000 in grants benefiting 200 community, school, and neighborhood gardens.
Burlington Area Community Gardens
BACG has 11 garden sites from full plots, to half plots to family and friend plots that are rented through the Burlington parks and Recreation Department. They offer scholarships to cover garden plot costs for low-income gardeners. The program now partners with Friends of Burlington Gardens, as well as other organizations in the community. They also promote “Plant a Row for the Hungry” to donate their produce to area anti-poverty programs.
UVM Office of Community Relations
The University’s Office of Student and Community Relations is committed to creating a safe and socially just environment for off-campus students and neighbors. They provide resources and education to students so that they have successful experiences transitioning to and living off campus and work with students, neighbors, and city partners on creative initiatives to improve the quality-of-life in our shared community.
The Community Coalition is a group of University students and staff, City administrators and leaders, and community members who look for ways for the University and community to collaborate on quality of life issues and partnerships involving students as responsible community members. One partnership with the Student Government Association involves the Off-Campus Living workshops. For more information, contact the Office of Student and Community Relations at 656-1103 or click here.
INDICATORS
Source: Community and Economic Development Office, Burlington
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Source: Burlington Police Department
Source: U.S. Census Bureau