Adobe Stock
Knowing your neighbors goes a long way towards feeling safe and part of a community. Towns and cities wanting more involvement from their residents are investing in venues, buildings, and structures that promote togetherness and encourage open communication. Here are some examples of the ways safe shared spaces benefit communities big and small:
A Place for Networking Opportunities
Having a space where entrepreneurs and small business owners can mingle helps a community strive and grow. The chamber of commerce, as well as any other trade or volunteer organization, can hold meetings in a venue that feels both inviting and safe, a place where members and visitors are encouraged to talk to each other, exchange ideas, and network with entrepreneurs, business owners, and thought leaders.
Smaller sitting areas should be provided as well as a large gathering space for special events: when receiving a guest speaker, when hosting a seminar, etc. And if you just launched your own small business but are too shy to attend a meeting on your own, enroll the help of an extroverted friend to help you break the ice with people you want to meet, or seek the “wallflowers” at the venue and go introduce yourself.
A Walkable Space for Health and Well-Being
Bringing kids and seniors together in a shared space will help tighten bonds in your community. And having an area where people have the possibility to exercise outdoors is sure to encourage physical fitness and promote wellness. A park equipped with a play area for children, picnic tables, and benches shaded by trees or canopies, along with walkable and bikeable pathways, provides a wonderful meeting place for people of all ages.
And trees and greenery aren’t just pleasant to look at; they are also responsible for cleaning the air and reducing outdoor pollution by filtering and removing harmful gasses and particles, thus helping everyone breathe fresher, purer air. Research also indicates that they can lower the incidence of depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. Trees also serve as a natural air conditioning system both in winter and summer, and neighborhoods with lots of trees tend to have lower energy bills. So frequent your local park to meet your neighbors as well as to keep your mind and body healthy!
An Area Where People Feel Safe at Night
Venues that host nighttime events or buildings where workers stay until later at night need to be well lit both inside and outside for safety. Feeling unsafe in such spaces can severely limit what people can do. This can particularly apply to women. When they pursue business interests like hosting organized events, running a dog walking business, or evening customers in a hair salon, safety concerns are often a factor.
Accessibility is also a concern with large gathering spaces, so installing ramps, elevators, and clearly visible signs will ensure that everyone in the community can safely enjoy the venue.
Look into LEDs when choosing lighting for public areas: they are more economical than their fluorescent and incandescent counterparts thanks to their high energy efficiency, and they provide superior light coverage in areas where security is essential. Parking garages and tunnels will feel a lot safer to motorists and pedestrians if they're well lit, and for building entrances and exits, greater visibility provided by bright lighting fixtures will deter trespassers, intruders, and other nefarious people from approaching uninvited. It’s one of the many ways design can be a factor in community safety.
Cities that boast indoor venues and outdoor spaces that all their residents can enjoy are the most attractive to house hunters and families looking to relocate. More walkability, improved safety, and areas where people are comfortable pursuing both personal and business interests help the community as a whole.
Courtney Rosenfeld started Gig Spark to be a resource and the first step for people who are looking to join the gig economy, either to supplement their income or as a way to fulfill their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.