Building Community in Pasadena

ArtNight in Pasadena, 2019 (File Photo – cityofpasadena.net)

When was the last time you got together with people in your neighborhood to do something fun? Ever? Where do people gather to chat about the things they love and don’t love about your neighborhood? Anywhere?

By Joan Stevens

You may have noticed that here in the U.S. we lack gathering places like the plazas of Europe or the zocalos of Mexico. We have a lot of land that is “public space” that no one really uses.

Twenty-five years ago, a neighborhood in Portland Oregon decided to change that. They dreamed up a vision of what their neighborhood was and what it could be and painted a mural in their intersection to reflect that. The mural includes pictures of the four directions, images honoring of the native people of the area, a dinosaur eating a car, and multiple other motifs representing ideas from people who live in the area. City officials were incensed, “You can’t do that, it’s public space!” they said, without any trace of irony. But other neighborhoods got together and created their own visioning processes and their own murals to represent their neighborhoods.

City Repair

There are now many painted intersections, little free libraries, toy exchange shelves, and benches next to pollinator gardens for people to sit and rest on a walk home from the bus stop. The City Repair organization that was birthed from these projects does a lot more than just intersection repair, but this program is still a key component of what they do. Intersection repair has become so effective at improving public health, decreasing crime, and increasing participation in the municipal process that is has been adopted by the City of Portland.

Pasadena’s Intersection Repair?

What does this mean for the City of Pasadena? A quick glance at the NextDoor app will tell you that though there may be a lot of talking about our neighbors there isn’t much talking with our neighbors.

There are so many reasons to build neighborhood connections, but it can feel tricky. Showing up with cookies is great but slow. Inviting strangers to a party might feel too intimate. The Intersection Repair project is one way to solve a lot of problems at once. Getting neighbors visioning and working together requires cooperation and communication and builds relationships.

Relationships build community. Community is the difference between surviving and thriving. Pasadena could learn a lot from Portland in this regard.

Joan Stevens is a local flower farmer and permaculture enthusiast who teaches biology at PCC.