You can build a stronger community, a little at a time. Here’s three things you can do this week, public parks edition.
1: Something to Talk About: Parks
Parks and green spaces are our common ground. In a time when people feel increasingly polarized across political, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, green space offers a much needed space for building bridges and relationships across lines of difference.
The City Parks Alliance website describes in detail how parks:
- reduce health costs by encouraging and enabling both individual and group activity
- strengthen local economies and create job opportunities by attracting new business and new residents
- reduce crime by providing opportunities for local neighborhood engagement and improving public mental health
- clean the air and support heathy environment
You might also like The Common Ground Framework research paper from the Trust for Public Land
2: Something to Do: Take a Walk
Invite a friend or neighbor to join you for a walk along the new Skyline Trail, which just opened for public use this month, stretching for three miles from Zimmerman Park to Swords Park along Airport Road.
Make a habit! Download the TrailLink app on your iPhone or Android to search for more local trails for any fitness level and a variety of activities.
3: Something to Join: Boards and Commissions
City boards and commissions are a great opportunity to participate in city government and help provide a positive direction as our community grows and evolves.
In particular, the Billings Community Development board has three openings starting January 1, 2024. All three vacancies need to be filled by someone who lives in a low income neighborhood (see a map online here). If you know someone who would make a good board member, please forward this email and encourage them to apply immediately. Download the PDF application here
This is part of our weekly newsletter, “3 Things You Can Do” to help you build a stronger community through information on issues and opportunities to create connection in your neighborhood, on your own time. Each newsletter includes:
- Something to talk about: facts about a topic or issue that impacts our local community
- Something to do: a prompt for a small gesture to get out and connect with your family, friends and neighbors
- Something to join: opportunities to participate or lead in your local community