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Building Better Neighborhoods
Prepared by staff of the Dallas Public Library's
Urban Information Center.
Join with others to build a better neighborhood! These links offer resources and ideas to make our neighborhoods safer, healthier, more beautiful, child-friendly and prosperous. (The focus here is on citizen-led initiatives. Certainly, government agencies have a hand in many of these areas, but that falls outside the scope of this guide.)
- Neighborhood Safety
- Beautification
- Health & Recreation
- Youth Development
- Building Community
- Green & Sustainable Neighborhoods
1. Neighborhood Safety
Dallas crime prevention and information
The Dallas Police Department lists many excellent resources and programs on its website. We have highlighted a few additional resources below.
- Crimewatch Executive Board
- Analyze Dallas Crime Data by Zipcode
- Dallas Police Crime Information
- North Texas Crime Commission
- Dallas Police Volunteer Programs
Onlinepublications
useful Websites
- Community Capacity Development Office
- Gangs Or Us
- National Crime Prevention Council
- National Neighborhood Night Out Against Crime
Neighborhood Watch
- Dallas Police Department Interactive Community Policing
- National Association of Townwatch
- USA On Watch
- We prevent.org
2. Beautification
The sites below focus on cleaning up litter, abating graffiti, improving public parks and generally making the public realm more attractive, more pedestrian and kid-friendly.
graffiti abatement, litter clean-up, recycling
Local organizations & agencies
- Animal Services
- City of Dallas 311 System
- CleanupDallas.org
- Code Compliance
- Don't Mess With Texas
- Home Chemical Collection Center
- Keep Dallas Beautiful
- Keep Texas Beautiful
- Trash-related Issues (City of Dallas)
National organizations
Built Environment
Local organizations
- Dallas Architecture Forum
- Dallas Institute for Humanities & Culture - Center for the City
- Greater Dallas Planning Council
- Preservation Dallas
National organizations
Publications
- Texas Nuisance Abatement Manual (Attorney General)
3. Health & Recreation
Getting out to walk or ride a bike is an excellent way to meet your neighbors and get healthy.
Agencies, Programs & Organizations
- Trails & Greenways
- March for Babies
- Walk to School USA
- Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips
- For Cycling Clubs in Dallas visit the Community Infomation Database and do a subject search for "bicycling".
Local Organizations
Public Parks, open space & greenways
Local organizations
- Dallas Historic Tree Coalition
- For the Love of the Lake
- Friends of the Katy Trail
- Friends of Oak Cliff Parks
- Groundwork Dallas
- Trinity River Corridor Project Office
National organizations
4. Building Community
USEFUL WEBSITES
Local organizations
- Dallas Homeowner's League
- Dallas Neighborhood & Homeowners' Associations
- Sustainable Living Book Club (Sierra Club)
- Urban Engagement Book Club (Central Dallas Ministries)
- Volunteer Center of North Texas
(Note For a list of active neighborhood associations in Dallas, search the Community Information Database with the subject "neighborhood association".)
National organizations
The following organizations work to facilitate dialogue and consultation in an effort to build understanding, trust and a sense of community.
- National Issues Forums
- Everyday Democracy (formerly Study Circles)
- Open Space World
- Utne Salons
- The World Cafè
(Note: See the Community Information Database with a keyword search for "Discussion Groups and Forums".
Volunteering
BOOKS
The Great Good Place (307.0973 O44G 1999)
The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-yourself guide to placemaking (307.33621 W214G 2007)
Salons The Joy of Conversation (367 S219S 2001)
Superbia: 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods (307.74 C541S 2003)
Stopping at Every Lemonade Stand (305.23097 V923S 2001)
5. Youth Development
Programs aimed at youth development include
Local Organizations
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America - Dallas Chapter
- DISD Youth Mentoring Initiative
- Volunteer Power Crew
National Organizations
- Administration for Children & Families (ACF)
- Anti-Bullying Network
- City Year Youth Service Corps
- Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools
Books
- The youth development handbook: coming of age in American communities (362.71 Y83 2004)
- Community Youth Development (362.70973 C734 2003)
6. Green & Sustainable Neighborhoods
Local Organizations
- Dallas Arboretum (gardening education)
- Dallas Farmers Market Friends
- Dallas Farmers Market
- Gardeners in Community Development
- Green Dallas
- Native Plant Society of Texas
- Slow Food Dallas
- Texas Discovery Gardens (gardening education)
- Texas Trees Foundation
We have created a Google map of recycling locations around the City. You can drop-off plastic containers with the recycling symbol for numbers 1-7, bottles and jars of any color, aluminum, tin, and steel containers, office paper, window envelopes, magazines, phone books, catalogs, paperback books, and brown paper bags in the new Big Blue containers and there is no need to separate. This is apart of the City of Dallas Too Good to Throw Away program. To find a bin where you can drop off newspapers and boxes, use this online locator.
(Note: See the Community Information Database with a subject search of "environment" or "Garden Clubs" for a comprehensive listing of green organizations in the area.)
Books
Online Recources
- Recycling your TVs in North Texas
- Earth 911 - Find out where to recycle anything!
- Texas Smartscape - Water Conserving Plants