1. Neighborhood Services
Division
INSPIRING AND EMPOWERING JOPLIN NEIGHBORS TO CREATE
STRONG, SAFE AND VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS

2. What is a neighborhood?
“A neighborhood is a geographic location approximately ¼-½
square mile in size containing 500-2000 residents, with major
geographic boundaries such as roads, streams, railroads or non-
residential areas that contain a combination of similar housing
types, retail services and community gathering space (parks) within
½ mile walking distance.”

3. What is a Vibrant
Neighborhood?

4. A Citizen’s Strategy for a Vibrant Neighborhood
Relationships Sharing
Associations/
Organizations
Vibrancy

5. It Starts with Neighborliness
• Lower crime rates
• Increased quality of life
• Loneliness decreases
• Lower high school drop out rates
• Increased physical health
• Vulnerable are cared for

6. Get to Know
Your Neighbors
• Introduce yourself door to door
• Share produce, baking or other
homemade goods
• Start a Facebook or Nextdoor
group
• Throw a party
• Walk your street
• Work in your yard
• Spend time on your porch and
wave or talk to passersby

7. Share your Gifts,
Skills, Abilities,
and Dreams
Story: people sharing storm shelters

8. Start groups and
clubs that support
one another’s
interests or rally
around a cause
• Walking groups
• Gardening groups
• Biking groups
• Kid’s Play group
• Sports group
• Book club
• Historic Preservation
• Neighborhood Covenants
• Community Gathering Place

9. Neighborhood Services Strategy
Developing a process for VIBRANCY
Identify Assess Engage Communicate Plan Educate Improve Vibrant

10. Neighborhood
Identification
• Neigh b orh ood
B ou n d aries an d Names
• Historic
Neighborhoods
• Neigh b orh ood s with
As s ociation s
• Neigh b orh ood
I mprovement Districts
• Commercial/I n d u strial
Areas
• Sp ecial Areas
(Un ivers ities ,
Hos p itals , Airp orts )

11. Neighborhood Branding

12. Neighborhood
Assessment
CRITICAL
CONDITION
Blighted &
Dangerous
AT RISK
Passive
Residents
STABLE
Clean &
Safe
HEALTHY
Informal
Connections
VIBRANT
Engaged &
Connected
• Measures the overall well-being
of a neighborhood
• Involves information from
research and surveys

13. Citizen Engagement
• Host a block party
• Start a Neighborhood
Facebook or Nextdoor
group
• Volunteer to clean up your
neighborhood
• Become a liaison with the
City

14. Communication
Start a Nextdoor group
Become a liaison with the
City of Joplin

15. Neighborhood Planning
• Collaborate to build consensus
• Residents shape their future
• Guides future development

16. Education
• Citizenship
• Neighborliness
• City codes and code
enforcement
Meeting with Joplin Landlords at the Southwest
Missouri Rental Housing Association

17. Improvement
Citizen-Led Initiatives
• Neighborhood Clean-
ups
• Investment in
property
• Community Events
City-Led Initiatives
• Firm Code
Enforcement
• Volunteer
Opportunities
• Neighbor Connect
Program

18. Code Enforcement
General Info
• 4 Neighborhood
Improvement Officers
Enforcement Process
• Routine inspection
• Send Notice
• Re-inspection
• Compliance/Send to
Mow/Write Ticket
• Court Process

19. Statistics
• Average of 5000 cases per
year
• 2000 grass cases
• 500 garbage cases
• 60 court cases/year

20. Commitment
• Vibrant neighborhoods are the result of strategic collaboration
• Citizens
• Community organizations
• Faith-based organizations
• The City
• Vibrant of Great Neighborhoods
• Take the lead
• Have a collaborative approach
• Include all people groups
• Engage their community on multiple levels
Vibrant neighborhoods don’t happen, they are built.

21. Questions?