Investing in a community

Christina Brightwell Thompson who lives in the Metro Park neighborhood discusses what makes her neighborhood safe. Thompson has lived in her neighborhood for more than six years and recently organized and launched a neighborhood association.

Looking west from downtown you could see the black smoke rising above the trees of the Metro Park neighborhood.

A house was on fire near NW 8^th and Western Ave in Oklahoma City. The fire had spread from the house to a detached garage and large tree and the flames were getting dangerously close to other peoples’ homes nearby.

This wasn’t the first or last time a fire threatened the homes of neighbors in the area. The next day on March 30, 2019, a smoke was visible again from downtown Oklahoma City. It happened in a different house, but started in similar ways.

Smoke billows from a house fire on March 30, 2019 south of the Metro Park neighborhood.

Christina Brightwell Thompson presents her concept for connecting neighbors at a co-design session held in the City's Innovation Lab.

Christina Brightwell Thompson has lived in the Metro Park neighborhood for over six years.

“A lot of homeless people break into vacant homes to keep warm during cold weather, or use tires to start fires to keep warm,” Thompson said. “Many, if not all, originate in vacant properties owned by investors.”

The fires, along with other things she saw happening in her neighborhood sparked a desire to do something – to make a change in her neighborhood.

Christina reached out to Neighborhood Alliance for help in starting a neighborhood association, which she initiated with a steering committee with 15 active participants. The neighborhood association is about eight months old but has had numerous achievements in its time including:

· Executed bylaws, created a neighborhood logo, developed a mission statement and formed a leadership team

· Hosted a Neighborhood Cleanup that filled a 30-yard trash dumpster, a recycling truck and proper disposal of 45 tires

· Hosted a Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off at Pilot Park

· Hosted a successful Neighbors Night Out

· Adopted Linwood Street

· Neighborhood resident, Joe Slack, was commissioned for a public art project on Classen Blvd and NW 7^th – 9^th Street.

· Won $2,500 from OG&E and Create Great Neighborhoods Program

Walkability is one of the things that makes a neighborhood, she said.

“Being able to get out and push your kids in a stroller. Packs of aggressive wild dogs are a barrier to being able to walk outside in her neighborhood.”

As far as what makes a strong neighborhood – knowing who to call, knowing your neighbors, making connections and doing anything you can to get your neighbors to talk to each other.

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