The City of Boise is getting more neighborhoods engaged in bettering the community.
The Energize Our Neighborhoods initiative aligns public and private resources to create changes.
In 2014, the project improved the Vista Neighborhood with a long list of projects including installing stop signs at 17 uncontrolled intersections, providing early childhood education for 80 students at Whitney and Hawthorne elementary schools, providing 118+ free trees to Vista neighborhood residents, and installing bike racks and new bus shelters featuring public art.
The Vista Neighborhood was selected as the first area of focus based on several local and national data indicators, such as number and type of businesses in the area, park access points, housing occupancy, crime rate, bus stops and service areas.
Now, the program is expanding to the South Boise Village, West Bench and West End neighborhoods.
"We want to make sure that we're really creating the most complete, comprehensive picture of the neighborhood so that as we're moving and working with residents and getting their input, we're able to really efficiently and effectively partner with our other stakeholders and align ourselves as a city to focus in and really see impact," Energize Our Neighborhoods Coordinator Nikki Drake said.
The Energize Our Neighborhoods team is now meeting with each neighborhood association for visioning events aimed at determining priorities for each area.
