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Clean up or beautify the neighborhood

How to plan cleanups and small improvements that make a visible difference.

Before you rely on thisThese are older articles and answers, and laws and programs change and vary by place. For current rules, check with your city's public works or solid waste department.

Start with these

  1. Guide

    Neglected Property Cleanups Often Become Difficult Projects; Make Them Easier

    Many neighborhoods find they need to organize neglected property cleanups. This happens in great suburbs and challenged neighborhoods. Here are some tips.

  2. Guide

    Community Beautification Lifts Spirits and Property Values

    Learn about community beautification projects to do now, and 8 opportunities and 7 challenges for larger issues.

  3. Guide

    Alley Cleanup Tips for Better Health, Safety, and Aesthetics

    Alley cleanup tips will help you build neighborhood spirit, not to mention promote health and safety. Here's how to organize your event.

  4. Visitor question

    Illegal Dumping: A (not) Love Story

    Last Reviewed: June 14, 2024 Website Visitor Writes: Having the unfortunate duties of looking over trash from a municipal aspect involves a lot of difficult

  5. Guide

    Too much trash in and near the creek

    March 18, 2025 Visitor Question: A group I'm involved with plans to try to clean out a little creek that runs right through the park in my neighborhood.

  6. Visitor question

    Should you always remove graffiti in your neighborhood

    Visitor Question: In the past I've always regarded it as a necessity to get rid of graffiti as soon as it happens. I thought it signals a low-quality neighborhood

Ready to do something about it?

Turn this into a clear plan.

Mission Maps helps you get clear on the need, mission, outcomes, program, and funding direction.

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Original guidance from A Good Community: How to Make and Keep It, owned and edited by Nancy Thompson (formerly Useful Community Development), shared with permission. Community Compass notes and updates are our own and have not been reviewed by Nancy Thompson.