Goodies. There are other things you can do with your neighbours to build community. One of them is Intersection Repair. This involves reclaiming a residential intersection and turning it into a public square. In Portland, it usually takes the form of painting a large mural, often a flower, onto the intersection. They then install features like gardens, message boards, memorials and tea stands on the corners of the intersection. The people who live near these repaired intersections have a greater sense of well-being & neighbourhood pride and are more likely to initiate conversations with passersby. Here are some pictures:
Find more pictures of intersection repair at The City Repair Project's website. Another thing you can do to make your neighbourhood is paint murals. Through a partnership with Style in Progress, the businesses along Queen St. W have made their alleys the most beautiful in the city. Milky Way in Parkdale gets an honourable mention here. Murals can take a variety of forms; you can do them yourself or invite local artists to paint your walls. To see some star murals, check out the Toronto pictures on flickr.
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