Read more about local beautification efforts in the June/July 2025 feature story.
Thanks to two initiatives created by Mayor Stephanie Terry’s administration, neighborhoods that have faced neglect for decades are receiving much-needed attention.
One of those initiatives, the Block-by-Block Neighborhood Cleanup program, brings city employees and community volunteers together to pick up trash, mow lawns, pull weeds, trim trees, and perform other tasks while allowing neighbors a chance to connect. After launching the program in 2024 with cleanups in the Jacobsville and Bellemeade-Bayard Park neighborhoods, three this year have focused on Lamasco, Tepe Park, and CHAIN (Cedar Hall Association for Improvement of the Neighborhood, Inc.). A trio of summer events is planned in Glenwood on June 20, Lamasco on July 25, and Goosetown on Aug. 12. The mayor works with other city departments to determine which neighborhoods have the greatest need.
The second initiative, Fight Blight, focuses on tearing down dilapidated properties. With help from residents in identifying candidate properties, Terry says more than 20 blighted homes have been demolished this year, and an additional 50 are in progress. “The results are not just visible, they are transformative,” Terry says. “The progress we’re seeing now is just the beginning — momentum builds, block by block.”
Combined, both programs are reenergizing neighborhoods. “These initiatives are about more than cleaning up. They’re about restoring pride, rebuilding trust, and sending a clear message: Every neighborhood matters,” Terry says. “When we invest in the places people call home, we’re investing in their sense of dignity, safety and possibility.”
