Read more about local beautification efforts in the June/July 2025 feature story.
“Good littering” is a term borne from a movement toward community beautification by “littering” a city with more green spaces — such as planting trees and installing garden boxes — along with public art installations like murals and sculptures.
While Evansville and its surrounding areas have been embracing that ideology for some time, the term takes on an added meaning for Mayor Stephanie Terry. “To me, ‘good littering’ means leaving behind little acts of kindness that brighten someone’s day or make our city a little stronger,” Terry says. “It’s about planting seeds of positivity, literally and figuratively.”
Terry says that could mean leaving an encouraging note on a neighbor’s porch, stocking a Little Free Library, picking up trash, or dropping off diapers at a community pantry. “These small gestures may seem simple, but they create real connection,” she says. “They remind people they’re seen, they’re valued, and they’re not alone.”
It benefits Evansville because it builds a culture of care, Terry says. This concept is part of her broader initiative of neighborhood revitalization. “It reinforces who we are: A city that looks out for one another,” she says. “Let’s keep our parks and streets clean as well as litter our city with love, kindness, and a sense of community. That’s the kind of legacy I want us to leave behind.”
