GroBlox
Top-down policies simply haven't shown to be effective in re-shaping education within the thousands of disparate and unique communities that make up our education system. Prompted by this article, this one minor approach to reform made us say, “Oh, that’s something people can do. Wait. That’s something we can do.”
The simple act of greenifying vacant and abandoned lots has shown a significant reduction in fear, crime and violence within communities.
In response, UnboxEd is announcing our contribution to this small but effective measure for community improvement: GroBlox. (It’s a play on Roblox, a popular Microsoft gaming platform. Our non-gaming spouses didn’t get it either. Ask your kids.)
We imagine safe outdoor spaces, community gardens, meeting spaces for families, collaboration between parents and educators, and a sense of ownership the community can feel over the space and its maintenance once the project is complete.
We will be learning more about how to identify these types of lots within our community, what sort of admin and permitting is needed to achieve their revitalization, fundraising, working with partners within the space, recruiting volunteers, and working the initiative into our classes.
The simple act of greenifying vacant and abandoned lots has shown a significant reduction in fear, crime and violence within communities.
- Participants living near revitalized vacant lots reported significantly reduced perceptions of crime (-37%) and safety concerns when going outside their homes (−58%)
- Significantly increased use of outside spaces for relaxing and socializing (+76%)
- Significant reductions in all crime (−13%), gun violence (−29%), burglary (−22%), and nuisances (−30%)
- “Blighted and vacant urban land affects people’s perceptions of safety, and their actual, physical safety. Restoration of this land can be an effective and scalable infrastructure intervention for gun violence, crime, and fear in urban neighborhoods.”
In response, UnboxEd is announcing our contribution to this small but effective measure for community improvement: GroBlox. (It’s a play on Roblox, a popular Microsoft gaming platform. Our non-gaming spouses didn’t get it either. Ask your kids.)
We imagine safe outdoor spaces, community gardens, meeting spaces for families, collaboration between parents and educators, and a sense of ownership the community can feel over the space and its maintenance once the project is complete.
We will be learning more about how to identify these types of lots within our community, what sort of admin and permitting is needed to achieve their revitalization, fundraising, working with partners within the space, recruiting volunteers, and working the initiative into our classes.
