Aberdeen Learns to Build a Better Block
The community of Aberdeen was chosen for a Better Block project in May 2018. The project was made possible by the national Better Block organization and the Knight Foundation. The purpose of Better Block is to educate, equip and empower communities to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods.
According to Lisa Anderson with the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, many residents have been working hard to bring pride, unification and beautification to the forefront in Aberdeen.
“It’s important to get the right people to the table,” she said. “We knew we had to look for people with vision and connections, people with drive and confidence. And, we knew we had those people here in Aberdeen.”
The project began with a community kickoff in November 2017. The project team built a “Morris Column” at a Main Street intersection. This column-shaped structure served as a sounding board for community residents to share their ideas for the Better Clock project.
Then, during a weekend in May 2018, community members came together to build benches, parklets and a small bandshell. They also cleaned the block where the event took place. All of the project components, including the greenery added to the space, were temporary features.
The celebration included live music in the bandshell, food trucks and pop-up businesses along the block. When some rain began to fall on Saturday, they simply moved the music from the bandshell to a local coffee house.
“At first, it was difficult to explain to people what the Better Block is all about,” said Anderson. “If I could get them to watch a TED Talk about Better Block, then that usually turned on the light bulb. At the event, though, seeing the looks on peoples’ faces when they finally ‘got it’ was priceless.”
Anderson said the ideas generated by people writing on the Morris column or shared in casual conversations were enlightening.
“People have hopes and dreams for something better,” she said, “and I like that they want to share those hopes and dreams with others in an effort to make them a reality and make our city a better place.”