I believe a contribution to the community is desperately needed in Ward 1. According to the document “A Structural Look at Ralston” it is said that Ward 1’s Vitality is rated 2 “Not much happens” and neighborliness is rated 1 “isolated and unavailable”. While I understand that the community of people who live in that ward are mostly rich and wealthy and probably would rather not be spending time with anyone else hence the reason nothing happens, but even just a little something other than a golf course, which takes up majority of the ward itself, to get people to interact with each other in the ward or even to invite people from other wards into the area would be nice. Something like a park with a playground and fountain maybe as a place where people can come and have fun. As I said it doesn’t have to be used just by the people in the ward. A discussion between the people living in the ward will definitely be needed seeing as this is the place they live and if it is unwanted then alternatives can be created. This would be an example of a built environment as well as contact zones. There is a lack of contact zones in ward 1, the golf course, country club, and the living arrangements being the only places that are built environments and/or contact zones. The creation of a park would definitely be a contact zone seeing as Ward 1 is where the wealthy live, and if people from other wards come to visit this park people of different backgrounds and social classes would have to interact.
Month: April 2021
Ward 2 or Ward 4 Public Library
One thing that I noticed was missing from Ralston was a public library. This would be best built in either wards 2 or 4. Although, I think the library would be a good addition to any ward in the town but is probably most fitting for 2 or 4. They seem to be the least suburban and both seem to be significant areas of contact within the community, meaning having a library in one of those wards might be more beneficial to the library’s use. I actually think this is less useful for particular wards but is more useful for the overall community. A library provides an easy access, quiet community center that would be open to everyone in town. While a lot of similar community spaces may already exist, some of them, such as the country club, are likely completely locked to nonmembers. A library would be much more inclusive than something like that. It creates another area of contact and another use for social capital, which would always be a welcome addition to any city.
Ward 1 Dog Park
For my second contribution I would recommend building a public dog park. More specifically I would recommend building it in Ralston’s first ward. This would help with multiple issues that community members have with this area, as stated in the survey of Ralston residents, as well as bring together people who may not have interacted before by means of a shared interest: dogs. By building it here it would allow for easy access to the older residents that live in the higher end homes while still being reachable by most people throughout Ralston.It would bring people to this area as there would now be something to do and a reason to visit.Finally, the first ward of Ralston has issues with economic disparity, in that the majority of people who spend time here are the wealthier residents who have homes in this area. But this dog park would help reduce that disparity by providing a free place to enjoy that anyone, no matter their income or current wealth, can visit. This would create a fantastic contact zone between the richer and poorer residents of Ralston as they are able to come together in a shared space and bond over their mutual love of their pet dogs.
Ward 2 Community Movie Theater
When trying to think about more addition Ralston could use to the quality of life of its residents, I looked to what my own town has that I personally enjoy that Ralston does not. One of these things that I noticed that Ralston was lacking is a community run movie theater. This would act as a contact zone for the residents of Ralston and would probably sit in Ward 2 among the other attractions that the community has to offer. It makes sense to make a Movie theater of all things in Ralston because it’s a place people can go on days where maybe the weather is not looking so nice where they can run into people they may know that have a common interest in the same type of movie. This would create another way to help foster relationships within the community, which is one of the things Ralston is all about.
Ward 3 Library and Community Center
Public amenities, such as buildings, parks, or other infrastructural improvements: Include an image (you can find an image and pretend that it is an image of the community amenity, or you can design one) along with a brief explanation of how this amenity will improve the quality of life in Ralston.Include in your description an explanation for why this makes sense for Ralston—that is, how it aligns with Ralston’s community ways as you understand them or challenges them in a way that you think should be challenged.
A public library is a good amenity that helps the citizens of Ralston have another way of building up the community. In my community people seem to value helping children to learn to love reading and learning new things. In order to fully optimize the recreation a good location will be for the public library to be placed into Ward 3. I find that Ward 3 is between both wards, namely Ward and Ward 4, that already have schools located with them. The library can act as a subtle community center because the it can as way for group to quietly study topics, take up the role of being child daycare, and just entertainment.
Hiking Park
I feel like maybe something like a small hiking park would be nice, or some type of educational park. Hiking is pretty prominent here so it makes sense that a large portion of people probably want to learn how to safely climb, or what plants are edible and what plants are deadly. There could be some edible flora grown throughout the park and smaller safer trails for smaller kids to be able to go on. The park itself wouldn’t be too big and have more of a jungle gym feel. When connecting to the wards it’d be something for everyone to enjoy. Vermont is filled with nature and the more people know the better. It could provide small rock formations to climb on and they could try and have little signs near every area that has edible plants so that way people know what to do when they see them.
Ward 1 — “Ralston First Ward Development Act”
My second contribution to the community of Ralston comes in the form of city development. As the first ward is mainly for people who make less income or make way too much income, it leaves a disparity within wealth and living conditions. My solution comes in form of an Act, being the “Ralston First Ward Development Act” to hire and plot the construction of areas of the other wards to contribute to the growth of the first ward. The goal would be to build more commercial and residential areas to allow more jobs of higher quality, as well as an attraction to the area, to let people who currently have perhaps lesser paying jobs access to more higher-paying ones, be it in the way of actually participating in the construction effort or perhaps getting lucky with the businesses that move into the newly constructed area.
The Goal of the act is to bring attention to the first ward which has been seen as somewhat neglected compared to the other three, with new business, new housing, there will be an attraction for more down the line investments in the ward. This act would come in tandem with the road development ordinance, as combined together it would help bring the 1st ward into the fold with the rest of Ralston
Ward 1 Waterfront Arcade
The addition of a waterfront activity such as a Boardwalk Arcade would greatly benefit Ralston’s first electoral Ward. Not only will this liven up the area given its low Ward Vitality score by providing the citizens with a bright and exciting waterside area, but it will help to link the wealthy and low-income areas of the Ward. An arcade – and potentially even expansion to include ice cream shops or food stalls – along the waterfront on the south end of Ward 1 would provide entertainment and energy to the normally uptight area, and would give the Canal Gardens affordable housing development a link that ties them to the wealthier section of the Ward, increasing the vitality score while also increasing the connection between neighbors. In an area where the economic divide is so vast and neighbors feel disconnected, it is important to provide a space where the inhabitants of this area – especially the younger generation which Ralston relies on – can come together and simply enjoy themselves. This arcade will also act as a contact zone of sorts in which the wealthy and lower income residents of Ward 1 will be able to interact on equal footing.Ward, increasing the vitality score while also increasing the connection between neighbors. In an area where the economic divide is so vast and neighbors feel disconnected, it is important to provide a space where the inhabitants of this area – especially the younger generation which Ralston relies on – can come together and simply enjoy themselves. This arcade will also act as a contact zone of sorts in which the wealthy and lower income residents of Ward 1 will be able to interact on equal footing.
Ward 1 Taxation
In general, my suggestion is regarding the financial disparity between the poorest and wealthiest members in Ward 1. Taxing the richest members in that ward (or otherwise finding a semi-stable source of income) and diverting the funding towards the local public schools could be a start. In general, I feel that some of the best thing you could do is offer resources to families with children; since for poorer families, raising children can be a rather arduous task, financially and emotionally, and may result in the child being deprived of certain resources such as reliable education (not due to neglect, but because their families are incredibly busy, or can’t afford it).
Proportional Term Limits
My contribution to Ralston would be to have the elected officials have the maximum length of their terms dependent on the percentage that they were elected by. So for example, if the mayor was elected with a percentage of 80% of the votes. This would translate to an unlimited number of terms. Although, this can be overridden depending on their votes for the next term. As another example, if the current mayor who is currently on an unlimited term setup, only beats the other candidate by a couple percent (within 1-5%) Then his maximum terms are permanently shortened UNLESS the candidate that came close to getting more votes than current doesn’t run again. This would make sure that there is a fair rotation of electoral candidates and also promote good behavior and follow through with good promises to keep their votes significantly above opponents if they want to keep power.
The people of Ralston will have power.
Ralston, Vermont's "Green Island" City 