Category: Public Spaces and Amenities

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.

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.

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. 

This contribution is very different then my first but looking at the Map of Ralston it made m think putting a campsite in the west woods of Ward 2 would be really cool. Like one of those artificial campsites where everyone just stays for a month or two in an RV. I think it’s a nice getaway for Ralston residents or people from outside of Ralston could vacation too.

I believe that a nice gazebo structure akin to this could be built in the parks spread throughout town (and if the different wards of the town don’t all have parks, they likely should). This could add a lot to the town’s built environment, allowing the local community to further prosper through friendly outdoor socialization with one another in the summer season in particular. If it’s used enough by a wide portion of the community, it could even become a heart and soul aspect of it, similar to some other establishments that communities like mine have.

If I could contribute to the community life in Ralston, I would make a skatepark located in Ward 1. From the survey data on “A Structural Look at Ralston,” ward 1’s currently home to two opposite socio-economic classes. The wards vitality score is ranked at 2 which means as one resident said, “Not much happens.” A skatepark according to the glossary provided would be a Contact Zone. This is because a skatepark would be able to be accessed from anyone in Ralston but also could increase Ward 1’s vitality score. I think the skatepark could be accessible to anyone that wants to visit, all they really need are something that includes wheels within reason (skateboards, scooters, rollerblades). These are all relatively inexpensive items and can be purchased once creating opportunities for the person that bought it, having a skatepark enables people who own these things the ability to interact with one another. Using formal mechanisms, the skatepark will be able to function and abide by laws. Ultimately, I think a skateboard will raise the vitality score dramatically for the ward and provide new opportunities for Ralston.

Change—Built Environment:I think that Ralston should create an incentive for people not to commit property crimes, this way a safer and closer community is created. This incentive could be created through a harsher set of laws, and repercussions. Overall people should not feel the need to be scared of living here.

Public Amenities: I think there should be more parks or gathering areas, there may be many people that have a desire to create something more within Ralston but need a bit of encouragement. A brand new area could be the thing that would drive people to create engagement within the community. People could also encourage engagement through good causes, such as fixing homelessness, climate change, etcetera.

If I could make a contribution to the community of Ralston, I would like to add some sort of contact zone in Ward 1. In “A Structural Look at Ralston”, Ward 1 ranks the lowest for both Ward Vitality and Ward Neighborliness. This is likely because of the stark divide between the upper and lower classes in this ward – they are literally separated by a road, with the only sort of social place in the entire ward being the golf course and country club – something that’s only accessible to the wealthier households. I think the easiest way to do this would be by utilizing these existing places. The country club and golf course could put aside certain days of the week or month to be “community days”, where they’re open for everyone in Ralston, not just existing members. Not only would this allow other groups of people to enjoy the amenities offered at these places, but it would give an opportunity for community members from all over Ralston (not just Ward 1) to get together and socialize.Another option that would require more money and resources would be to build a park or a bike path, like the Ralston P3 or Burlington Greenway, in Ward 1. A bike path would probably be more effective, as it would appeal to both the upper and lower classes in the ward – since the upper class already has access to the country club and golf course they likely wouldn’t utilize a park as much and it wouldn’t act as a very good contact zone. On the other hand, a bike path would encourage residents to get out and explore the rest of their ward more. Since it’s something that would be appealing and accessible to both economic classes in Ward 1, it would be an effective contact zone.

My idea for the community of Ralston would be to have a community garden where all the produce for the community was grown. I think this would benefit the community in many ways. First, having a community garden where people can come visit, volunteer, and buy food would create an active contact zone where anyone from the community can interact. It would also be beneficial for the community to be sustainable and only rely on their own land. A large community garden would supply the whole community with fruits and vegetables in the warm months. Lastly, the community garden would keep the community healthy, and the people busy. If the garden was a community project then citizens would come volunteer in the garden, which would give people a sense of community and well-being, and keep the plants alive. Additionally, fresh fruits and vegetables are part of a balanced diet, which keeps the community healthy and happy.