Ask Us Questions About Neighborhood Quality of Life

Last Updated: June 20, 2024

Is there one thing about neighborhood quality of life that is really bugging you? Here you can ask a question about possible solutions to anything from noise to abandoned house to ornery teenagers spoiling the scene for adults or adding to a crime problem.

neglected commercial building, an important neighborhood quality of life issue

Because humans are human, usually your overwhelming thought about your neighborhood quality of life is that one particular issue is ruining it. You could surprise us with a positive take on what's happening in your part of the world though, so in the form below, you could tell us your positive stories too.

Especially in times past, little (or big) annoyances in a neighborhood were called a nuisance in municipal law. In many U.S. states the courts have whittled away at nuisance law until there is almost no general power for your municipal government to issue an ordinance violation letter on the basis of something that is just generally obnoxious.

Is a Rundown Building, Vacant Lot, or Problem Park Limiting Your Neighborhood Quality of Life?

The feedback I receive on this site shows that to many of you, community development is about eliminating the annoyance that lack of property maintenance and investment brings.

Sometimes different standards for maintaining property appearance are at play; other owners just may not care very much. But more often, there is an economic or other kind of reason for the behavior that is stressing you.

Our first advice would be to familiarize yourself with the whole concept of code enforcement and then contact your local government to see if the irritant is actually a code violation. If so, give the government a chance to resolve the problem. If they fail you, then you will need other tactics as described below.

Everything from animals to noise to different ideas of appropriate conduct may be causing you to seek advice in an anonymous way about what is happening.

We would encourage you to speak up and become an activist in your community, but if the possibility of being recognized as the person doing the complaining is more than you can bear, please feel free to ask for some general advice here. Remember you can stay anonymous too.

Since the law is less and less on your side in the U.S., in that usually you must have spotted a specific ordinance violation, you will need to take the activist and public pressure routes in order to win. This also means plugging into the power of community organizations or neighborhood associations.

Note that some of you may have severe challenges in your neighborhood. We talk about some of these on our abandoned buildings and abandoned homes pages, as well as the partial solution of vacant building registration.

Below is the form where you can ask your question about anything you perceive as a threat to neighborhood quality of life. If we think discussion of your situation will be valuable to any of our visitors, we will answer your neighborhood quality of life question right on this website. Other visitors then will be able to add comments. All of this is moderated and edited by a live human being too, so we keep it civil. Before you write up your question, you may want to check out what others have asked below the form.

Have A Question About a Neighborhood Quality of Life Issue?

Would you like to ask the other visitors and/or the editors a question about something annoying or alarming that's happening in your neighborhood? Here's your place to ask and then watch for the answers to pop up.

Give Your Question a Headline

Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your submission.

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