What's New at "A Good Community"

Here are the most recent important changes to our website, including new articles, visitor questions, and editors' answers. You'll also find links to significantly revised pages and time-sensitive or short items we want to bring to your attention. Sometimes we also add short items of interest, especially time-sensitive notes about conferences, webinars, or seasons.

Adaptive Reuse May Yield Spectacular Results

adaptive reuse 2

Adaptive reuse, or converting old buildings to a new use, is an attractive means of adding distinctive and marketable housing or business to a community.

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Septic tanks

I live in Phelan, California and I have neighbors who moved in across the street and have a mobile home. They've lived there for two years and have no

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What is a biophilic city?

Visitor Question: I'm rather new on our city's planning commission. Other members have mentioned biophilic city a couple of times, and I don't know what

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Holiday decorations stay up too long

Visitor Question: We have a problem in our smaller city with people leaving their holiday decorations up for way too long. For example, as I am writing

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What can we do about a problem gas station

Visitor Question: Our neighborhood is experiencing a crisis because we are so very tired of a service station half a block from my house where every kind

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Why is a fire damaged house taking so long to demolish

Visitor Question: A house down the street caught on fire, and because nobody was around at the time, it was burned really badly. Clearly it cannot be repaired

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Can emphasizing historic events lead to town revitalization?

Visitor Question: Our community is a little bit divided over how much we want to call attention to certain historic events that occurred at different places

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Learn to Manage the Challenges, Topics, and Concepts of Community Work

two women at community meeting

When you understand the community challenges, common topics, and concepts that will make volunteering more rewarding

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What to do about feral cats

Visitor Question: My very small town, population around 300, is being overrun with cats that are not taken care of. Some call them feral cats. I don't

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How a neighborhood association can build a coalition

Visitor Question: Our neighborhood association does not seem to be getting very far with city hall. We want them to pay more attention to our issues. Some

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Renter involvement in the neighborhood

Visitor Question: We seem to have a great deal of difficulty in involving any renters in our neighborhood association and meetings. They are always welcome,

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How Can We Prevent Catastrophic Flooding?

Visitor Question: I'm finding what happened in Asheville, North Carolina in Hurricane Helene to be truly horrifying. As a minor official in my home community,

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Parking for a small business district

Visitor Question: We have a nice business district of maybe five good blocks of small, mom and pop, mostly locally owned businesses and restaurants. We

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21 Government Housing Assistance Programs for You or the Community

government housing assistance 2

Learn how each major government housing assistance program can help you find solutions for your community.

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Tips on How to Organize a Neighborhood Parade

horn players in a marching band in uniform

Understanding how to organize a neighborhood parade will save you lots of aggravation. We share our experience about what you need to consider.

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