Dear Neighbors,
The days are growing warmer and longer, and I’m excited to welcome this year’s cleaning and greening season. As you begin to Redd-Up your neighborhood, Green-Up empty lots and Love Your Blocks, I want you to know that your hard work and dedication not only improves the beauty of your neighborhood, but also helps keep your family and neighbors safe.
By transforming vacant lots into green spaces, community gardens and other creative community assets, your work helps reduce crime and improve residents’ neighborhood pride. Blighted properties attract illegal and dangerous activity, and it’s important that we work together to keep such activity out of our neighborhoods.
More blighted properties will be demolished this spring, creating opportunities for attractive, useful green spaces. As community members, I encourage you to take charge of these areas through City programs like Green Up, Love Your Block, the Sideyard Sale Program and the Garden Waiver Program. Businesses are reminded to take advantage of the Storefront Renovation Program and the Taking Care of Business program. By aggressively addressing blighted properties through community-driven development, you each take an active role in beautifying your neighborhood and improving its public safety.
Fighting blight is one way to keep our neighborhoods safe. As Mayor, I continue to take great measures across our City to improve public safety, including cracking down on nuisance properties, providing public safety officials with advanced training, and dedicating over $3 million to demolition this year. As always, the safety of Pittsburgh’s residents and businesses remains a high priority.
Residents are reminded to report suspicious activity, review crime alerts or join a block watch by visiting my Community Safety Website at communitysafety.pittsburghpa.gov.
Keeping our City clean, safe and green is up to each of us. By working together, we can continue to strengthen our neighborhoods and keep Pittsburgh “America’s Most Livable City.”
Sincerely,
Luke Ravenstahl
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh
