March 1996                                                                                  Lansing, MI

The Maplewood News!


Greetings and THANKS to all of you on Maplewood who participated in our survey a few months ago. We chose your Maplewood block, specifically houses on located between Norman and Isbell Streets, for the purpose of seeing how strong a "sense of community" exists on your block. As a way of saying "thank you" for your active participation in our study, we have designed this newsletter to share with you what we learned about your block. Here’s what 13 of you said about Maplewood...

Connection

The most STRIKING thing about your block is the high level of connection you seem to have with each other. Almost all of you stated that people on this block know each other ( 85%), like each other (70%), and feel connected to each other (54%). An overwhelming 77% of you reported that people on this block socialize with each other. These are GREAT characteristics for neighbors to have! In fact, about two-thirds of you (77%) like living here and 70% said that your feeling of sense of community is "just about right."



Safety

We were generally left with the impression that Maplewood is a quiet street with little or no crime. You reported that there is about the same amount (77%) or less (23%) criminal activity on your block as on other blocks in Lansing. A few of you were concerned with drug activity in the surrounding blocks, and occasional noise in the neighborhood.

Your neighborhood seems to have strong participation in community activities. Ninety three percent (93%) of you participate in the neighborhood watch. Another plus is that 40% of you mentioned that there is an adult at home during the day. Those of you who stay at home have the important role of watching out for the block! The presence of a community police officer to assist in keeping criminal activities from happening on the block is also a factor that you reported makes Maplewood a safer place to live.



Working Together

An overwhelming 85% of you reported your interest in working with your neighbors to improve conditions on Maplewood. And, 23% of you expressed interest in assuming a leadership role on the block! This level of interest in working together indicates a strength for your block and for the neighborhood. This is demonstrated by the active neighborhood organization, the Fabulous Acres, that you have. It would not be as hard for your block to start a community project with so many residents willing and interested in working together.



Concerns

Though the majority of you feel good about living on Maplewood, you also mentioned some of the things that you are concerned about. Here are the ones commonly mentioned:


Overall

We were left with the impression that Maplewood is a GREAT block where people like each other and are committed to the block’s future (70%). There are some concerns, but there are also good things that make Maplewood a fun and livable block for everyone!!



Thank you again for participating in this survey. If you would like additional information, please do not hesitate to call John Schweitzer at 353-9144, Urban Affairs Programs at Michigan State University.