"When citizens need assistance for all kinds of things that happen in neighborhoods, we're here for them" says Bernie Matsuno. "Anything that goes on in neighborhoods that they have an issue with or a concern about, they can come to us and we'll at least steer them to the right place if we're not the people that can make it better."

Today, Bernie (pictured above left) is working with Community Day School, Leschi Center Director, Brianna Lewis and Executive Director Caryn Swan Jamero (center and right, respectively.)

The school borders an unkempt area forested by madrona trees held in check by a wall that is consistently vandalized by graffiti.

"This area needs just to be kept clean," Brianna Lewis says. " It needs grass to grow and to look inviting to neighbours. We want it to feel like a place you come have a family picnic on a Saturday."

There are no benches or tables on the grounds. The playground has fallen into disrepair; it needs bright colours and maybe the new safety flooring that they put on most playgrounds.

Bernie begins to talk about the value of networking, of involving the community to address community projects. That is one of the requirements for receiving matching funds from the Department of Neighborhoods.

"You could get some people who are really into the play equipment, have them visit some other playgrounds and school sites to take a look at what the options are. Then everybody comes back together and throws their ideas on the board and from that you can figure out what the playground would actually look like. The group can incorporate as many ideas as possible," she says.

Given help and hope and encouragement, the school yard project suddenly seems possible.

"I think kids could be involved because that's one of the things we really do want to encourage," Caryn Swan says. "It's not just the adults, but kids have good ideas about what they'd like to see in their play area so involve the kids as much as possible."

"You know what could work for the wall here is art," one of the women suggests. "I've seen some playgrounds where they actually have kids and community members come out on a Saturday or a Sunday to create tiles for a wall. Everyone would get a tile to put up and everybody would paint their tile, and then this whole wall becomes an art wall so that the playground becomes more interesting.

"There are young people here who are graffiti artists and if we could have them lead the effort, they're less likely to ruin art that they've created," Caryn says.

"Including those young people would really demonstrate the diversity of the neighbourhood," Brianne adds. "So often they're kind of seen as outcasts and people don't want to be involved with kids who do graffiti, but now here's a way to bring them into the project. I think that would be excellent."

Bernie brainstorms with the women, sketching out the project, listing groups and individuals to include, helping them set up a progression of events and goals, aiding their financial planning and considerations.

"The Neighborhood Matching Fund Program is the vehicle that helps neighborhoods and government come together to do something that works," Matsuno says. "And I think the best part about it is that citizens get to choose what they work on. When they have an idea about something they'd like to do, we'll help them figure out how to get it done.

"We'll help them figure out what kinds of resources they need and who they need to talk to in city government. Then they improve the park, clean up the stream bed, do a pea patch garden, do almost anything that they want in their neighborhood - with a little bit of help from us in the form of guidance and money."

Matsuno believes in the core concept of people taking ownership and responsibility for what happens in their neighborhoods. She says its important for people to understand it's their neighborhood and their project; they own it and they have some control over what happens to it. When residents accept an owner's responsibility, they become committed to keeping their neighborhoods healthy so their projects will endure over time.

"That doesn't happen unless people first feel like it's something they believe in and they want to do," Matsuno says. "I think that's what sustainability is all about. People need to decide that this is something they want to make better for the future. Then they need to realize unless they play a role in that, they won't be committed to ensuring that it stays healthy for years to come.

"It can't always be about what government does or what the city does," Matsuno says. "It has to be about what people in neighborhoods do over the long haul. Otherwise, we end up in a situation where things die and they no longer are useful to anyone who lives there. They become abandoned. Here in Seattle we enjoy the environment, we care about things in our cities, and the thought of letting something die or be abandoned because we don't care about it, seems so contradictory to what we're about.

"The people in neighborhoods lead the way, discovering those abandoned places and recapturing them. The Neighborhood Matching Fund Program focuses on figuring out how to care for them once again so that they can continue to be a resource to the community."

THE FOUR CITIES OF EDENS LOST & FOUND:
Chicago
Los Angeles
Philadelphia
Seattle