The Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization is holding a series of town hall meetings throughout the month focused on a variety of topics. One aim of these meetings is to gather data for The Opportunity Project for Cities – a recently formed partnership with the Knight Foundation and Google.org. The aim of the project is to hear from people in the community about how blighted properties have impacted their livelihood and gather data to better figure out how to solve the problem. You can learn more about the initiative here. (https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/insights/the-opportunity-project-for-cities-2022-cohort )The Blight Walk & Talk is at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at L.H. Williams Elementary (325 Pursley Street).
The kick-off meeting was on Tuesday, July 19, and centered around discussing basic needs from the community. Throughout the month, each meeting will have a different topic to focus on, such as the youth, public safety, blight, recreation, and more.
“We want to have an engaging conversation regarding each topic and flesh out viable information about each person in attendance,” said Macon-Bibb Community Enhancement Authority (MBCCEA) Executive Director Tedra Huston. “It’s important for our neighbors to show up and tell us what they want done in their community.”
Representatives from the MBCCEA and Middle Georgia Regional Commission will be in attendance. These forums will help in completing the Pleasant Hill Strategic Plan. The feedback given at the forums will ensure plans and programming made are in line with the needs and wants of Pleasant Hill residents. The strategic plan is expected to be completed by October 2022.
Basic Needs
Tuesday, July 19, 2022, 6:00 p.m. | Booker T. Washington Community Center
Youth PHB
Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 2:00 p.m. | Booker T. Washington Community Center
Public Safety
Thursday, July 21, 2022, 6:00 p.m. | Booker T. Washington Community Center
Walk and Talk (Blight)
Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 6:00 p.m. | L.H. Williams
Recreation
Thursday, July 28, 2022, 6:00 p.m. | L.H. Williams
Back to School Bash
Saturday, July 30, 2022, 6:00 p.m. | Booker T. Washington Community Center
Festival in the Hills – Walk and Talk
Saturday, August 6, 2022, 3:00 p.m. | Linear Park
About The Opportunity Project for Cities
The Opportunity Project for Cities is a three-year program wherein local governments, community leaders, and Google technologists (including Product Managers, Software Engineers, UX Researchers, UX Designers and more) work with residents to prototype digital tools that use open data to address local challenges.
In the long term, The Opportunity Project for Cities encourages a culture shift to a more transparent and responsive government that is better equipped to positively impact the community. The Opportunity Project for Cities builds a culture of government transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness that strengthens trust with residents and lays the foundation for lasting community-driven innovation.
The program was inspired by the U.S. Census Bureau’s The Opportunity Project and adapted for local contexts by the Centre for Public Impact and the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University. The Opportunity Project for Cities is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and pro bono technical support from Google.org.