All About

Youth & Neighborhood Engagement in Rainier Beach

Our focus:

”Neighborhood pearls” are what crime prevention researchers and practitioners refer to as “hotspots”. Residents in Rainier Beach preferred the asset-based term of pearls rather than use the term hotspots. The pearls being activated in Rainier Beach are: the RB Light-Rail station area,  Rainier & Henderson, Rose Street and Rainier, Lake WA Apartments (Mapes Creek Walkway at 52nd Ave South and Henderson), Rainier and Seward Park Avenue and Hutchinson Park. These locations are known to have high incidences that contribute to youth crime and therefore are primarily where we choose to activate.

‘Activations’ are how we choose to impact these spaces. By having pop-up neighborhood events that promote community safety we take up the space and change the environment to be more positive. Activations are a space where resources, information and nutrition can be distributed to the neighborhood. It could be either a flier for an upcoming town hall, job-fair, community event or even the back2school Bash. This form of engagement is essential for keeping the community informed on local events.

The primary goal is to develop a following of neighborhood volunteers (residents, businesses, youth, families, and organizations) to provide stewardship of the pearls and engagement at the geographic focus area, a space they live, work and/or play in.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a crime prevention methodology where physical improvement in public spaces occurs including storefront improvements of small businesses designed to increase safety and improve marketability.

“When your space looks good , you feel good and as a result you want to do good”

The four levels of CPTED

Level 1- Litter pickup of the areas, a great activity for volunteers

Level 2- Find it, Fix it reporting of issues like illegal dumping, graffiti, damaged signs etc.(A City of Seattle Service request app).

Level 3- Cleanup of debris, blackberries and leaves across sidewalks, trimming bushes in public right of ways

Level 4- Planting flowers, installing signs, creating community volunteer projects, installing benches or other high level activities.

Rainier Beach residents are also surveyed on how safe they feel in the community, how they would like to see the community change and how they themselves can get involved.

We create safe, positive spaces for youth by:

• Promoting safety, respect, and responsibility
• Providing fun activities such as games, frisbees, stickers and coloring books.
• Youth showing these practices and leading by example.

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