Building Safe Neighborhoods .style2 { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5em; } West Virginia Center for Civic Life SEARCH: The West Virginia. Center for Civic Life is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that helps engage our citizens in community discussions of important public issues that affect our state and nation.

Think. Talk. Act. Home News & Notes About Us Board Staff Our Work Civic Engagement Hub Moderator Preparation Issue Framing Reporting Outcomes Dialogue to Action Issues Prescription Drug Abuse WV's Youngest Children Building Safe Neighborhoods Substance Abuse Childhood Obesity Future of Young Adults Economic Insecurity Resources Join List Donate How can we build safe and strong neighborhoods in West Virginia?

In November 2009, BusinessWeek magazine chose Huntington, West Virginia as the best place in West Virginia to raise kids, citing its large medical centers, historic downtown, museums, parks, and Marshall University. Earlier that year, Create Huntington published a community-wide strategic plan that also noted the many assets the area has to offer. Still, local residents had concerns.

Most Huntington-area residents saw community safety as a major challenge, second only to jobs, according to a survey conducted as part of the strategic planning process. In fact, the two are entwined because community safety is one of the qualities that attract businesses and jobs, as are good schools and a well-kept city. Building career and advancement opportunities. Our forums focused on public spaces, housing, law enforcement, education, and families.

Civic engagement and collaborative democracy can help build safe and strong neighborhoods in West Virginia.

Issue Guide

Building safe and stroing neighborhoods in West Virginia is one of the issues developed by The West Virginia Center for Civic Life for discussion and action in deliberative forums.

West Virginia Center for Civic Life • 2300 MacCorkle Avenue SE • Charleston, WV 25304 info@wvciviclife.org