New Yorker cleaned same block for 100 days; then neighbours joined in
A 24-year-old New Yorker's personal initiative to clean up his neighborhood has evolved into a community-led project called Trash Talk NYC. The effort has expanded from simple litter removal to include urban gardening and the beautification of public spaces.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the impact of grassroots community engagement on urban environmental quality and neighborhood cohesion.
What began with a $40 cleaning kit and one littered New York City block eventually turned into a neighbourhood effort to clean, garden and reclaim public space. David Clarke, a 24-year-old New Yorker behind the grassroots project Trash Talk NYC, spent 100 days cleaning the area around West 171st Street between Broadway and Fort Washington Avenue in Washington Heights, according to Hoodline and Clarke’s own account of the project. Clarke initially set out with little more than trash bags, a grabber and his phone. He documented the cleanups on social media, turning a personal attempt to tackle litter near his home into part of a larger campaign focused on neglected streets across New York City.It started with one blockClarke has described feeling frustrated by the condition of his neighbourhood and unsure what one person could realistically do about it.
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