Building Livability in New Gloucester (BLING) is a group of volunteers focused on making our town a more livable place for all. We have developed a Livable Community Survey to assess community needs.
We need your input to help understand what people see as the strengths of the town and opportunities for improvement. Please complete the Livable Community Survey online here or complete a paper copy at the Library. We’d like to hear from you by August 31.
The results of the survey will be shared with the community and with town officials. This data will help to identify and prioritize areas where the community may want to take action.
The New Gloucester Comprehensive Plan includes as Goal #32:
— to promote an age-friendly and livable community that is a healthy, active, and safe place to live, work, play and age.
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), “communities should provide safe, walkable streets, age-friendly housing and transportation options, access to needed services; and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to lead active, healthy and engaged lives.”
Research shows that people want to raise their families and age in their communities but many towns do not have the policies, infrastructure or services that people (young and old) need to live in their towns safely and comfortably. The World Health Organization has identified eight aspects of community life that are essential for the health and well-being of older residents.
The Livable Community Survey includes questions that cover all of these areas. The first five areas – Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Housing, Transportation, Community Support and Health Services, and Communication and Information – cover aspects of daily living that maximize a person’s health and well-being and the ability of people to walk, bike or roll from one place to another safely. The next three domains – Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion and Civic Participation and Employment — encourage people to connect with others in their community.
Our town has a mixture of volunteer and town-appointed committees that have activities and responsibilities that are reflected in the eight domains above.
Volunteer groups include the Friends of the Library, the Historical Society, Friends of the Shakers, the Little League, the Scouts, the GNG Economic Development Corp, the newly formed “Wednesday walking group” and the newly formed BLING group, the AMVETS and others. Town committees also have mission statements and goals that align with the domains listed above, including the Economic Development Committee, the Land Management Planning Committee, the Parks and Recreation Committee, the Public Safety Committee and the Environmental Resources Committee.
The survey will provide information that will provide a baseline assessment of New Gloucester as a livable community. We hope this data will be helpful to the various volunteer groups and the town committees and Municipal Officers.
Please take the time to complete the survey. By doing so, you will be providing important input into an assessment of the town’s needs and opportunities for improvement.
— Julie Fralich, for BLING: Building Livability in New Gloucester
