Reclaiming Businesses in Staten-Island Paper Example

Beautifying the sidewalks and neighborhoods of Staten-Island will result in amplification of business opportunities for small businesses. Staten Island is anticipating to economically develop in future by revitalizing many neighborhoods through beautification (Hevesi, 2005). Successes of businesses are determined by the infrastructure and security of a given place in such a way that when the two factors are guaranteed, then the businesses will boom. Small businesses are the backbone of the more prominent running businesses; they always impact the direction the other big ones take. Furthermore, the small businesses are known to be the key for the rejuvenation of a country's or state's economy. Additionally, they help in reducing the unemployment level of the particular places they are conducted. Small businesses are the ones with a high number of employees in most parts of the world. When businesses, whether small or large are conducted in a beautifully structured place with enriched security and quick access, they boom faster since more customers are attracted to the place for shopping their goods. Humans are to a more significant extent drawn by the beauty and the outside appearance of the environment. Generally, no one wants to walk in an ugly place nor even associate to it.

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Many people are left in doubt on how to identify if a business is small or big. Three factors can identify small businesses. A business is regarded as small if it is managed by proprietors or a section of the owners in a personalized way and not by a formal organizational configuration. Larger businesses will employ a very complex management structure consisting of the board of directors, managers, supervisors, to the more junior workers. Each of the mentioned persons will have different roles to play in the company, and each is consequently required to adhere to the regulations of the enterprise. Locally owned businesses play an essential role in developing economically secure and resilient communities (Foggin, 2018). Small businesses will not have all these people in their management. Most of the employees in small businesses are involved in carrying out the businesses activities directly. Moreover, a business is considered small if it only shares comparatively a small percentage of the marketplace. Small businesses will also command a very minimal fraction of the total market, generally in their close surrounding. A more general view of small businesses is that they are self-governing in the sense that they are not part of the large businesses. Small businesses will survive entirely on their own with almost zero dependencies on the considerably larger enterprises. Small businesses have three categories including micro-business, small business, and medium businesses.

Making sidewalks and neighborhoods look better is what we meant by beautification. Most citizens want their neighborhoods to look livable and pleasant. Neighborhood beautification if approached with a positive attitude can lead to more interactions among neighbors of different backgrounds, more neighborhood life; it can look and make someone feel attracted to the surrounding hence, attracting new residents. A visually appealing community increases property values, attracts businesses, and improves the neighborhood's image (Thompson, 2018). More so, it can lead to more business opportunities thereby supporting economic development and giving that sense of community. It is not a single event but instead involves strategies that will maintain, enhance, and change the character of the neighborhood over long-term. For the long-term accomplishment of the objectives, each element of the strategy is done at a time. To achieve neighborhood beautification, it can be both on a whole-neighborhood level and on an individual property level. The hurricanes sandy and poorly shaped neighborhood have negatively affected business in many ways.

Firstly, both the small and medium-sized businesses have experienced sales/revenue loss because of the storm. There are a number of factors that led to a loss of sales by the small businesses. A large number of small business owners have closed their business doors. Power loss due to the storm has led to small business lose their revenue. More so, there was a loss of phone and internet connectivity and small business experienced structural and property damage (Mielach, 2013). Loss of internet connectivity by the small business owners because they had problems contacting their customers and to keep their businesses open. Therefore, they need to come up with strategies that will help them to restore their data and make the data backup possible.

Apart from the service interruptions, small businesses also experienced issues with their employees being able to get to work, and business suppliers have been facing challenges of making deliveries to the market. Poor infrastructural and security systems caused by the storms had led to employees not getting to work on time. Due to poor sidewalks, poor road conditions transport system has been hindered hence, the delay in getting to work. The supply of the products from the suppliers have also been caused as a result of the poor transport system. The roads are in adverse conditions that make the suppliers delay in making their deliveries. Also, poor internet connectivity has led to small online business interrupted because they depend entirely on the internet to conduct their business. The negative impact has been felt in the area. Revenues and business opportunities have been lost because investors are afraid that their investment will be at risk due to lack of security and poor infrastructure in the neighborhoods.

Beautification of the sidewalks and neighborhoods depends on the current status and may range from addressing a single building or area to near makeover of the whole neighborhood. There are a number of factors that are considered as we think of what benefit can result from the change. Cleanliness improves the appearance of the neighborhood. No matter how bad unattractive neighborhood looks, it will be a better and a more beautiful place to live. The streets, parks, sidewalks, grassy areas and empty lots should be free from trashes like pet's droppings and plastic papers. The walls should also be free from drawings and dirt. Coordination and variety of buildings is another aspect to be considered. A place is visually boring if all buildings are looking the same. It is can be more chaotic when the buildings have no connections with other buildings. A good neighborhood system should have enough harmony among the buildings. The buildings are arranged accordingly so that they will appear in attractively in the eyes.

The neighborhood will be more attracted if the buildings are in the right conditions (Glinn, 2018). Abandoned buildings are especially disadvantageous in this regard. Abandoned buildings will indicate lack of the value to the investors that reflects on the neighborhoods as well as on the building itself. When the abandoned buildings can either be substituted or re-established thereby, it can enhance the appearance and positive attitude towards the neighborhood. Abandoned buildings that are old or historical can be used as a resource rather than the irritant. When the individual's building conditions are good, it will try to reflect the socio-economic level of the neighborhood's residents. This will also affect the neighborhood's self-image and the way the community will perceive the neighborhood. Physical attractiveness is a positive change in the neighborhood. It will also affect the residents positively by enhancing their self-image.

Hurricane Sandy have significantly affected the buildings, bridges, small business enterprises that have been abandoned, railroad tracks that are out-of-service, yards and decaying ports. With these features in the neighborhood, life is unlikely to be improved. However, if these features can be recycled like the abandoned buildings, the neighborhood can be benefitted in an unexpected manner. The out of service railroad bed and canal walkways that have been abandoned can be alternatively used as bike and hiking paths. The sites that have been polluted by industrial emissions such as brownfields can be retrieved by the government strategies like incentives and tax subsidies. The reclamation is aiming at turning the brownfields into attractive, friendly environment and mixed-used developments.

The bridge over the rivers can be turned into a garden. Planting of flowers can make the place into a beautiful scenery that can be turned into a tourist attraction. The beautiful scenery created by the garden will improve the physical appearance of the neighborhood and attract most people. More so, it can result in more revenue collection by Staten Island. Apart from the tourist attraction, it can also attract potential business investors to come up with more business opportunities hence creating employment the neighborhood residents. It will also support craft people and artists, the establishment of good restaurants, and theater. This will beautify the place and help in bolstering the economic growth of the neighborhood.

Plantings and vegetation in the neighborhood: in the early life of a human, vegetation was a sign of survival, water, berries and nuts to eat, and animals to hunt. Since the hurricanes have destroyed the vegetation, there is a need to establish plantations of the green that will make us feel good. Trees, rivers, flowers, grass, and shrubs can give residents of other neighborhood an impression of welcoming and feeling of love. Planting flowers that cannot adapt in dry areas due to climate change that was caused by the hurricane sandy are inappropriate. However, these areas can be beautified by planting native species that have evolved to adapt and thrive in a dry environment. Since they require little and scarce management, these native species can still satisfy the need for Biophilia.

Parks and other open space in the neighborhoods provide fresh airs, views, room for movements and feeling of spaciousness. Green space is comforting and reluctant in nature and must be maintained. When the spaces are covered with garbage or weeds, it will not be interesting to watch. The community should volunteer in maintaining the parks of the neighborhood. Concerted neighborhood actions have been used to reclaim parks from crimes and danger. They have also been turned to be used as family-friendly places, where the residents of the neighborhoods feel comfortable and secure.

The streetscape, which is a landscape combining buildings and their frontages, paving, plantings, open spaces, traffic patterns and other features that you see as you move through a neighborhood. Some color mixtures, shapes, lights, and shapes can improve the beautifications of the neighborhoods. Some objects such as walls, benches, and planters can make for an exciting streetscape that will entice people to discover.

Signage can either contribute to or undermine from neighborhood beautification. They should be well placed in their locations either in time square or residential area in the neighborhood. Business buildings can be identified and advertised through signs. More so, signs can also regulate vehicles traffic and parking in the form of laws and regulations. In addition, they can guide business people to essential locations and show them where they are. They should be visible, attractive, placed at a strategic place to allow for the impact to be felt.

Conclusion

The beautification of neighborhood and sidewalks can also be enhanced through lightings. Both the appearance and functions of street lights other outdoor lighting features can be points of concern here. The smaller light source such a...