Clean & Safe Program
Spruce the Couve
To meet the growing needs of our downtown community, we established a clean & safe program, Spruce the Couve.
This program has five pillars that keep downtown vibrant & welcoming for all:Â
- Clean & Safe Ambassador to provide on-the-ground services
- Lighting Projects to enhance perception of safety
- Graffiti Removal to maintain positive optics of our district
- Street Amenities to address quality of life concerns
- Community Resources to foster collective ownership of district
We are thrilled to announce our program’s premiere corporate partner, Waste Connections. Read more here.
Below, you will find a portfolio of our work-to-date, and samples of our program scope.
Clean & Safe Ambassador
The VDA Clean & Safe Ambassador is a staffing position that provides immediate on-the-ground services: litter pickup, graffiti removal, code compliance reporting, landscaping, and asset management.
In addition, this role works diligently to establish positive relationships with stakeholders, provide resources to visitors, all while fostering a culture of collective ownership of our urban environment.
Annually, the Ambassador Program removes 25,000 pounds of litter, 5,000 tags (graffiti & stickers), and 2,500 biohazard items.
Lighting Projects
VDA lighting projects enhance the perception of safety at night in strategic pedestrian corridors that connect directly to residential areas and points of interest. These investments are long-term and foster a high quality of life for residents & visitors.
The videos provided below display a variety of outcomes under this program.
Graffiti Removal
Staying on-top of graffiti is critical in maintain positive optics of our district. We provide immediate response to graffiti in the public-right-of-way in addition to filing code compliance on privately owned buildings.
These efforts foster an attractive district for visitation, investment, and residents.
Street Amenities
Investing in street assets, like litter receptacles, are essential in addressing on-going quality of life concerns. Recently, we replaced all of the litter receptacles in downtown (15+ city blocks)! Our new standard is secured, tamper proof, and graffiti proof.
Community Resources
VDA provides specialized resources for residents, property owners, and businesses, to assist our scope of work & to foster a culture of collective ownership of our downtown community.
These resources include litter kits, graffiti removal kits, and opportunities to volunteer. Interested? Take our survey below and we will connect with you on next steps.