Urban environments tend to get a bad rap whenever they are mentioned or spoken of in the news and even the word “urban” tends to carry with it some kind of mysterious and foreboding quality. Crime and pollution seem to go hand in hand with the general perception of the urban environment. It’s even gotten to a point where you might tell someone you’re looking into moving to the city and their immediate response is some kind of vaguely insulting quip like “Oh, man, be sure and get an ADT Home Security System on that apartment.”

The fact of the matter is that while urban environments have gotten a bad reputation it may not be entirely undeserved, there is a kernel of truth to many of the stereotypes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be this way. If you live in an urban environment and you’re looking to clean up the streets both literally and metaphorically than what you need to do is organize. Join a community clean-up program or look into ways you can organize one of your own. And try to raise awareness in your community regarding the state of the pollution. If everyone does their part, then your urban community could be well on its way to taking back the streets.