John Stevens, Intern SJU ’18
Note to our readers: This column is part of a series from a blog recently started by a loosely knit independent group of area business people and residents who love and want to promote the energy and enthusiasm of downtown St. Joseph: The Joe Town Vibe. To find the column online or to read web exclusive blogs posted every Tuesday please visitjoetownvibe.com.
It’s human nature to be pleased by aesthetics whether it be in your own backyard or in a neighborhood park. The way something looks has a greater impact on our emotions than we may think. This is demonstrated by the way you may react to a piece of artwork. Viewing a painting, sculpture or film causes you to have an emotional reaction. Landscaping may have a more subliminal impact on your emotions, but it still impacts the way you feel. Whether it be in your front yard, in front of a business or in the downtown area, landscaping affects your emotions and consequently it influences your actions.
Landscaping is important in your neighborhood and beyond. The front yard of your house is an extremely special area. It’s where your private property meets the public eye. As a result, what goes on in the front lawn becomes important as it casts a perception of you and has an impact on the emotions of others. As a result, the look and feel of your neighbor’s lawn also becomes important to you. Not many people want to live in a neighborhood which has chaotic unmanicured front yards. Whether its subliminal or not, driving to work and seeing someone’s less than desirable front yard impacts your emotions. Seeing a poorly kept yard may not negatively impact your mood but seeing a well-kept lawn with flowers and nice landscaping certainly could improve your day!
Aesthetics are not only important in neighborhoods, but also throughout the city. The landscaping choices a business makes are essential to driving the emotion of the customer. Creating a nice environment may make the customer feel more at ease when visiting a store. The more comfortable they feel the more likely they are going to be to spend more time at the store. On the contrary, a store that does not care for its own property may send a negative message to customers. Landscaping is of utmost importance when it comes to influencing the way customers view your business before even coming in the door.
In the same sense, landscaping is key to the success of any downtown area. Using bushes, shrubs, planters and trees can all create an environment that makes people comfortable and brings them joy. The success of a downtown is dependent on keeping people in the area. Having an environment that is welcoming and is aesthetically pleasing can go a long way to keeping people downtown and bringing them back. A downtown that is barren sends a negative message to the visitors. Improving the landscaping of a downtown has a tremendous positive impact on all the businesses. Instead of having “one and done” visitors, people will walk around and visit shops and businesses they did not initially intend to visit.
The landscaping throughout a city or town has a tremendous impact on the vibe of the town. A town with areas that look nice and are well kept entices people to visit. Landscaping can have a direct impact on the number of people coming downtown and interacting with each other. Bringing more people to a downtown gives the area more energy and keeps the vibe positive.
