Keep Texas Beautiful has announced the winners of the 2024 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards (GCAA) for outstanding community improvement. For over three decades, Keep Texas Beautiful, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), has been recognizing Texas communities for their outstanding overall efforts to keep their communities beautiful. This program, which has been in existence since 1969, acknowledges communities that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in various environmental initiatives, including community leadership, public outreach, beautification projects, and litter prevention efforts.
This year, the city of Garland was the Category 10 winner (population 245,000). The communities will collectively receive $2 million in landscaping awards from TxDOT, with funding allocations based on population size. The funds are for landscaping projects along state rights-of-way, further enhancing the aesthetic appeal of these communities.
Established in 1891, Garland’s motto is “Texas Made Here,” as it is the home of global brands shaping products used worldwide, even reaching outer space!
Garland has adapted urban planning and community development strategies to address population shifts, passing a $420 million bond in 2019 to enhance the city, prioritizing essential infrastructure upgrades, expanding public facilities and improving transportation networks.
As bond-supported projects enhance public spaces, the community is rallying to protect new resources. For example, Skatepark Respect volunteers lead monthly cleanup at the new skatepark, removing 1,140 pounds of litter and advocating for a respectful culture. Business and church groups volunteered in record numbers, and private cleanups accounted for 40% of 2023’s collective effort. The city’s investment is instilling community pride and ownership, contributing to increased interest in litter prevention.
Garland employs a robust array of outreach strategies to effectively promote its community improvement programs. Central to those efforts is Go Green Garland, a collaborative initiative across city departments, which underscores their commitment to conservation and environmental protection. Garland leverages their online presence, maintaining an informative website and utilizing popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor to consistently disseminate relevant messaging.
In addition to digital outreach, environmental messages are amplified through strategically placed billboards across the city and advertisements in shopping carts. They also employ traditional methods such as distributing educational materials through utility bills, brochures at construction sites and articles in the Garland City Press which is circulated to all homes in Garland.
Through targeted advertising in local publications, billboards and collaborations with industries, they ensure their messages reach diverse audiences effectively. These comprehensive outreach efforts aim to raise awareness and foster a culture of environmental responsibility and sustainability within Garland.