Ask an Advocate: Grassroots advocacy in Greenville County

Dear Ask an Advocate,

I’ve been following Upstate Forever’s work for a while now, and I am looking for ways to advocate for smart land use in my neighborhood. Do you do any grassroots work in my area?

Sincerely,
Neighborly in Nicholtown

Dear Neighborly,

Yes! As Greenville grows, we are actively monitoring land use in many neighborhoods and advocating for smart growth. I joined the UF team in 2024 as the Land Policy Grassroots Specialist, and I lead our grassroots advocacy efforts in underserved and underrepresented communities. Here are some training events and initiatives we've worked on recently.

Recent grassroots advocacy & outreach efforts

Advocacy Trainings — In addition to the annual Citizens Planning Academy, UF has hosted several events aimed at equipping citizens to better participate in local land planning and policy processes. Recent trainings have included "Stewardship of the Land: A Faith Based Advocacy Event"; "A Look into Advocacy"; "Asset Mapping in District 25"; "Persuading Through Story"; and "Building Bridges Across the Political Divide." We've also hosted several Advocacy Happy Hours.

Greenville County Council District 25 — I am meeting residents, understanding community desires, and identifying the best path forward to create positive change together.

A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School ECO Kids Garden Club — I am engaging students in this after-school program about the importance of preserving open space and the environmental benefits of trees. As part of this outreach, students wrote letters to Greenville County Council sharing why open space is important to them, and created paper trees with each leaf recalling a reason to be thankful for trees.

LiveWell Greenville Safe Routes to School — UF plays a supporting role, along with other community partners, in this ongoing project to complete walk audits in the vicinity of Wade Hampton High and schools along the White Horse Road Corridor, evaluate student walking routes for safety issues, and identify funding sources to address walking safety.

Haynie-Sirrine Neighborhood — I first engaged to support the neighborhood during the 2024 City of Greenville-led Haynie-Sirrine Master Plan Update. I attended meetings, met with neighborhood leaders, and distributed flyers door-to-door to help raise awareness and encourage residents’ participation. I continue to support the neighborhood on Master Plan implementation.

How to get involved

As you can see, some of my community outreach targets specific areas, while other opportunities are open to all. There is much to be done across Greenville, and I hope to meet you at a future event! The best way to stay informed about upcoming events is to join our Land Planning & Policy e-lists at upstateforever.org/email and follow along on social media.

Tre'Dessa Smalls is the Land Policy Grassroots Specialist for Upstate Forever. You can email her at tsmalls@upstateforever.org.