MW25-Community Gardens as Community Assets

Scattered across Philadelphia, community gardens provide fresh food and flowers for residents of every background. But not only that: often started by community members on vacant parcels, the gardens provide social, environmental and economic benefits. They are places for seniors to sit, a way to preserve cultural foodways, an opportunity to teach younger generations how to grow food. Imagine the blow to a community if a garden suddenly shuts down due to development. Tour gardens in South Philadelphia as you learn about the Neighborhood Gardens Trust and details of the movement to preserve these spaces, from innovative legal processes to unique partnerships to the arrangements with community stewards. Land assembly for garden preservation can be complicated. Take home a greater understanding of the various paths toward a successful preservation story – and why it matters.

Photo: Overhead view of community garden. Credit: Natalie Kolb Commonwealth Media Services