query: community gardens

[colist-admin at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  community gardeners, and those who deal with city vacant land policy,
can help with this one.  Please copy COMM-ORG with your responses.]

From: dreier at tiger.cc.oxy.edu

A student of mine is working with a community group in Los Angeles that
wants to pressure the city government to do something about converting
vacant lots to community gardens. I know about one group, Boston Urban
Gardens (BUG), that has developed a good relationship with local
government in terms of this, but I wonder if you know of other cities
with "progressive" policies toward the utilization of vacant land --
whether the land is owned by the city or by private owners. For example,
are there cities that have a policy of aggressively taking vacant
"blighted" land by foreclosure (if owners don't pay takes) and disposing
it for public purposes to nonprofit community groups? Are there cities
that use regulations and code enforcement to force private owners to
clean up vacant lots (including owners that allow lots to be used for
dumping, or that fine owners who fail to clean up vacant lots), or use
"receivership" laws to take blighted vacant lots away from owners? Are
there cities with programs to provide community groups with assistance
(expertise, tools, money) to convert vacant lots to community gardens and
playgrounds? (The book STREETS OF HOPE describes how Boston dealt with
vacant land in one inner-city neighborhood, but I'm looking for examples
from other cities). Please send any information, examples, or resource
groups to me (dreier at oxy.edu) or, if you prefer, to the entire Comm-Org
list. Thanks.


Peter Dreier




*****************************************************


Peter Dreier

Dr. E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics

Director, Public Policy Program

International & Public Affairs Center

Occidental College

1600 Campus Road

Los Angeles, CA 90041

Phone: (323) 259-2913

FAX: (323) 259-2734