The Common Orchard Project has planted ten orchards in vacant lots in Cincinnati. The organization hopes to plant 100 urban orchards by the end of the decade.
"Vacant lots are a blight to communities across the country, and Cincinnati is no different. According to an inter-departmental study on vacant land and health in Philadelphia, blighted plots affect residents’ well-being, physical health, and mental health," warns The Common Orchard Project, an organization replacing vacant lots with fruit-bearing trees.
WVXU reporter Ann Thompson caught up with the project's founder and permaculturist, Chris Smyth, at the first orchard at Schiff Ave and Glenway Ave in West Price Hill. Smyth says the organization plans to plant 100 orchards in the next decade.
"It's easy to drive by the intersection of Glenway and Schiff avenues and not realize this green space is actually a 'food forest' that is helping feed people who live in the neighborhood," Thompson writes.
Once home to two unused, crumbling buildings, the lot now supports "apple, cherry, pear, pecan and plum trees" as well as medicinal plants and other vegetation that promote healthy trees by fending off pests and providing nutrient-rich soil.
So far, Smyth's team has planted 10 orchards in Cincinnati. "Smyth sees Common Orchards as a way to bridge the gap between vacant property and eventual development," says Thompson. The Common Orchard Project team hopes to promote the project and see orchards across Ohio.
FULL STORY: A Fruitful Effort Is Happening Near Cincinnati's Food Deserts
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.