Baltimore's urban gardening program dates back to 1978. A recent article details how the program works and the opportunity presented by a recent expansion to a new kind of property.
Susan Botich describes the City Farms program—led by Baltimore's Recreation and Parks Department—which allows residents and organizations to use community gardens located in parks. The post provides details about the types of gardens people and organizations run through the program, funding, and the popularity of the program. The garden at Patterson Park, for instance, has a waiting list of over 200 people who hope to use the garden there.
The program's newest addition is Upton Garden, which is located in a vacant lot rather than the program's traditional park setting. City Farms Coordinator Harold McCray is quoted in the article describing the resources and challenges presented by Upton Garden: "Upton is one of those areas of Baltimore that has some urban issues…The City Farm program recognizes that. We’re doing what we can to elevate an awareness in the community—that through growth and participation in improving your health by gardening, the community can be elevated. By doing this, you are sending out a message to others that 'this is my community, I want to grow my own food, and I will do whatever I need to do to make sure that this idea has propagated.'"
FULL STORY: Baltimore’s Recreation and Parks Department Boosts Urban Farming With City Farms
Washington D.C. Could Convert Vacant Lots to Urban Farms
Following a trend that has been more common in shrinking cities, Washington D.C. is considering a bill that would convert district-owned lots into urban farms.
Report: One-Third of Vacant Lots in Chicago Near Transit
Vacant lots pose challenges for the city’s goals of promoting transit-oriented development.
Protecting Bridges From Ship Collisions
A civil engineer outlines the federal regulations and mechanisms aimed at preventing the damage and loss of life seen in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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