I

THE GREE/V' AIG OF

BY TOM FOX, IAN KOEPPEL & SUSAN KELLAM

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SusanKellam

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NEICHKXHOOI)
OPENSPAG
(OAITION

Neighborhood Open Space Coalition

New York, New York
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Dedication To her successwas a coalitionof young
and old workjnStogether,reapingthe
benefitscollectively,as one.
One Women'sWay: Yes,Mrs. HattieCarthan,your trials and
tribulationsin thislife areover,the goodlafe,
A Tributeto Mrs. Carthan the good fight.
Memoriesofyou ar€etchedforeverin the
mind for you werc a beautifulperson,to us
It's rare in lhesedaysto m€et and know "a beaconof light!" -tove always,Terry
Sood people,for lhey'r€often "extra lohns, Crandsonof Mt. Nez Chapman.
special"in our lives.
For th€y may have been in the family, a
neighboror friend, tearsof grief you feel
when theydie.
It's rare thesedaysthat thosespecial
peoplearejustordinaryp€ople,who loveto
help others.
Fortheyneverstopto hearth€ praisethey
deserve,for they'reoften running
somewhereelse,to help another.
Yes,Mrs. HattieCarthanwas like that, a
specialperson l'm sure,Codwouldalsosay.
For ther€was no obstacletoo big, nor
problemtoo difficult,with Mrs. Carthan,
therewas alwaysa way.
I rememberMts. Carthanas Presidentof
VernonAve. T & T givingthe firstof many
pa(ies for the block.
For with Mrs-Carthanheadinga
campaign,everythinggenerallywent as
smoothas a clock.
And wasn't it Mrs. Carthanleadingthe
drive lo sav€a beautifulMaSnoliatree?
For if her effortswere for a good cause,
wasn'tMrs. Cafthanalwaysthere,gavingof
herself,unselfishlya
Yes,Mrs. Ca(han had a dreamthat
b€autifulneighbo oods inspireothers,to
be just a5 good.
Shelived that realityand the good life, a
lot more than we wish we ever could.
Yes,Mrs.Carthan wasapersonwho loved
children,alwayssayinS,"hello young
fleople," wherevershe went.
Forshewas a kind,generous, sincere
p€rson,as a sister,a motheror friend, she
seemed"heaven senl."
It's no small wonder that we're Boingto
missyouMrs.Carthan, you'rean insparataon
to us all.
Foritwas comfortingtoknow, if we ever
neededyou, all we did was iusl call.
One woman'sway, Mrs. Carthan'sway,
an example,of how thingscan be done.
 CHAPTERSlXl
I aDteoI Lontents IHE BIG PICTUR[
67 The Search8e8ins
69 Tal ki i gW i th The C ardeners
69 The Need tor Recreallof
7r U rbanFamers
v iil A c k n o w l e d S c mc n ts
C H A P ITRS E V E N :
ix PARTONE - IHt STORY WHTRTDO WT GO FROM HERT?
77 S l rengl heni nE
the P anne4hi p
CHA P T E O
R NE: 78 A Queni o. oi B al ance
CA RDT NS AN D P AR KSF ORT H T PT OP II 79 S om-" R e.ommendl ti ons
2 Re-6reeni.Bthe Urban Environmenl 8l T.n Y eaRFromN ow
I The City't Rura History 8l H ardQu.(i ons ThatMust
5 T ak i n 8to th e S l re e ts
i . th c 1 9 7 0 ' s Be An$lered
/ A ThreatenedReilrce 8.r The Trsk Force

CHAPfERTWO: PARI TWO _ THE INVENTORY

P A I NT I NCT H TT OWN GR T EN
5 91 5 tc C ount
5 Settingrhe SIage 9l S l l el )i stri buti on

7 Testingth-"Soil 99 Prole.t Type

Rc v i trl i z l nlgh e So u l hE ro n x 102 LandU se

2)
22
23 P a n n i n go n a C ra n dS .i e
2l T h. N c i g h b o rh o oR
d e h a h i l i ta l o rs 1l I 5i tcA E e
25

CHA P I E RTH R ttr

I HE E NDA N GT R ECDAR D T N S I l6 l D i ti rl C api r.rl
ll8 A nnualC api ta,Tol rl A .nua C api tal
ll I 19 A .n!a S w ealE qutv,
ll Thc Land NcgotirtoE
Totil SwedlEquity
l5 l 2l A nnurlM.rnl endn(.,
TotaiMai ntenn..e
CHA P T T R
f OU R : 122 C rnndl ota
T HT CA RD EN T RSSPT A K
OU I
4l 126 S ampl .S i teP rol i l es
Thc Cadener's woes 112 5!rvey lvlethodoos!
I ll 5l .rti ncal Technl quer
4a 1t4 Qu€51o.nairc
I J5 Data Processrng
CHA P T E R
f I VE : 116 Inventory U pdate
P ULLI NCT OGE T H T R
PARTTHREE_ THT RISOURCTS
5l Let Your Voices8e Heiird
140 T-".hnl..rlAst stanceOrgrn zatbns
)2 ln Ncw York Cit)
5l Lrvc.a8in8Reaur.-"s 142 N ew Y orkC i ty' sC ommu.i trC .,dcns
i5
I50 A D eri canC ommuni tf
i5
C ardeni .sA ssoci ati of
57 Opef Spa.e Adloc.rte
59 C! d.nce riom th. Board
154 C ardenn8
157 Orsani zrti onal
62 Cu d a n c efro mth e F i c l d
159 5i l e D csi S n
160 U rl Fn LandU seafd D ei i B n

Foward
LisaCashdan
Director, New York City land Proiect
Tlust For Public Land
7he Strugg/efor Spacedocuments
the rich hisloryof the communrty open
space rnovement in New Yurl Cit) rnd
raises th€critrcrlis\uesforrhefuture.lt isa
studyof and story about the peoplewho
havebeen involvedin the crealionof New
York'scommunityparksand gardenslrom
th€unique vantagePointoi the
NeighborhoodOpen SpaceCoalition
This pastdecadehaswitnessedan
explosionin communityinterestin
developin8and protectinSop€n spaces ln
pari,this can be attributedto the increased
availabilityof vacantland left as the legacy
of the forcesof disinvestment,
abandonment,and decaythat sweptvast
areasof ihe citv in the sixties Bul as this
importantresearcheffort illustrates,there
hasalso been a growingawarenesson lhe
part of citY residentsthat they can have a
iong-telmimpactonthelutureiabricon the
cityscape.
while oarksdePartments have
traditionallyassumed the role of providing
th€city's natural and recreational areas,
fic.al contraintsand a lack of manpower
havehamperedtheireffortsto provideopen
spacewhere it is neededmosl in New
York'slow-incomehighdensity
neighborhoods. Communitygroupsnave
filled this void bv assuminga Sreater
resoonsibilitvfordesiSning,developing, and
mainraining neighborhood parks and
sardens. Theircommitment ano
inthusiasm,backedup resourcesinvested
by an expandingnetworkof technical
assistance organrzatlons,prlvare
foundaliong, corporationt, and new local
governmentptograms, has been the key to
the srowth of the movemenl
Fdrsometime, however,therehasbeena
recoenizedneed for raw data concerning
the ;umber of establishedSardens,the
extentof communityparticipation.intheir
formationand management/and the
amountof money investedin their
development.when the Neighborhood
OpenSpaceCoaLition wasformedin I980,
its leaderspledgedto makethis researcha
highpriority.Now thaltheresultsarein,the
casefor increasedfunding and site
protectionprogramsappearsstrongerthan
Forexample, we now knowthat448sites
havebeencreatedand maintainedbv over
11,000volunteers, and thatmillionsoi
dollarshavebeeninvested in their
developmenttodate.We alsoknowthatthe
most critical issuecited bY the majorityot
people int€ryiewedis fulufe accessto the
land.lt is imperative lhatSovemment
leadersrecognizeth€valueof open spaces
now, 50 that al leastthos€siteson
city owned propety can be protectedtor
rulureSeneraIrons.
Althoughcity officialshavebeenslow to
recognizelhe b€nefitsof providing
long{erm securityfor communitygardens,
in lheir hasleto receivetop dollar for
city-ownedpfopedy,The-slrug8/elor
Spaceremindsus thatthevalueoi a vacant
lot cannolbe measuredbv itqdevelopment
potenlialalone.Fromthe ravagedlandscape
oflhe south Bronxto the denselvpopulated
areasof Manhatlan, communitygardenE
haveprovideda refugeanda vibrancyto citY
\iie that is essentialto our hea\lh and we\l
ln thr55tud\,, the Nerehborhood OPen
5prcecorlition hat ama+eda hrghlyuseful
bodv of new informationthroughextensrve
freldresearLh Jnd hundred!uf inrerviewt
A5the hrlt omprehentlednJlv5i\ol Ne$
,
YorkCity'scommunity gatdensandpatks,it
demonstrates the movement'sgrowlng
rnalurityand sophistication.lt also rarsesa
hostofquestions be
andissuesthatstillmust
resolved for the cornmunitvop€n space
movementto grow and prosper'
The developmentof an integtatedopen
spacepolicywill only comeabouithrough
fie.oordinated effoftot commun|tygroups,
city officials,anddevelopers who recognize
the imoo ance of creatingand pfeseNrng
our neiehborhoodparksand gardensThe
findingi of this researcheffort-area strong
t€slamenlto the importanceol communlN
invol\'emerlir revrvrnts lulu'c urbd'ropFr
spaceuse lssues.
Preface
Duringthe 1970'smanyNew YorkCity
neighborhoods experienceda cycle of
disinvestment, abandonment,arsonand
demolitionthat left thousand5of acresof
rubble to mar the urban landscape.At the
sametime, lhe City's near brushwith
bankruptcy causeda reductionin many
basicmunicipalservices. The'toft" City
lervic€ssuch as sanitationand park
maint€nance werehit particularly hard.The
effectswere devastating,especiallyin
low'incomecommunities. Vacanrlors
becamedumpinggrounds for unscrupulous
Irashhaulers.Local parksthat were not
maintainedwere renderedinoperableby
neglectand vandalism.
Communitygroupsall over New York
Cityioughlback.By re€laimingvacant land
andcreating a varietyofcommunity gardens
and parks,neighborsworked with each
other to impfove the quality of their lives.
Nonprofit organizationsprovidedtechnical
assistance to local groups.Foundations,
banks,corporations,and government
programs providedfundinS,materials and
technicalassistance. By the 1980's,the
luccessof theseeffortswas evident,but
lhere was no accurateinformationon the
systemthat had developed.
ll was obviousthatcommunity
parlicipationwas havinga major effecton
vacantland,existingCity parks,streettrees
and the other open spaceamenitiesin the
City.InApril1980,a conference washeidas
panofthefirstresearchon thisphenomenon
lconnunity Open Spacer- Francis,
Cashdan,and Paxson),and the participants
suggested thata majorinhibitorto thefunher
development of themovement wasthelack
of coordinationbetweenthe orSanizations
and individuals involved.In Novemberof
that year,The Neighbofiood Open Space
Coalitionwas formedto addressthat need.
On€ of th€first problemsthat had to be
tackledwas the lack of informationon the
communjty parksandgardensthathadbe€n
developed.The CharlesH. Revson
Foundationplayeda major role in the
developmentof our young organization
when it providedsupportfor the Coalition's
firstresearchproject' an inventoryofallthe
communitygardens and parksin th€City.
Thre€field researchers visited410
communilygardens duringthesummerand
fall of I982. The informationfrom the field
surveywas fed into comput€Eat the State
Universityof New York at On€ontafor
macroanalysis.lt wasthentransferred to the
Coalition's newlyacquired AppleComputer
forfurtheranalysis during1983.An update
whichdocuments all the sitesasof lanuary
I984 identified 448community gardens and
parkson I55 acresof New Yorkthatwere
built and tendedby 11,171people.
The stuugg/eior Spaceis the resultof our
researchand the storyof the peoplewho
havehad a majorimpacton the qualityof
life in so manyNew YorkCity
neighborhoods. The story bringsth€
stalisticsto life.lt isa celebration ofthehard
work of thousand5of dedicat€dpeople.
Communityresidents,phiianthropists,
horticulturalists, educators,bureaucrats,
planners,landscape architects,construction
workets,bankers,corporateexecutives/
summeryouth workers,lawyeB,realestate
expertsand professionals of all sortshave
combinedtheirheart,souland muscleto
breathlifeintoourCity.NewYork'scitizens,
nativeand transplanted, who are giving of
themselves for theirfamily,their
neighborhood and theirCity.
ChapterOne describesthe beginning
stagesoi the movementand puts it into
historicalperspective.ChapterTwo
exploreslhe evolutionof the movemenr-
ChapterThreedescribesthe major threatto
the longevityof the sites.ChapterFour
describeswhat is happeningfrom the
individualgardenersperspective.Chapter
FiveisthestoryoftheCoalition andChapter
Six containsa descfiptionof the inventory
findings.ChapterSevenmakes
recommendations and asksserious
qu€stionsabout the future.
The Inventorysectioncontainschanr,
graphs andstatisticsthatdescribe howmany
facilitiestherc are, where they're located,
who'sinvolved,why peopleare
panicipating, who ownsthe land,how
much land is involved,the valueof the
systemand much more.W€ have usedthe
most conservativenumbersto avoid ihe
appearanceoi exaggeration. The Resource
sectioninclud€s information youcanu5eto
get involved- if you're interested.
The productionof this publicationtook
longerthanwe oriSinally anricipat€d. I
would like to thankb6thihe CharlesH.
RevsonFoundationand the Coalition's
Boardof Dir€ctorsfor their patience.Some
Acknowledgements
thingshavechangedduringthe d€signand
writing of the Stfugg/efor Space.The Theresearch andpublication
of thisbook
movementis gettingboth biSgerandbetter. was madepossibleby the generoussupport
One thing thatdiminishedthe strengthof of lhe CharlesH. RevsonFoundation.
the movernentsincethe writing of the text
was the lossof Elizabeth (Liz)Christy-Liz TheNeighborhoodOpen SpaceCoalition
was a pioneerwho playeda major tole in gratefullyacknowledgesthe contributionsot
New York City's communilygardening thefollowing individuals
andorganizations.
movement.Her strengthand vision was a Without their involvementthe Strugglefor
motivationto many ot us who "8ot Spacewould have neverhappened.john
involved",and arestill involved.Herdeath Ameroso,TonyAntonellis,AppleComputer
leavesus diminished by one and we will CorporationCommunityAJfairsProgram,
missher. Her life, however,broughtmany Mark Baker,PaulBauman,Mike
peopleand talentsinto the movementand Blum€nfeld, NoelleBrisson,LisaCashdan,
her contributionto our City and its AlexandraChristy,Liz Christy,Meg Clark,
neighborhoods was tremendous. Ken Davies,EpsonAmericaInc., Elizabeth
Traditionalmechanismsfo. park Faulkner,Crace Fisher,jack Flanagan,
development and maintenance no lonser Ma(in Callent,Aldo Chirin,Wendy
applyin manyurbancentersof the Unit€d Cibson,JaneCrundy,HeleneHollende
States.Open space,however,is becoming Lepkowski,JennyHoltman,TessaHuxley,
more importantas populationdensilyand TerryMcHugh lnglesbie,KarenJore,leslie
leisurelime increase. Publicparticipation Kameny,Saratevine, Edwardtuft, Colleen
can play a majof role in open space Mctvoy, lesseSmilh NoyesFoundation,
provisionin the future.The Sttug9lelol NancyRosen,Kim Schwab,Nick Shorr,
Spaceincreasesour understanding of this Tom Smith,SUNY Oneontataboratoryfor
phenomenon andofferssomed irectionsand ComputerCraphics& SpatialAnalysis,
questions forthefuture.lam grat€fulforthe MelissaSupthen, WandaTribble,Melissa
opportunityl've hadto work in thisfieldand Weber and New York City's Tenacious
sharein the vitalityofthe commiftedpeople Carden & ParkEnthusiasts.
who areworking to makeour City a better
plac€to live.
Communitygardensare makinga big
contributionto the quality of life in New
York City and many other cities.They are
providingcleaner,healthier communities;
local recreationresourcesjquality food;
positivesocialinteraction;educationforour
childrenand a symbolthat the peoplecare
enoughto get involved.Theireffo(s should
be supportedand the tpirit of community
participation shouldbe nurtured. Byhelping
p€oplehelpthemselveswe arctakingaction
towarda belterfuture.A futurein which the
government,business/nonprofitagencies
andthe people,worktogetherfor a gr€ener
New YorkCity.wouldn't thatbe nice!
Tom Fox
PARTONE:
THE STORY

C H A PT EO
RN E :
GARDENS
AND
PARKS
FOR
TH E
PEOPLE
 tires,slabsofconcrete,wood and bricks.
Re-greeningthe Urban Todaythe RuppertCreeo is one of the
Environment biggestcommunitygardensin Man-
haftan,involving70 familiesworking
HattieCarthanrefusedto sit backand one and a halfacres,and producing
watch the gradualdeteriorationof the approximately 320 bushelsof fresh
Bedford-Stuyvesant sectionof Brooklyn. vegetables annually.
VernonAvenuewas a treelinedblock Whenthe Ruppert Creencommunity
when she boughther housethere in gardenersbeganto investigateways to
1953.In liftlemorethana decade, only preserve thelandasapermanent garden
three treeswere left to shadethe site,the City informedthem that the
increasinS signsof neglecton thestreet. propertywas worthtoo much.Rising
On the nextblockwas a rareSouthern realestatevalueson that particular
Magnolia,a treethatholdsitsleaves all urbanagricultural parcelescalated its
winterand welcomesthe earlyspring v a lu et o $ 1 0 millio n ,ma k in gt h e
with bloomsof largewhiteflowers. tomatoes worthone thousanddollars
when the tree becamethreatenedby apiece.The importance of maiotaining
plansto demolishthe buildingthat greenopenspaces in themiddleof New
protectedit from the cold winter winds, YorkCity'srapidlyredeveloping
Hattielauncheda campaignthat neighborhoods, however,may
involvedthe localcommunity."We necessitate payjngthe price.
beganby savingonetree, andnowthere Throughout the I970's,asthe vacant
are hundreds o{ new trees,community lots were convertedto gardensand
gardens, anda renewedsenseofdignity parks,technicalassistance groups
in Bedford-Stuyvesant." fundedby the publicand privatesector
Attheageof83,HattieCarthan isnow ranprograms providing everything from
the President of theMagnoliaTreeEarth seedsand materials to construction,
Center,a localcommunityorganization horticulturaland real estateadvicefor
formedto offeradviceandsLrppon to the localcommunityorganizations. By
growinBnumberof community I983 therewere ninetechnical
gardeners in Brooklyn.Sheexplains, assistance organizations investing $2.6
"Eventhoughwe'relivingin a city,we millionannuallyandemploying over40
haveto bringas muchof the country individuals.
hereaswe possibly can.Afterall, who The NeighborhoodOpen Space
doesn'tlovenature?"Hattie,andothers Coalition(NOSC)was formedin 1980to
like her, havebrightenedlargeareasof uniteNew YorkCity'scommunity
the City for scoresof New Yorkers- gardening, parkandtechnical assistance
Ultimately,everyonebenefitsfrom the groupsto network information,share
City'stranstormation- resourcesand take a strongerstand in
Twelveyearsago,anemptylotwhich the City'splanninSand policypn open
once housedthe RuppertBreweryin the spacedevelopment. Witha membership
Yorkvillesectionof Manhattan was of 80 dues-paying orSanizations, the
litteredwiih broken bottles,discarded Coalitionhasbegunto confronttheCity
and the real estatedevelopers,not as
theiropponent,but as theirco-worker.
Forexample, whenhundredsof plants
were uprootedfrom a community
gardening siteon West96th Streetand
Broadway, and relocatedin a special
sectionof RiversideParkto make room
for a high-tiseluxurycondominium
building,the communitygardeners
askedthe Neighborhood open Space
Coalition to help them hold onto their
originalSardensite.TheCoalition
workedwith the localCommunity
BoardChairperson to organizea
meetingbetweenthe developer,his
lawyerand architect, the community
gardeners, andtheTrustfor PublicLand
and the CreenCuerillas,two member
orBanizations whichhadrealestateand
hofticulturalexpertise. Afternine
monthsof negotiationsbetweenthe real
estatedeveloper,ArthurZeckendorf,the
gardeners and the two technical
assislance groups,a compromrse was
reachedthat inteSrateda 7,000 square
foot gardenwithin the condominium
plan.The proposedLotusCommunity
Cardenwill be completedin the Fallof
1984,and includessittinBareas,trees,
shrubs,a pond,flowergardens, and a
$75,000 endowment for maintenance.
"l'm surethatthe Sardenhashelped
sales,"saysZeckendorf, who has
alreadysoldmostofthe 300apartments
in the ColumbiaCondominium
buildinS.He feelsthat his gestureof
goodwill, the inclusionof the Barden
withinhis condominiumplan,will add
Sreenlife to what is primarilya brick,
glass,and concretecity.
By the late 1970'sthereweresome
2,000acresbfvacantlandownedby the
City of New York,' acresleft vacantby
uncompleted urbanrenewalprojects,
the exodusof the middleclassto the
suburbs, and a cycleof disinvestment
consistinBof abandonment, arsonand
demolition.Evenwith the highest
populationdensityof any city in the
country,24,500peoplepersqoaremile,
New York is filled with availableopen
spacefor creatinggardens and parks-
An inventorycomplstedby the
Coalitionin january,198:lconfirmsthat
143 acres,102 acresof which rvere
bricksand rubble,havebeen
transformedthroughhard work and
carefulplanninginto 410 community
gardensand parksthroughout the five
boroughs of NewYorkCity.Manyofthe
communityprojectsthat the Coalition
aspartofthisSrowingnetwork
identified
are locatedin low-income,declining
neighborhoods suchastheSouthBronx.
Buttherearealsoa numberof projects in
middle-income neighborhoods in
Queensand Brooklyn,wheresingle
familydweilingspredominate, aswellas
in theupper-income areasof Manhattan
suchas CreenwichVillageand the
UpperEastSide.lt is thisdramaof
transformation,the struggle for space
throuBhout the five borouBhs, that this
reportdocuments.
TheCity'sRuralHistory
Like56 othercitiesacrossthe
country,']NewYorkCity todayhasa
well-developedand diversecom-
munitygardenand parkmovement.
Amongits progenitorsarethe Southern
Blackswho migratedintotheCityduring
the 1930'sand 1940's;the Cerribean
 A post t ur'ihe.itizens ta help th. ||at.llan by Ercwineload

Willyouhaveapart
t:1
Victory?

Phoro,NarionalA/.hiv.J.
 lslanders and Hispanics who settled
primarilyduringthe 1950'sand 1960's,
and the Asians,and Centraland South
Americans, who durinSthe 1970'sand
l9B0'shavemadeNew Yorktheir
home.Forall thesediversegroups,
gardening becamean opportunity to
recreate a familiarenvironment with
familiarplantsand traditionalmethods
of cultivation.
SocialecologistMurrayBookchin
fondlyrecallsgrowingup in New York
City duringthe 1920'sand 30'swhen
the ethnic neighborhoods were
brimmingwith the tastesand smellsof
the Old World.The ltalians,;n
particular,grewmanyof theirown
vegetables to satisfytheir culturaltastes.
Now, in Harlem,descendants of the
Southern Blackpopulation growcotton
in reclaimed vacant lots to givetheir
childrena sense of histo.yandtradition.
The earliestorSanizedurban
communitygardening effortanywhere
in the U.S.was launchedduringthe
Panicof 1893,a periodof industrial
slowdownand unemployment.r
I Detroit'sMayorHazenS. Pingree
copedwith the growingcongestionand
1 squalorin the innercity by providing
( gardenplotson municipally ownedand
I
I
privatelydonated vacanturban lots.The
planwas quicklycopiedin
successful
t and luggingwaterin the hot sun.Yet
I othercities- Omaha,Baltimore,
I Chicago,Philadelphia, and New York
I amongthem.
I World War I broughtthe Liberty
Cardens. AttheheightoftheDepression
duringthe I 930's,therewasyetanother
rapidincrease in the numberof
communitygardensnation-wide. New
YorkCity'sgardenprojectin 1934
consisted of 300 plots,all of them
locatedin Brooklyn.DurinSthe next
year,with two expertgardeners
employedby the FederalWorkProjects
Administration (WPA)at eachSarden
siteand one supervisor overseeing the
programsin each borough,closeto
5,000gardens on vacantlots,totalling
700 acres,wereestablished in four
boroughsof New York City.
ByI 937,however, withtheendofthe
Depression, thatmovementhadended.
An improvedeconomy,surplusgoods
anivingby the carloads, and the
severingof the FederalWPA ielief
programdestroyedthe community
gardening movementovernight. Only
an occasional group of enthusiasts
stakedout plotsfor anotherseasonafter
theDepartment of Welfarediscontinued
its city-wide gardenprojectbecauseof
the lackof relieffundsand the
pronouncementthat gardenproject
workersdisruptedother WPA projects
when they soughtemployment durinS
the off season,
With thecominSof WorldWar ll, the
Cityof NewYorkagainannounced that
alI thevacantcity-owned
available
landwouldbe
forVictorygardening. "People
thoughtit wastheirrightto gardenon
city land,"recallsone of the gardeners,
"but manybecamediscouraged
theylearnedaboutthedigginS,
when
hoeing,
therewas nevera vacantlot,"
The NationalVictoryCardenPro-
8ram,aimedat reducingthe pressure
placedon the food industryby the war,
reached peakproduction in I944 when
20 millionVictoryCtrdensyielded40
percentof the freshvegetables
consumedin the UnitedStates.
New Yorkersput down theirhoes
again,however,when the war ended.
Mosthouseholds were no lonSer
dependenton the gardenplot to provide
a sourceof nutritiousfood. Not only was
there an end to food rationing,but a
burgeoningfrozenfood industrymade
packagedvegetablesa welcome
additionto the familymeal.By l94B
there was little said about vacantlot
cultivation.
Taking to fhe Streetsln
the'1970's
The trendof communitygardening
in New YorkCity hasshownthe de_
velopmentof gardens duringtimesot
stressandthesubsequent disappearance
of the Sardensonce the need is 8one.lt
wouldappearthathistoryis not in favor
of preserving urbanopenspaceas
permanent community Eardens. Thereis
a basicdifference,however,behveen
the previous gardening movements and
what is Soingon now.
"l'm seeingthe gardens fill a needin
devastatedneighborhoods,not just to
growfood,buttocleanupanuglypiece
of prope.ty,'explainsNancyRosen,at
the Departmentof CeneralServices
CreenThumb, the New YorkCity
programthatassists the localEroupsin
their managementof city-ownedopen
spaces."Peopleare gettinginvolvedas
bestthey can in neighborhood
rehabilitation. Forthem,vacantlot
gardening is a way to cleanup their
community. In thatrespect lwould say,
yes,thismovementwill havemore
permanence.
ThecommunityBardening sites
throughoutthe City even look more
permanent thana typicalseasonal
garden.Thecommunitypeoplehave
plantedtrees,paintedmurals,built
barbequepits,and erectedbenchesand
playequipmentfor thosewho aretoo
old or too youngto garden.While
vegetable gardenstend to lookshabbyin
the wintertime, the communitygardens
and parksdottingthe New York streets
todaylookcaredfor and utilized.They
are appreciatedby the neighborhoods
that surroundthem.
One reasonfor thisappreciation is
that many of them now servea critical
recreational need.Deficientparksand
recreational facilities,
especially in
lowerincomeareas, havealwaysbeena
commoncomplaintin NewYorkCity.In
1932, only 14,827acresor seven
percentof the entirecity had been
reservedfor the recreationof itscitizens,
a percentaSe smallerthan that setaside
for recreationin any of the other ten
largestcitiesin Americaor the world.
With only 1I 9 playgrounds for 1.7
millionchildrenunder12 yearsof age,
therewasonly one playgroundfor every
I4,000 children.r
When RobertMoses,Commissioner
of Parksduringone of New YorkCity's
mostdramaticdevelopmental phases,
begancreating public parks in the
I930'sand40's he did littleto remedy
the situation.As the masterbuilderof
lones R6achand HeckscherStatePark,
MosessawIittlereasonto createa green
spaceof a few benchesor a seesawor
two. Evenknowing how importantthe
smallparkswere to the City'spoor, the
reformershad no way to stop Moses
fromgivingtothe"well-to-do"baseball
diamonds, footballfields,tennis,
handballand basketball courts,skating
rinksand swimmingpools,while the
most congestedneighborhoodsdid
withouta parkfortheirchildrento jump
ropeor throw a ball.
DurinSMayorjohn Lindsay's
administration in the reform-minded
I 960's,a numberofsmall"vest-pocket"
parkswere builtthroughoutNew York
City in an attemptto give the
neighborhoods surroundingthe
tenement
buildingsthe senseof dignity
rvhichMoses deniedthem.Withina few
shortyears,however,mostof Lindsay's
parkswere 8one.
"l was appalledby the conditionof
the Lindsay playlot program,"states Liz
Christy,one of the earliestcommunity
gardeners. "The asphaltsurfaces with
harshplayequipment lookedasthough
a helicopterhad droppedthem in
withoutany neighborhood
participation. lt was deplorable to find
that all that moneyhad beenspenton
asphaltsurfaces and metalplay
equipment. Thesiteswereso badly
\andalized that they deterioratedat an
aiarmingrate."
Therewere severalreasonsfor the
rapiddeclineof MayorLindsay's
! est-pocketparks,notleastofwhich was
the factthatthe communityhad not
beenconsultedbeforea parkwas built.
\\ ith teamsof architects planningthe
parks.the facilitiesoften reflectedthe
aesthetic aSendas oftheartistinstead of
the needsof the local neighborhoods.
Pla\ equipmentwas sometimes placed
in neighbofhoods with a large
popuiationof seniorcitizenswho only
rrantedbenchesand someshade.
It was the communiblresidents
themselves, in the low-lncome,
decliningneighborhoods suchas the
LowerEastSide,Bushwickand the
SouthBronx,who begantakingthe
initiativeto developand maintainthe
vacant,abandoned lotsin theirown
communities. Individuals, block
associations, and communitygroups
usedthe vacantlotsas theywould an
emptycanvas/to createfrom their own
collectiveimaginations a park,play-
ground,or gardenthatwastailoredto fit
the specialneedsof the neighborhood.
Community-developed open spaces
aroundtheCitytodayareasoriginaland
distinctive as the peoplewho designed
andbuiltthem.Notonlyhavethevacant
lots been convertedto community
floyverand vegetablegardens,but also
to parkswherecitypeoplecan enjoythe
simplepleasures of grass,shrubs,and
trees.ln theearly1970'sthere wereonly
a handful of theseprojects;now there
arehundreds. WhattheCitywasunable
to providefor itspeople,the communi-
ties have createdfor themselves.
A Threatened
Resource
Theoverriding concernof New York
City's 8ardenersis real estate
development pressure. Despitethe
gardeners' accomplishment of
convertinSabandonedpropertyinto
Eardens and parks,the community
peoplecan still be forcedoff the land in
just a moment'snotice.Thesightof a
bulldozeron a communitygardenhas
Hoe Av€tle Co,rdrnilf Crr'let in lh€ 5'!th 6r'nx
 .E.o.ne.rJltoo fanriliar.During New York City Eoardof Estimate.
:EL)-8l, M.rnhattan neighborhoods Highlyvulnerable to development,
: rle o5tapproxirnately threeacres,or however,are many of the gardenson
_:^ percentof communitygardens
and one-yearieases. Whenthe valueof the
.:'\i. .{t the developmenl boom propertyrs Sreater than$20,000,the
: r_t nues,Manhattanneighborhoods communitySardenis not eligiblefor a
: ":-i.r(ed $ ith the addilionallossoi long-termlease.When the Divisionof
__.e.rn(lhali acresof gardcns RealProperties decides a siteis"prime"
: ' i: p.r r ksi f 1 9 8 4 ,1985.i fordevelopment and is readyto be sold
:e\enty five percentof the City's to fea/ estatedevelopers,the one-year
:o:rrunitv gardensand parksare CreenThumb leasewillgeneraliy notbe
ocatedon city-owned iandbecause the renewed.
Ct\ sthelargest ownerofvacantlots.In The ClintonCommunityCarden,in
-9-8 lhe City established Operation the rapidlyredeveloping WestSideof
Cre-"nThumb as a program oi lhe Manhattan, had no problemwith its
:lep.rrtment of CeneralServices to lease CreenThumb leasefor the firstthree
ihec tv ownedsitesfora dollara yearto yearsof the garden'sexistence. During
ronproiitcomnrunitygroupssuchas thattime the gardencontained
c ock associations, communitycenters, individualvegetable plotsthatfedmore
andschools, forthe purpose of creating thana hundredfarnilies, a colonyof
and maintaining gardens. Participation Italianhoneybees,a coveredcompost
rntheprogramgavegardeners access to pile,a largewall mural,a lawn area
Crty resources, suchasfencing.rnd soil. adornedwith masonrybenches, and a
Therearenow about600 organizations geodesic domefor growingvegetables
holdingCreenIhumbleases on gardens year-round. Despiletheirlabors,the
lhrouShout thc Citv,mostof which are gardeners found in theirtourthyear
sh()r!lerm,for one Vear, leasea clausestatin€i it would not be
Thoughlcssconrmon,long-lerm renewedagain,because the Cily
controli5 beginningl() occLrr. Twentv believedthe propertyhad becometoo
four communitygroups,through "valuable"to be usedior just
a varietyof differenttechniques, have communilygardening.
formedlandtrustsand purchased their Fearing thatmanyconrrnunities could
landoutrightfrom the City,as well as loseall thatthey hadworkedfor during
tromprivatelandowners,andnow hold the late l9l0's and earl),l9B0's,
titleto the property. TheTrustfor Public membersoi the Neighborhood Open
Land,whichfacilitates thedevelopnrent SpaceCoalitionpublicy urgedthe City
of theselandtrusts,workedwiih to developa comprehensive, integrated
CreenThumb6 to developa City policy open spacepolicy.In response, Mayor
for long-termprotectionwithout the Kochannounced, in June1982,the
conmunityassuming ownershipof the creationot the New YorkCity Open
site.In May, I9B:1,the firstlonSterm, Spa.eTaskForce.Forthe firsitimethe
five to ten yearleasefor a community City,communityand privatesector
garclen was unanimously passed by the representatives wil I lookattheirexisting
open space,communityneeds,existing
City agencyprograms,and alternative
developmentand managementoptlons
in a coordinated manner.The basisfor
thisproposedcoordinatedeffortwasthe
belief that an integratedopen space
systemcombiningthe resourcesof the
government,banks,corporations,
foundations, technicalassistance
organizations andcommunityresidents,
can provideamorecost-effective system
whichis moreresponsive to community
needsthanthead hoc policiescurrently
beingpursued.
MichaelDirzulaitis, Co-chairman of
theTaskForceandtheDirectorofPolicy
and Planning for the City'sDepartment
of GeneralServices, thinksthat a
comprehensive City plan will be
formulated only aftercommunity
realize that somesacrifices
Sardeners
mustbe made.While some8ardeninB
siteswill be preserved,othersmust be
slatedfor other uses,such as housing.
The dwindlingsizeof the municipal
budgetmight be the stronSestimpetus
for integrating the communitygardens
and parksinto new housingin the
neighborhoods whererealestatevalues
areclimbinghigherthansweetpeasin
july. lt hasthe potentialto benefit
everyone.The sale of real estateputs
moneyin the City'scoffers,and letsthe
developer assume{inancialresponsi_
bility,takinglotsoff the City'slong list
of abandonedproperties.The neiEhbor-
hoodwill havea higherqualitycom-
munitygarden.Thedeveloperbene-
f its becausecommunityparticipation
in maintenance and oPeration
ensuresa well-usedand, therefore,
saferpark adjacentto the housing.
open spaceadvocalesrealizethatthe
decisions reachednow in Manhattan
willsettheprecedentfor thehundreds of
land patcelsthtoughoutthe other
boroughsof New York City, parcelsthat
easilycouldbecomethreatened, in the
coming years.The lossof anY the of
gardensand parksin Manhaftan,
therefore, will haverepercussionsforthe
city-wide open spacemovement
ThrouShoutthe United States,
farmlandpreservationists are realizing
the folly of haphazard unplanned
and
development,and in somestatesstnct
agriculturalpreservation lawshavebeen
enactedto conservethe oPen land
beforethis country losesits capacityto
producefood in sufficientquantities.T
Likeruralagricultural Iand,urban
gardensand parksare a finite resource
thatoncelostcannotberegained. While
the maintainence of the urbansites
cannot be justifiedsolelyin termsof
theiraSricultural productivity,the
importance of urban green spaces is
manifold.
Creeneryimprovesthe quality of the
urbanenvironment. The PhYsical
propertiesof treesand other plants
inclLrdetheirabilityto actascleansers of
air pollution,buffersagainstwind and
solar radiation,temperaturemodifiers,
and noisecontrollers. Cardenscan
reducethe runoff from stormwater,
allowingrainto penetratethe soilsrather
than inundatethe City's sewage system.
Vegetationin an otherwiseconcrete
junglewill attractwildlifeand nurture
humanlife.3
Childrencanbetaughtto understand
the naturalenvironmentin a commu-
nity gardenor park.A directone
to-onerelationship developsas the
child puts a seed the groundanci
in
watchesit germinate and Brow,and
learnsto takeresponsibility for life. l - E ni mat.of N ew Y orkC i ty' svacantl and n-
ventoryn 1979.Trun tor P ubl i .Ld.d, N e\t
Anotherimportantlessonlearnedby Y orkC i l v
childrenwho gardenisthatfoodcomes Mcmbetshiporg.rniTations of the Ameri(.rn
out of the ground,not out of the C omn' uni tyC ard-" nne A ssoci aton. Mi
in a can or a box. w aukee,W i t.().s n 1984
supermarket
Tom B a!set, C onnuni tv (;.^l eni nE ti
A communitygardener in Brooklyn A neti .a l n9J-1980 Masteul hess, U n
who hastaughtmostof the childrenon veFiry oi Calilornid,SantaCruz, 1980
herblockhowto gardensays,"lt keeps Roben A. Caro, The Po\r.-, Brcket Raben
Mose! and the Fail o/ Netr. Yo . V ntage
themoccupied.lt givesthemsomething B ookt, D vi si on oi R andoh fl ouse, N e\
to do, something to look forwardto.
Theyhaveto plan and think ahead. Toh Fox, "Tow.rds th-- (:re.lion oi a Neu
They'reconcerned. Theywatchthe Y ork C i i y Opcn S pa.e l .sk Forcc '
Nc shbofhoodOpen lp.r( Coa ition. \e$
weathereveryday. lt keepsthemgoinB. Y ork,1982.
They'reaJways excited." Op€rrlion Grccnlhumb sas reorSrf z.l in
How foolhardythen,when a l 9nl a.d subscqu-"vthenl prcgri rhhl s bc.n
cal l edD C S(l)epirl mcntof C eD -" ra
S e^i (e\
communitygardenor parkisbulldozed
to makeway for a buildingwithoutany 7 l. Teve.eMacFadven.C.rtlnia U.'un.l. rhc
consideration of thevalueof the landas R -pD ew .r/
o, 4D rcfi .!' ( JD !l / Frr,f. H ol t
an open space."Peoplehaveto ask R ei nharl
and W i nston,\cs Y .trk,l 98t
A nneW hi sl onspi rn,C frrrrt.C aroerj L.b,r
what it is exactlythat they want to Nnturcand H!n, d /)estg., 8a!. Book! \ e$
preserye in theirneighborhood. Y ork.l 98l
Sometimesit requiresa tradeoff.
Condominiums area bigeconomicpush
to the area,but are they reallymore
importantthan the Barden?"asks
KennethKowaldfrom Con Edison.
"We shouldlet peopleknow what
can be doneto improvethe qualityof
theirlives,"saysHattieCarthan. "Each
of us shouldaskwhatwe can do and
how we can bestdo it. We musttake
responsibility for everything. We can-
not takethe naturalenvironment
tor granted."
Sheunderstands thata row of lchiban
eggplants tendedby city gardeners
produces morethana bushelof purple
vegetables-lt raisesthe chancesthat
NewYorkCitywillsurvivethe1980'sas
a placewhereits residents can also
matureand flourish.
CHAPTERTWO:
PAINTINC
THE
TOWN
CREEN
Br/,.( J,il,,r r,rr,rrrrr ilr. Jl.irrltri lF.Iinn( ( J r e j l r r D.l l !.
 HoustonStreetsin a cardboardbox,
The Crusaders werefoundfrozento deathin 1972,the
CreenCuerillas neSotiated withtheCity
Settingthe Stage andwerefinallyallowed begina leSal
to
Evenafter an awarenessot tne gardenthere.The BoweryHouston
environment had Permeated the CommunityFarmCarden,as it has
Americanconsciousness in the eally grownto becalled,started outon oneiot
1970's,it wasfrowneduponto toucha and rapidlyexpanded to three. The
plantin anyof the NewYorkCily parks generalfeelingwas that any useof the
It was ille8alfor privatecitazens to care landwouldbebetterthan allowingmore
for a streettree, collect horse manure, peopleto freezeto deathon the
makecompostwith veSetablewaste,or neglectedsite.
storetoolson a vacantlot. Findingout Evenso,the gardenwas morethan
who owneda vacantlotcouldtakeyears justananomalyin thederelict-inhabited
and the Cityspentthousands of dollars Bowerysectionof Manhattan. lt was a
enclosingthe lotswith cyclonelences stimulusfor passersby who began to
ratherthantryingto makethemuseful. considersimilargardening effortsin
Thecyclonefences did notdeteranad theirown neiShborhoods. noted They
hoc Sreening committeefrom thatthe gardenat Boweryand Houston
approaching Elizabeth
an Streetlot on hadnosoil,butwasall siftedrubbleand
Manhattan's LowerEastSide TheSroup compost-When the CreenCuerillas
unraveled thefenceandbuilta seriesof realizedthatthey had the technical
arborswhich they coveredwith Sreen expeniseto traingardeners in other
climbingvines.The perilsof gardening sections of the CitYto conve their
witholrta lease,however,meantthat vacantlotsto fertileSreenareas,they
their initialSreeningeffortwas beganto holdtrainingsessions for local
bulldozedand replaced by a parkinglot communityresidents.
. for trucks. "Beinga CreenCuerillameant
Undaunted by theexperience, several contributing a lot of time andtechnical
membersof the Ereening committee assistance to the growingnumberof
wenton to formthe CreenCuerillas,a gardensthroughoulthe City.lt made
smallvolunteergroupthat believedit sensethatthe peoplewho ioinedwere
would take radicalactionto break local PeaceCorpstypesfrom the
throughtheredtapetheyencountered in lowerpower'Seneration,"
post-'f recalls
tryingto "cleanand green" the City's LizChristy, oneof theSroup's founders
vacantland.Manyof the earlyCreen TheearlyCreenCuerilla meetings were
Cuerillaswereout-ofwork Profes forumsfor a seriesofdiscussions about
sionalswho had skillsin horti- whatopenspaceshouldbe in the urban
I culture,microbiologY, and land_ environment. JimAddice,an architect
I scapearchitecture,in addition to from Yalewith ideasaboLlthow plants
communitY organizinS. and buildinBs could interact,attended
When camPingout on a
derelicts, the earlyforums,as did PhilMecklin,a
vacantSiteon thecornerof Boweryand landscape architectwith expertrse on
 playSrounds. Othersattendedwho were cultivationconceptin New YorkCJty
concernedmoreaboutthe ecologyof came ot age,
the City.Eventually, the CreenCuerilla
philosophy developed. TakingAction
"The mainpointthatwe stress to new Whilethetallshipsweresailingdown
gardeners is thattheyshouldn'tbe lhe HudsonRiverin recognition of the
dependenl on outsideresources. Rather nation'sBicentennial, a waveof interest
thanwaitingfor a truckloadof soiito in gardening on New YorkCity'ssoil
arrive,theyshouldgo aheadand make suddenlybrokeonto her shores. The
theirown compost.lt mightnot be as CreenCuerillasendedtheirlong
pretty,but at ieastit provesthat theyare controversyover whetheror not to
seriousaboutstartingthe Barden," remainan ad hoc groupand received
explainsTessaHuxley,the current theirofficialseaJof jncorporation from
Directorof CreenCuerillas. the Stateof New York.In addition,
In 1975th e Cre e nCuerilla sh a d Representative FredRichmondof
about35 memberswho ran the Brooklyn, theonly urbanmemberof the
organization literallyout of theirown HouseAgriculture Cornmittee,
pockets.lf five dollarswas neededfor succeeded in pushinga program
stamps,someonetook the five dollars throuShthe U.5. Dept.of Agriculture
out of his or her pocket.Theiraddress thatwould address city Badening.
wasa PostOffice box.Withoutanoffice, A demonslration program$,asstarted
theirtelephone numberchanged in Brooklyn to testthefeasibility
of a U.S.
frequently, and memberstook turns Department of Agriculture Urban
answering callsat theirhomes.A steady CardeningProgram. Cornell
influxof volunteers wasalwayson hand University's Cooperative Extension
to take the calls from prospective Seryicewas chargedwith developing
Sardeners andfind members to visitthe lhis pilot progranr. JohnAmeroso,a
sitesand offefthe necessary assistance University ot Ceorgiagraduatein
for startingthe garden. agronomywho had spentfour yean in
It wasaisoduringI975 whenthefirst Vietnamas partof the Internaliondl
greeningconference was heldat the VoluntaryServices teachinSMekonB
NewYorkBotanical Carden.TheCreen Deltafarmers bettertechniques to grow
Cuerillasfinallyreceivedofficidl rice,was hiredto trainlow income
recognition whentheybroughtin urban peopleto Srowfood in the City.
gardening expertsfrom alJaroundthe Amerosofoundthat New YorkCity's
countryto showthe New YorkCity growingenvironment wds 1otunlike
officialswho attended the conference Vietnam's. TheconBeslion of buildings
that it wasn'tsucha radicalideato had giventhe City.r semi-tropicai
gardenin the City.In citieslike Boston, growinBseason, makingit idea/fof late
SanFrancisco, Chicago,and Detroit, vegetabie harvests. "Thereare no kill
networksof urban gardenershad been ing irosts,"Amerosoexplained,
developing. lt wasduringthe following "lhe groundjustffeezesat the end
year,however,thatthe vacantlot of November."
 TheCornellDemonstration projectin
Bfooklynwas so successful thata
nationalprogramwas fundedat three
milliondollarsanderpandedto inciude
I6 diffefentcitiesaroundthe country.e
New YorkCjty received9500,000to
expanditsprogramto allfiveboroughs.
Althoughthe staffwas comprised
primarilyof Cornellagriculture
graduates who knew moreaboutcrop
rotations than brickrecycling, the
CornellExtension off,ceswere
established in cooperation wiih existing
groupsthatdid understand New York
City'sparticuJar gardening habits.In
Manhattan, for instance, Cornellrented
spacewith the Councilon the
Environment, a quasipublicagency
operatingout of the Mayor'sofflce.
TheCouncilon the Environment had
alreadypublishedan excellent
pamphleton citystreets andopenspace
whentheyhiredLiz Christy,freshfrom
I the ranksof the CreenCuerillas,
to
InauSuraie the new program/
Planta-Lot,th.rtwouldprovidefreesoil,
plants,trees,and shrubsto manyofthe
communitygroups.ln additionto the
sorelyneededPlant-a,Lot PfoBram, Liz
succeeded in legalizing composting,
establishing a gardening tool lending
librar!,,andlaunchingthe CrowTruck,a
muiti-purpose vehiclethat servedas a
vital link with the communitygfoups.
Not only couldthe truckdrivers
transportseedlings from the Brooklyn
BoLrnical Cardens or soilfrom(lueens,
theycould alsoofferon-sitetechnicaJ
advice.
Testingthe Soil
The growingnumberof city farmers
harvestingbushelsof vegetables
from
the city soil raisedincreasing concern
and controversy overthe subjectof
heavymetalcontamination. Heavy
metalsare a distinctclassof elements
which includelead,cadmium,nickel.
mercury,andzinc,ailofwhichabound
in theurbanenvironment. Theirprimary
sourceisautomobile exhaust, aswell as
industrialemissions and demolished
city buildinSs. When thousands of
youngchildreneatingchipsof swee!
tastinglead-based paintin inner-
citybuiidinSs begandeveloping cases
of
leadpoisoning, lead-based paintswere
bannedfrom interioruse.But as the
olderbuildingsweredemolished, the
chipsanddustfromthe leadpaintalso
penetrated the rubble.Of particular
concernwerethosedemolitionsites
whichwerebeginning to be developed
lor gardensand parks.
ln New YorkCity that concernwas
broughtto a headwhen inforrnatjon
lrom Bostonshowedthat theirheavy
metalssituationwas a big problem.
While a desirableleadcoLrntwas
considered lessthan 250 partsper
million,a few gardensin Bostonwere
foundto haveas muchas J,000to
10,000partsper millionof leadin the
soil.Thiswasbecause manyofthatcity,s
demolished buildingshad,unril 1950,
been madeo{ wood and freely coated
with lead-based paint.When Cornell
Cooperative Extension beganits pilot
programin Brooklyrl, manyoftheCreen
Cuerillashad requested th.rtthe
expetiseof the University bc usedto
conductheavymetaltestson the New
YorkCity soilto determine whetherthe
rnetalshad accumulated in such
quantities as to posea heallhhazard.
Soil samplesweretakento testfor
T h . . a i t , r r l H ( r . r l l . u . e . J r C l l F F i 'r i r n r h e 5 o r 1 hBn ,r
 heavymetalbutthetestingitselfwas not morethanconcretedataon growing
doneduringCornell'sfirstyearin the "sate" vegetables.It provedto those
City because the samples were lost.In involvedin thegreening movement that
the secondyeara stronger pleawas they couldcommandrespectand
made.lt wasthe CreenCuerillaswho accomplish featsof somemagnitude.
finallydemandedthat something be
done,sincetheyweredevotingmany Revitaiizingthe South Bronx
hoursof theirtime advisingpeopleto At thesametimethattheCrowTruck
grow food as well as flowers. was tindingitsway aroundthe five
Thestrug8leoverthe heavymetalsled boroughs and Cornellwasbranching
to the establishment of an Ad Hoc out, the SouthBronxbeganto presenta
Committee on ToxicSubstances in the different jackFlanagan,
possibility. a ten
UrbanFnvironment which included yearveteranot the New YorkCity Police
AnitaCuran, then New YorkCity Department and communityrelatjons
Commissioner of Health,and Marty detective with the 41stPrecinct(,,Fort
Callent,ViceChairmanof the City Apache"),approachedthe headof the
PlanningCommission. "We madeIife BronxCouncilon the Arts,lrma Fleck,
very uncomfortable for Cornelluntjl aboutraisingmoneyto takea busloadof
they finally agreedto testfor the heavy kidson a day trip outsidethe stifling
metals,"recallsTessaHuxley. confinesof the decayingtenement
As it turnedout, Cornelldidn't lack buildings. Theconversation thattook
interestin the potentialcontaminant as place betweenFlanaganand Fleck
much as it lackedthe necessary beganto head in a differentdirection
equrpment to carryout the tests.Once whentheybothrealized thatitwasmore
New York Statespentthe $60,000 impoftantto changethe kids's
to buy an Atomic AbsorptionSpecta- envrronment thanjustto removethem
photometer, Cornellfoundthat the lor an atternoon excursion.Afterall,the
extentof the leadin the soil,I00-250 SouthBronxwas a sectionof the City
partsper milljon,wasconsiderably less that hadn'treceivedattention from an
thanjn Boston. ln subsequentfact sheets organized group,otherthanwarring
compliedby the CreenCuerillas, streetgangs,in years.
prospectivegardenersweretold to have The BronxFrontierDevelopment
theirsoiltested freeofchargeby Cornell Corporationwas formed by lrma and
Extension. Theywerealsogiven iack as an attemptto revitalizethe area
suggestions on usingornamental vines throu8hcommunityinvolvement and
to screentheir gardensfrom traffic,and economicdevelopment. While neither
othertechniques to reducethe had had any horticultural experience,
possibility of heavymetalbuildupin the theydeveloped a schemefor helpingto
soil.City dwellers,eagerto get their developnewcommunitygardens. They
handsin the soil,couldbe assured that felt that by conveftingthe vegetable
goodSardening was possible without wastefromthe HuntsPointTerminal
fearof heavymetalcontamination. Market,the largestwholesale produce
Theheavymetalcontroversy yielded marketin the UnitedStates, into rich
 compostinB material,they could
providecommunityEroupswith topsoil
to cover rubble strewnlots.
The originalsitethat theychosefor
their new projectwasten acressmackIn
themiddleofthe HuntsPointMarket.A
few ofthe merchants,however,thought
the projectwould attractrodentsand
objectedto the compostingoperationin
the centerof the produceterminal.5o
instead,they securedfour substandard
acresalong the edgeof the EastRiver
and filled it in with crushedbrickand
concrete.In 1976,afterworkin8for a
year to securethe appropriatepermits,
jack and lrmaalsoobtainedtech-
nicalassistance from the Institute for
LocalSelfReliance in WashinSton, D C.
and begantheircomposting ranch
The sheerenormityof the destroyed
I areasof the SoLlthBronx presenteda
uniqueopportunity for undertaking a
Iarge-scale project where open space
planningmightbe usedto complement
neighborhood revitalization.ln the
wordsof Art Buchwald,authorand
.
socialcommentator: "lt'sgotmoreopen
: spacethanany city in the world.Yotl
can see{or miles.The only thingthat
I compares with it in my memoryisBerlin
justafterthe Second WorldWar.I think
thateverybody who hasanythingto do
with urban planning shouldmakea visit
to the South Bronx."
It was President JimmyCarter's
historicwalk throughthe burnt-out
sectionsof the SouthBronx in October,
1977,whichopenedupopportunities to
takeon a projectof thatscale.Appalled
by what he saw,Carterpromised
$500,000for parksand recreation as
partof his $10 million proposal{or
immediateaid to the area.
Thiseventuallybecame$1.2 million
in the budSetofthe FederalDepartment
of the lnterior and the New York State
office of Parksand Recreationto be
allocatedfor communitygarden/park
development in the SouthBronx.That
meantreallocatingfunds normallySiven
to projectssuch as preserying
the
RedwoodForests.Instead,the money
was usedto cleanup and reveSetate the
vacantlotsthatwereleftafterbuildingg
had beenvandalized,torn apartby street
Bangs,blackenedby arson,and left
IO tot.
The largesum of moneythatcame
from the Federaland Stategovernments
to the devastatedsectionof the City
broughttogether manydiversegroupsto
provewhatcouldbe accomplished by a
coalitioneffort.TheSouthBronxOpen
SpaceTaskForcewas formed with the
BronxFrontierDevelopment
Corporation, for Local
the Institute
Self-Reliance, the PeoplesDevelopment
Corporation, CommunitySchool
DistrictI 0, theTrustforPublicLandand
othersto setan interestingprecedentot
matching"sweatequity" and recycled
garbageto federalmoney. Becausethe
City had littlemoneyto spendon the
projectand the Srantrequireda 50
percentmatchof localfunds,theon_site
supervisorswere given the taskof
tallyingcommunityvolunteerwork
hours,recycledbricks,and beamsfrom
the buildingand telephonepoles.All
thiswas assessed at a marketvalue.
Recycledbricks,for example,were
wortheightcentseach,and usedaspart
of the City'smatch.Eventually,
$300,000in local labor,bricksand
compostwent to matchthe federal
dollars.TheCity contributed $900,000
 by providingsideWalk improvements,
streettrees,and by rebuildinga large
retaininS wallatone sitelocatedalong
the Bronx River.
ln just undertwo years,I3 of the
original15 communityorganizations
whichwereinvolvedin theTaskForce
had completedtheir projects.The sites
were designedand built on lotscovered
with a freshlayer of compostwith the
helpof the localresidents, using
technicalinformation from the
Washington-based Instituteand othel
New York technicalassistance Broups.
Evenmore importantthanthe physical
constructionof the gardenswas the
impact that they had on the
rehabilitation of the neighborhoods. To
the peoplein the tenementbuildings
surrounding the gardens, the sudden
transformation of theirbleakenviron
mentrepresented a caringhandheldout
to helpthem improvetheirown
neighborhood. Whatcity planners and
government officialshadbeenunableto
offer the residentsof the SouthBronx,
a Sroupot communttygardeners,
organizers and technicians had
providedby allowinglocalresidents the
treedom to turnoverthedirtandrubble,
and renewan areathat had been
considered dead.
The remarkablekansformationof the
wastelandinto open greenspacesacted
as a catalystfor other groupsinterested
in the welfareof the SouthBronx.A
nurseryand greenhousecomplex,for
example/settledon a formerlydesolate
one-acrelot on Bathgate Avenue,not{ar
from the roarofthe elevatedCrossBronx
Expressway. C.L.|.E.Farms,an arm of
two not-foFprofitsocial service
organizations, the Bronx2000 Local
DevelopmentCorporationand the
Croup Live-lnExperience, setup
business in 1981. In itsfirstyear,C.L.l.E.
Farmsemployed25 localpeopleduring
the summerand produced80,000high
qualityherbsand cut flowerswhich
were soldto the City'stinestrestaurants.
"We don't look at the SouthBronxas a
liability,but as an opportunity,,,says
CaryWaldron,a founderof C.L.l.E.
Farms,which has reorganizedas a
for-profitbusinessand hasjust received
91.2 millionfrom the PoftAuthorityof
New Yorkand New Jersey to builda
I6,000 squarefoot greenhouse and
developtheirbusiness further.
The Allies
Friendsof the Parks
The maturingprocessthat occurred
naturallywithinthe looselywoven,but
expansivenetworkof greeningorgan-
izationsmeantthattheif philos-
ophiesand goalsbeganto coincide
with thoseof the moreestablished
parksSroups. The I976 New York
City fiscalcrisis,which forcedthe
City to cut backon its parks
marntenence program/Decamean
incentivefor encouragingthe
established parksgroupsto sharetheir
concernswith the communitygar-
deners.Whetherworkingon mani-
curedlawns,plantingexoticflo\a,ering
perennials, or composting animal
manure,all the groupswant to keep
urbanBreening alive.
The ParksCouncil,for instance,
which hasbeendevotedsinceI926 lo
the preservatinand maintenance of New
York City's parks,is often involved in
struggleswhich set important
precedentsfor the entire Sreening
movement.Forexample,the Parks
Councilbecamean outspoken
opponentof the City's Plan to "trade"
the largepublicplayground at First
Avenueand 42nd Streetto stophoLlsing
constructionon the two parksthat were
designedas part of the Tudor City
development in the 1920's.Harry
Helmsley,who owns the property,
promisedto restoreand maintainthe
unprotectedopen spacein his historic
apartmentcomplexin returnforthe riSht
to build housingon this mappedNew
York City park one block away.All the
concernedparksand gardeninSgroups
fearedthat the swapwould createa
dangerousprecedentof tradingaway
valuablemappedparkland.
TheParks Councilhelpedcommunity
gardensand parksin the earlyyearsby
includingthem in theirgroupliability
insurance policy.Thissaveda
signiticant amountol moneytor
communitygroups.The Horticultural
Societyof New Yorkalsoassisted vacant
lot gardenersby sponsoringgardening
workshopsand offerinSdirecttechnical
assistance to communitygardeners.
The Botanicgardensin Brooklyn,
Bronx,Statenlslandand Queenshave
alsobecomealliesin the revitalization
of New York City communitiesthrough
gardening. Forseveralyearsthe main
telephonenumberfor the creen
Cuerillas wasat the BrooklynBotanical
Cardens. The BronxSroupshavefound
that the New York BotanicalCardenin
BronxParkcan bea wonderfulsourceof
perennial springbulbswhicharedugup
eachJuneto makeroom for the summer
annuals. The MunicipalArt Societyof
New York, a 90-year-oldcivic
organization,has recognizedthe
benefitiof theseactivities.Lastyear they
gavea specialcertificateof merit to a
communitygarden,the Dome Project.
The certificatereads:
"lnto the forbiddinglandscape of
welfarehotels,collapsing tenements,
and the paradeofdisadvanta8ed youths
cameJohnSimon,candlein hand,to
teachand carefor childrenborn
unlucky,childrenoverwhelmed by the
obstaclesof societyand the enormity of
humanpain.Thevulnerable, the needy,
the troubled the children society
overlooks,he embraces.His Dome
Projectis a school,a garden,and many
communityprograms."
I
The Tree People
Amongthemostnotablecrusaders for
a 8reenerNew York environmentis
HattieCarthanwho triggeredthe street
tree movementwhen she successfully
managedto savethe Magnoliatree in
BedfordStuyvesant.In recognitionof
Hattie'swork, the neighborhood
establishedthe MagnoliaTree Earth
Center,and former Mayor Lindsay
initiatedthe now defunct "Tree Match
Program"which allowed the City to
provide six streettreesfor everyfour
purchasedby block associations.
The strugglefor more streettrees
expandedwhen the New York City
StreetTreeConsortiumwas established
in 1976to provideinformation and
literatureto New Yorkersabout the
importanceof streettrees.The
Consortium,frustratedby City
regulations prohibiting citizensfrom
workingwith their streettrees,desiBned
a h,,r'elve-hourcourseto teach
communityresidents how to carefor
their trees.After five years and three
differentParksCommissioners, the
Consortium finallywon approvalfor
officialcertification of theirtrainees-
Todaythereare over 500 CitizenStreet
Tree Prunersin the City. The
Environmental ActionCoalition, one ot
the Consoftium membersthattakesa
multi-facetedapproachto urban
revitilization,hasproduced a filmon the
value of street trees in the City and a
curriculumfor streettreeeducationin
scnools.
Planningon a CrandScale
Anothercitizen-supported urbanpark
planning project is the CatewaY
NationalRecreation Area,an extenslve
dedication of open space for publicuse.
Established in 1974and spanning
26,000acresof landand water,
Catewayis the firsturbanparkin the
U-S.NationalParksystem.LarSely
responsible for itscreationis the
Cateway Citizens Committee, which
formedto pressfor a federallyfunded
nationalparkin the urbanenvironment
of New York-TheCommittee's work
didn't end with the preservationof Iarge
tractsof land for the park.Ten years
later,theyarestillworkinSto insurethat
this importantresourcereceivesa large
enoughshareof Federal fundingfor
development and operations.
The parknow containsthe largest
communitygardenin New York,
coverinSovertwo acresand providing
morethan 400 Sardenplots.Catewayis
alsothesiteoftheyearlyCityCardeners
HarvestFair,which celdbrates the end
of the growingseasonwith hayrides, a
vegetableand flower contest,environ
mentaleducationbooths,music,
dancing,and a pettingzoo. Theevent
offersa realboosttothe 8,000gardeners
who attendthisannualevent.
The NeighborhoodRehabilitators
The stewardsof the urban land
movementincludenot only those
Sroupsinterestedin preservinggardens
and parks,but alsogroupsinterestedin
preservinS entireneighborhoods. The
emergence of blockassociations and
CommunityPlanningBoardsthatwere
concernedaboutthe deterioratinS
conditionof New YorkCity
neighborhoods closelyparalleled the
greeningmovementdurinSthe I970's.
Whenthemunicipality failedto develop
a constructive programto revitalize the
City'sdeteriorating communities, many
neighborhoods adopteda seriesof
selfhelp projects. Housingrehabil-
itation,littercampaigns, streettree
plantinSs, and anti-crime alertsfostered
a growingsenseof pridein the de-
cayed areaswhere the long-termresi-
dentshad neitherthe resources northe
inclinationto move.
Theserehabilitation effortscontrasted
sharplywith the privatedevelopers and
theCity,who viewedrehabilitation in a
totallydifferentway. Especially in
Manhattan, whole sections were
upgraded, forcingthe long-time
residents out andencoura8ing an influx
of peoplewho could afforda much more
expensive typeof housing.Old
brownstones weregivenfacelifts and
tenementbuildingsweretorn down to
makewayforIuxurycondominiums and
 I

Movtrs r,r(! ri b. p/anted,, i.!"m rn! sitrk,

{,
t.

-.\i.,',.
h
ir.
M:

'€
---f,
the new breedof residents.What the NeiBhborhoodContest,funded bY
City calledrehabilitation, the fashiondesignerMollie Parnis,which
neighborhoods called "gentrification" overtheyearshasawarded$300,000in
The HoudingConservation prizemoneyto a wide rangeof
commLrnity Sroupssponsoring gardens,
CoordinatorsIocatedin the Clintonarea
of Manhattan, a placestill knownas parks,playgrounds and streettree
plantings.TheLaPlacita CardenClubof
Hell'sKitchen,is one examPleoi a
community-based housingorganization Coneylsland,which createda
actively helps lowerincome people combination veSetable/flowergarden
that
retaintheirhousing. While much oftheir betweentwo abandoned buildings,was
work concernsproblemsarisinBwith an award recipient,
as was the East
landlordsoverlackof properservices, Flatbush CommunityCarden
such as heat, hot water,or necessary Com m ittee,whosewall muralfacingthe
repairs,the Sroupis alsoinvolvedin an organization'sgardenProvides a
open spaceprogramwhich offers colorfulpresence duringwinter months
technicalassistance in horticulture, when the gardenitselfis batren.
landscape improvement, architecture,
and soil.There have been six The Funders
communitySardens initiatedunderthe Besides MollieParnis, therearemany
supervision of their open space individuals who areprovidingfr.rnds for
department. One of them,the Clinton and
organizations Sardening projects
CommunityCarden,includesa solar that are committedto improvingNew
geodesicdome which is usedto Srow York'sneighborhoods.
vegetablesyear-roundfor the com- RichardAbrons,for example,has
munity.Not onlYdo the community becomea major suPPorterot the
gardensprovidestabilityin the rapidly greeninS movementbYfundingthe
changingneighborhoods; they also Councilon the Environment's
provideamenities for the long-time Plant-a-Lot and CreenBankprojects. A
residentswho are being forcedout by long-timesupporter of socialservice
theirlandlordsand bY the CitY. programs, he sawcommunitySardens
Anotherorganization establishedin and parksas havingbothsocialand
themid-1970's in response to NewYork physicalimpactsin low and middle-
City'sfiscalcrisisandto helpstimulate incomeneighborhoods. "Theseac-
blockassociation development is the tivitiesremove urban bliSht and beau
Citizen's Committee for New York City- tify the.rea," Abronscomments
The ProBram's S.N.A.P- (Self-HelP "Peoplereallygeta kickoutof it,andit's
Neighborhood Assistance ProSram) terriblyimportantto the City- it can
chanSea whole neighborhood." He
SrantsprovideuP to $150to
community-based volunteergroupsfor believesthatit isimportant forfunders to
suppliesand equipmentto helpspruce support greening in
activities the
up their localneighborhood neighborhoodsthat needthemthemost.
TheCitizen'sCommitteealso Abronsexplains, "There'sa lotof money
sponsors the annualDressUP Your availablefor CentralPark,but it's
 MarketCommunilyCardenand the
a importantto sLlpportthesesmaller
CreenCommunityCarden" ln
F
r
spaceslhat meansomuchto communlly Ruppert
funded
r
T
a
residents."
money
enthusiasm
He beganbY Provldrng
from hisown foundation,
soonled to the
but his
involvement
the 1960'stheAstorFoundation
manyofthevest_pocket parks, the
vacantlotsthatwereconvertedto green
small

H
fr
of his familythrouSh
AbronsFoundation.
Abronshaveconlributed
theLouisandAnne
Since1978,the
generously to
spacesundetthe Lindsay
Administration
midtownManhattan
Thereason
Only PaleyParkin
stillexiststoday'
thatthegrants aregenerously
at the Council'sgreeningProgram
Over $2.6 millionannuallYis now givennow to the communitygardensls
&1 beingprovidedbYfoundations, because, unlikethe vestpocketparKs,

ffi corporations
assistance
andbanksto thetechnical
and communitygroupswho
they havea strongconstituency
supporting themand a largeamoLlnt ol

& are workingto esablishgardens and communitybackinS"Communlty

parksthroughout the CitY."This Bardens are a Sreatvehiclefor both
communityinvolvement and improved
well-beingof New YorkCitY
d is our well-being," aesthetics," Cilliescomments

s
communities
explainsKenKowaldof Con Edison, Thei.M. KaplanFund,foundedin
"That is why we are interesteoIn I945 by iacobM Kaplanand
€ ol New
proiectsthat committed to the publicinterest
fundingthe SardeninS
€
improvethe neighborhoods " "We York,is yet anotherfundinSsourcelor
makepeoplerealizethat not all big the differentgroupsaimingto beautify
comPanies are bull_headed," saYs New YorkCity'sParksand gardens
€
Fraser Seitelat ChaseManhattan Bank, "We haveworked with streettree
groups,committeesorganizedto setup

n
whichhascontributed over$l85,000to
the Neighborhood OPenSPace streetmalls,and effortsto preserve
Summer YouthProgram that parks,"saysSuzanneDavis,Admln-
Coalition's
helpscleanup the vacantlots Seitel istraliveDirectorof the Fund She
thinksthat morecity-basedcorporations addsthatthe trendtowardscommunity
gardenshasbeenparticolarly exciting
shouldget involvedin reiuvenatinS
sections of New Yorkthroughthe hecauseit involvesso manyPeople
communil)Sdrden\dnd pdrl' Brookl\rr workingin littleways
UnionCasand MorganCuarantyTrust While Astorand KaPlanarethe two
are among thosewho have' majorfoundationdonors,the listot
potential sources offundsislonSenougrr
Anotheris the VincentAslor
which hasfundeda vanety to keepanygrantwriteroccupiedBoth
Foundation Foundations have
park Fordand Rockefeller
of open spaceprojects,from large
a projectsto the communltySaroens' contributed
as
to open
other
space development,
philanthropic Sroups
Director' as well
* i indaCillies,theFor'rndation's Smith
likeTaconic,Scherman, Jessie
€4i; explains,"We find it PadicularlY and Robert
to seewhatsmallamounts oT Noyes,CharlesH- Revson,
rewarding York
in these Sterling Clark.The New
moneycan accomPlish
Foundation, New YorkCommunrty
€ communityspaces, the Jetterson
like
 Trust,and the Fundfor the Cityof New
York- groupsparticularly 9- MutravS chum.r.k," l 000 Farn\,ptanned on
concerned
Lotsrn Ncw York,'New yotk t incs, Aprt )t,,
aboutNew YorkCity - havebeen
197/.
equallygenerous.
The combinedeffortsof communjty
residents,activists,
technicalassistance
Sroups,government agencies and
fundingsources havebegunto takeroot
and flourish.CommunitygardensanrJ
parkshavebecomea cornmon
phenornena in manyNew york Cily
neighborhoods. A greatdealof time,
love,muscleand moneyhasgoneinto
the creationof the commuaitygardeng
and parks.Localresidents havefound
that creatingthesegreenoasesis hard
work, but thatchallengeseems
relativelyeasycomparedto the new
struSBJe - keepingthegardens asopen
spacedesignated for communityLrse.
Landvaluesareincreasing jn New york
City,and the g.rrdens thatcommuniry
resident5 cherishas local resources are
now fallingpreyto the waveof de,
velopmenthittingManhattan,s shores.
C H A PT ETRH RE E
THE
EN D AN CE RE D
C AR D E NS
Jlu,x i hr l r!.( l l on, .i /.rBe.o.,r,rni l L l l r,l e,, n,l h l he /{rr/ rei ghr!fhoo{ l

#
The LandOwners TonyAntonellis,
CreenThumb,
AssistantDirectorof
explainsthe importance
Squatters'rights in a city like New of workinSwith the groupson their
York, where the developmentboom is gardening plansbeforeturningoverany
promisinS to refillthe emptymunicipal materials. "One guywantedto buildhis
coffers,are practicallynon-existent.For raisedvegetable bedon a slant.WhenI
all that had beenaccomplished by the askedhim why, he responded,'So I can
painstaking conversion of abandoned water it better'." The porposeof raised
propeny into gardensand parks,the bedsin a gardenis to givethe gardeners
communitypeoplecouldstillbe forced definitewalkwaysthroughthe raised
off the land in iusta moment'snotice. vegetableand flower beds.They also
The'si8htof a bulldozeron the help handicapped and seniorcitizen
communitySardens was becqmingtoo gardenersbecausethey don't haveto
fam iliar . bendto do theirgardening. Tonyalso
Thegreatestportionofthe community encourages the raisedbedsbecausethe
gardens and parks,about75 percent,is gardeninB is done primarilyon demo-
locatedon city-ownedland.Many of lition sitesand thereisn'tenoughsoil
thoselotswerevacantbecausethey had to coverall therubbleleftbehind.Each
beenabandoned by theoriginalowners. truckloadof soil costsCreenThumb
As the propertiesincreasedin value,the $600to $800.
gardenerswanted some assurancethat "we don'tgivethemallthelumberat
the land wouldn'tbe developed out once," saysAntonellis. "We let them
from underthem.At thattime,the City succeedwith the first sectionof their
established OperationCreenThumb in raisedgardenbedsand then we give
I978 asa programofthe Department of them the restof the lumber.We are
CeneralSeNicesto leasethe city-owned mostlyworkingin neighborhoods that
Iots for a dollar a year to non-profit havealreadyhada lotof failure-Thatis
communitygroupssuchas blockasso- why we planfor success."
ciations,communitycenters, churches Thereare now about600 organi-
andschools, forthepurpose ofdevelop- zationsholdingCreenThumb leases
ing and maintaining the gardens. on gardensthroughout the City.The
When OperationCreenThumb first problemof holdingontothegardensites
began,it was solelya leasinS forthe lonB-term,however,hasnot been
organization, primarilyfor ve8etable solved.The Divisionof RealProperty
gardensin raisedbeds.Througha within the Departmentof Ceneral
changein the program's administration, Services decideswhich siteswill Boon
however,CreenThumb hasslowly the auctionblockfor saleto realestate
becomemuch more of a gardenand developers- Considering that the
parkdevelopment program.In addition Divisionof RealPropetyiscomposed of
to issuing itsCreenThumb leases, it now ex-bankersand realestateprofessionals,
providesfencing,soil, trees,shrubs, it probablygivesthem ni8htmares to
tools,and technicalexpertise. thinkaboutvaluable City property beinE
leased to the localcommunities forone IeaseofficiallyrecoSnizes that thissite
dollara year.Evenso, if thereis an hasbeena success, that thisgroup
interested buyerforthe gardenproperty, appears to bea viablegroup,andthatwe
theCitymaysimplyrefuse to renewthe would liketo givethema chanceto
CreenThumb lease. prove that they can maintainthe site
"just becausesomeonewantsto buy overthe long run."
the property,that doesn'tnecessarily CreenThumb can alsolet the groups
meanthat the gardenwill be know if there is an interestedbuyerfor
bulldozed,"saysAntonellis- while the theSarden site,therebySivingthem first
City is interested in sellingoff the noticethat theycan bid on the property
property, therearewaysof helpingout at publicauction.Ken Daviesremarks,
thetrulyexcellent groupswho haveput "We routinelypull propertythat may
a lot of work into their gardensite.One end up on an auctionlist.A few
new provisionis a long{ermleasing thousanddollarsin the City'scoffer,
programwhichallowsthegroupto lease compared to a goodcommunity facility,
thesiteforfiveto ten years.lf the garden would not be a good trade off."
is on propertythat is assessed at a value Evenso, the neighborhoodslost
of $5,000,the groupwould pay $120a approximately I 31,000squarefeet,
yearfor their lease.lf it is assessed at or ten percent, of theircommunity
$10,000,they would pay $240.The gardens/parks to development in
maximumrentwould be $360 a year ManhattanaloneduringI980-83,and
plusthe costof liabilityinsurance. as thistrendcontinues, the neigh-
AlthouShit represents a largefinancial borhoodsare facedwith an additional
investment for the gardening group,it lo s s o l4
f 0 , 6 2 5 s q u a re f e e t1in9 8 48 5. ' o
does guarantee them the propefty for "we haveneversolda sitewhichwe
longerthanone growingseason,In stronglybelievedshouldremainas a
caseswherethe community communitygarden. Thereweretwo sites
organization is experiencing financial thatwere minimallydevelopedand
hardship, theCity hasinstituted a policy poorlymaintained thatwereauctioned
offorSiving 50 percentofthe year'srent off. There have been a numberof sites
in returnfor volunteerlabor,However,if which markedthe boundaries for new
the propertyis assessed at more than industrial parkswhichalsowentoff for
$20,0 0 0 ,th e 8 a rden telig ib le f o ra
isn o auction,"saysDavies.
long-termlease.Thus,manyof the Kenexplainsthat manyof the other
Manhattangardens will be excluded threatenedor lost 8ardenswere on
from protectionby longterm leases. privatepropertyand urbanrenewalsites
"l worked very hard for the five and which are administered by the
ten yearleases,"explainsKen Davies, Department of HousingPreservation
Directorof the Department of Ceneral and Deveiopment and had been
Services CreenThumb program."The intended for housingbeforethegardens
main purposeof the leaseis to give everwent in. He feelsthat,"although
peoplemoreprotection for something possession is nine-tenths of the law,
thal theyhaveworkedveryhardfor.The these gardens were not raisedon
abandonedpropertyforwhichtherewas
no plan.The housingplanscamefirst
and the gardenscame on top of the
housingplans,knowingthatthehousing
wasgojngto be built.Now thereisthis
big issueof which gardensshould
remainand which shouldbe sacrificed
for development."A strongconflict
existsamongthe City agenciesover
whichgardens shouldbe maintained as
communityresources, and which
shouldbe soldso that the City can
realizea profiton the land and collect
realestate
taxes.Whileit seems unlikely
thatanyof thecommunitygroupscould
actuallyaffordto purchasemuih of the
land once it has been markedas
"prime" by a real estatecorporafion
with considerable f inancialbacking,
thereis an optioowhich could make
theirownershipfeasible:a landtrust.
TheLand
Negotiators
Begunin New Englandmoie than a
century ago,the "town commons" or
landtrustshaveservedaseffectiveland
preservationtools in rural and urban
TheTrustfor PublicLand(TPL),
settinSs.
lormed ten yearsago in San Francisco,
California,is a modern-day nonprofit
Sroupthathashelpedsatisfytheneedsof
local residentsto own propertyby
helpingthe community forma nonprofit
corporation thatcan hold land in trust,
or rather,preservethe areaas open
space.
In the fall of 1978,the "l l th Street
Movement"and the El Sol Brillante
CommunityCardengroupson
Manhattan'sLower EastSide requested
the assistance of the lrust for Public
Land,which had recentlyestablisheda
reg;onaioffice in New York City.
Followingthe adviceof TPL,the group
incorporatedso that it could
cooperativelyown the propertyas a
non-profitland trust.They purchased
the four lotsthat comprisethe gardenat
a restrictedCity auction and now hold
title to the land.
TheTrustfor PublicLandhashelped
24 groupsacquireover33 acresof land
in New YorkCityvaluedat g4 million."
Another99acres,worthg l B million,are
in the processof being purchasedfor
additionalgroups.These"land t.ust,,
propertiesrangefrom a singlevacant
lot in the Bronxto l1 acresof land in
Statenlsland.
"l neverfelt commiftedto preserving
allofthe gardening sites,"explainsLisa
Cashdan, headof the New YorkCity
LandProjectofTPL.Sheadds,,,Someof
thosesitesare betterusedfor housingor
commercral uses.We just insistthat
open spacebe givensomestanding."
Addressingthe City'sfearthatthe peopl6
can't maintainthe sitesafterthe
corporation is setup to form the land
trust,Lisaresponds, "l tell themto take
therisk.Thereason thattheCityowns so
muchof the land in the firstplaceis
becauseprivateinterests abandonedthe
sites.Thatis what'sso infuriating. The
Citywill takethe riskwith someof these
slumlords, but not with theirown
citizens."
TheTrustfor PublicLandalsopoints
out thatthe City will gainfrom
preservingsomeof the land, because
propertyvaluesgo up arpund a
well-maintained park.Cashdan adds,
"The idealsolutionis for the Cityto
 An a nn n Brn.no \tteet anmnrrtil' a;t.,en rr ,n \.urh Lrfonr

ffi
ii.'.i' '

:$

&
 provideadequateparks.That'swhy
peoplepaytaxes.Peoplelivingon Fifth
Avenuedon't haveto pay with their
laborand loveto utilizeCentralPark.
Why shouldsomeonein Bedford
Stuyvesant?"
It is preciselybecause the
communities haveworkedso hardto
createtheirown recreational and
aesthetic environments that theyare
resistantnow to losingallthatthey have
gained.TheMagnoliaTreeEarthCenter
could closebecause of inadequate
funding.Cornell'sUrbanCardening
Programwas slatedto be cut out of the
19B3-84U.S.Department of
ASriculture's budget;CreenThumb's
fundingisastenuousasthatof anyCity
program,and the major backersof the
Councilon the Environment's
Planta-LotProgramare reluctantto
donateIar8eamounts of moneywhileso
manyof theirsitesare beingeyedfor
otheruses.Ruppert Creen,TheClinton
Community Carden,TheDomeProject,
The Cardenof Edenand the Westside
CommunityCardenhaveall become
threatened by Manhattan's current
developmental boom-
While the heavy metal controversy
showedthatthe greening organizations
had clout, and the SouthBronxproject
provedthat a coalition effon could
accomplish a maiorundertaking on a
grand scale,the fact that real estate
interests are beingpittedagajnstthe
interests of the communitygardens and
parkspeopleis pullingthem together
again.Thistime the stakesare higher
thanever,
The Landless
"We're not goingto sitdown in ffont
of the bulldozers. We don't wantto be
nasty.Wejustwantto saveourgarden_,'
Thosearethe sentiments of Mallory
Abramson, a key figurein the
Commifteeto Savethe Clinton
CommunjtyCarden,the firsturbanAll
AmericanSelection Carden.Forthree
yearsthe Cliotongardeners had no
problemwith theirCreenThumb lease
on a West 48th Streetsite locatedin
Manhattan, an areaknown as Hell's
Kitchen.But when they went to renew
their leasefor the fourth year,they
receiveda contractstatingjt would not
be renewedfor a fifth year.The reason:
the land is now considered "prime" for
real estatedevelopment.
Earlyin 1982,the City'sDivisionof
RealPropertyadvertisedthe Clintonsite
in their"HiShlights of UpcominS
Auctions"for a salepriceof 9325,000.
In an effortto preservetheir garden,the
hundreds o{ neighborhood residents that
cultivatethe individualvegetable plots,
tendto the colonyof ltalianbee hives,
and maintaina smallsolargeodesic
dome that is usedto grow vegetables
year-round, are workingon a proposal
to protectthe gardenwithout withhold-
in8 revenues from the City.Theyfeel
that a compromise solutionis not only
possible, but necessary. Theyarebeing
assistedin their effoftsby the Creen
Cuerrillas, Trustfor PublicLandand
HousingConservation Coordinators.
"Peopleare movinginto the Clinton
areabecauseit is wherethingsare
happening. Thereis good
transportation. The largecommunjty
gardenis anothernice thingaboutthe
area," saysKennethKowald from Con
Edisonwho supports the gardening
projectsbecauseof their beneficial
impacton the neighborhoods. "When
people move in, they want to preserve
the nice thingsaboutthe area."
As partof a coordinatedletterwriting
campaignfrom the Clintonresidents,
overa hundredlettershavealreadybeen
sentto Mayor Koch to encouragea
decisionon theendangered gardenthat
will be in everyone'sinterest.The letters
describethe gardenas a simplebut
tranquilretreatfrom theCity'shustleand
bustle,a meetinS place, the homeofthe
annualClintonArt Show,and an
impoftantcomponentin the annual
N inth AvenueFestival.
Most impoftantly, the Sardenis the
biggestgreenopen spaceleft in the
Clintonarea."We wouldhaveto move
the geodesic dome and the beehiveif
theybulldozeour garden,"saysMallory
Abramson. "But I don'tknowwherewe
would move them."The lettersand
otheractivities havebeensuccessful in
stallingtheauction plans, but as the real
estatevaluerisesso do the chancesof
auctioir.
NewYorkCitygardeners, primarilyin
Manhattan, have watched three acresof
their communityeffortsbecome
condominiums, parkinglots,and high
risebuildingsin the lasttwo years.
To some peoplethat figure fadesinto
a much largerstatistic. Housingde-
velopments, shopping centers, and in
dustrialparksare claimingapprox-
imately3 millionacreseachyearof
America's primeaSricu lturalIand.A few
acresof open spaceto New Yorkers,
however,doesnot go unnoticed.
"lwalkedbythe5t.Vincent's TrianSle
Cardeneveryday on my way to classes.
Thenone day it wasgone.Justthat
quickly,"remarked Christopher from
the Jennifer MullerDanceCompany.
The St.Vincent'sTriangleCardenat
SeventhAvenue betweenCreenwich
and 12thStreets, which contained
45,000 squarefeet of cultivatedspace,
offereda brie{ reprievefrom the
congestion of CreenwichVillaBe- lt was
amonSthe befterknown gardensthat in
1981fell victimto the bulldozerand
hospitalexpansionplans.
Another noteworthysite is Adam
Purple'sCardenof Edenon Eldridge
StreetbetweenStantonand Rivington
Streetson the Lower EastSideof
Manhattan. "A serieso{ buildingswere
destroyed and that lefta sizablestripo{
land.Butthelandwasbeingabused, not
used,"claimsAdam.Calculating that
abusedlandcanberestored to fertilityat
aboutthe rateof one lot pe. personper
year,Purplehimselfhasalready
convertedthree tenementlots (about
I0,000 squarefeet)and intendsto
convertten more.His oriental-style
gardenhasflower and vegetablebeds,
fruitandnuttrees,overI00 rosebushes,
and the largestblack raspberrypatch
opento the publicin the City.The
gardendesign,mostextraordinary from
an aerialview, is of concentriccircles
forminga doubleyin-yan8in thecenter.
Complementing the aesthetics of the
gardenisAdamhimself, cladin a purple,
tie-dyedoutfitbicyclingon hiswaytoor
from CentralParkto fetch horsemanure
which he usesto fertilizethe garden.In
three years,that has alreadyamounted
to six tons.Adam Purplecontendsthat
his Cardenof Edenis morethana
garden;it is a work o{ art.Thatthe
Sardensitson real estatewhich is
designated for housingis insiSnificant
comparedwith the value of his garden
art.
Despitethe international acclaimfor
Purple'sCarden of Eden,the City eyes
AdamPurpleassimplya squatter and
he is. He has neverbotheredto obtain
the requisiteCreenThumb one dollara
year leasethat would make his
Bardening effortslegal.Now that the
Citywantsto build low-incomeand
artisthousingon his site,Adamwill be
forcedto leave.Arguing,"the Citywants
to destroythe people'stud" Purple
proclaims,"lt is the peopleversus
City Hall."
Butevenin situations wherethere is a
legallease,the City is takingbackthe
landwhichthe peoplehavecult'vated.
"People have investedlots of money,
time,andtalentin Ruppert Creen.Why
takeit away?We havelotsof buildings
thatneedremodeling or replacinS.Why
not do something aboutthem?Please
saveourSarden/ Ruppert Creen,"writes
Cora Cist, a memberof the threatened
communitygardenin Yorkville,a
communityon Manhattan's UpperEast
Side.Thegarden,which hasproduced
about 320 bushelsof freshvegetables
eachyearfor over 70 local residents
for morethana decade,is now slated
to becomea luxuryhigh risecondo-
miniumand federallyfundedhousing
for the elderly.
Cora addsin her letterabout Ruppert
Creen,"All of us cannotaffordan
eveningon the town.Sowe gatherour
familyand friendson a hot summer
evening,preparea picnicand go to
theBarden. Thereamongthevegetables
and beautifulflowerswe enjoya
wonderful evening.Are you going
to depriveus of this?"
Civitas,one of the moreactivelocal
groupsengagedin neighborhood
preservation on the UpperEastSide, has
allied itselfwith the RuppertCreen
Community Cardeners andfileda suitto
blockthe development. OriSinally,
extra densityhad been addedto the
threeblocksof toweringbuildings south
ofthe garden, becausethe garden block
was to be developedas a one-story
school.Whentheschoolwasno longer
needed,the City decidedto developthe
blockfor high risehousinS, claiming
that a fourthblockof high-rise
apartments wouldnothaveanynegative
impactson the neighborhood. Civitas
and the RuppertCreenCommunity
Cardenersdisagree.
ShellyStiles,Presidentof the Ruppert
Creei CommunityCarden,explains
that the communitygroup was started
beforethe networkof technical
assistance groupsbegan.BeforetheCity
beganOperation CreenThumb in I978,
the group had obtaineda five dollara
month leasefrom the Departmentof
RealProperty.Theylaterborrowedtools
from the Councilon the Environment's
Plant-A-Lotprogram,and receivedplant
materialsand fencingfrom different
technicalassistance groups."They
madeus feel like we belonsed,"Stiles
explains.Thatis, until now, when the
$10 millionpricetag placedon the
gardenrendersthe leasemeaningless
and putsan end to theirgardening
efforts.
Acrosstown from the RuppertCreen
Carden,on West 89th Street,the West
SideCommunityCardencould have
becomeanothercasualtyof the City's decidedto do something withthevacant
currentredevelopmentattempts.The lotsin theirneighborhoods. Where
one and a half acregardensiteis now alternatives areavailable, theyarebeinS
filledwith an outdooramphitheater, taken.The membersof La Cuardia
rockgarden,and individualplotsof soil CornersCardenspentone yearmoving
that have beencarefullycultivatedfor theirgardentwo blocksto a new site
the lasteightyearsby aboutone with a CreenThumb lease.Theirfirst
hundredneighborhood families. gardenis now a ten story housinS
A housingdevelopment firm has development. The CardenPeoplewill
recendywon a bid on the WestSide be gardening on 7,000squarefeetof
Community CardeninS site,considerinS garageroof on West 97th Streetby the
it an ideal locationto constructa larSe endoftheyear.TheBalticStreet Carden
I 2-storyapaftment buildingandtwenty hasjust beenintegrated into a new
4 to s-storytownhouses. What the housinSdevelopment in Brooklyn.
communitywouldliketo see,howevef, Themoslinnovative approach lo dale
is a housingplan that would reserve is the ClintonCommunityCarden's
somespacefor theirgarden. currenteffortto raisethe fundsto buy
"We don'twantthedeveloper to lose theirgardenat City auction.Working
evenone unit of housing," saysTony with the CreenCuerillas,the Trustfor
Pearson,Presidentof the neighborhood PublicLand,and the Housing
group."All wewantisforhimtochange Conservation Coordinators, they have
theconfiguration ofthebuildings sothat justbeSuna campaignto enticepeople
we will be able to retainat least
some o{ to "buy an inch of New York". By
the gardenspace." nominallysellingsquareinchesof the
What soundslike a simplerequest Sardenfor fivedollarseach,theyhopeto
becamecomplicatedbecause officials generate enouShmoneyto buy the
of the City's Department of Housing Sarden establish
and anendowment for
Preservation and Developmentwere maintenance. Havingdesigned
threatening to blocka compromise postcardswith pictureso{ the gardenin
betweenthe developerand the thesprinBof 1984,theyinaugurated the
community.Theydidn't wantto seta fund-raisingeffort with a festive
precedent {orthecommunitygardening campaign.TheirPublicCelebriry
groupsthat are strugSlingto preserve Committee includessuchsupporters as
theirparcelsof urbana8riculture on PeteSeeger, MaryTravers, KevinKline,
otherurbanrenewalsitesaroundthe RonnieCilbert,DarylHall, and iohn
City.Workingwith the Trustfor Public Oates.MayorKoch,presiding at the
Landthe gardeners arenow in the final ceremony, whichmarkedthe beginning
stagesof negotiationwith the developer ofthecampaign, boughtthefirstinch.In
fo. an 18,000squarefoot garden. his remarksMayorKochnotedthat
Sincecommunitygardeners have "thereis still roomfor neighbor-
realizedhow vulnerable theirgardens hood-owned facilitiesand this is such
and parksare,theircreativeenergyhas a facility,you would haveto be a real
surged, asitdid yearsagowhentheyfirst monster to laya finSeron this[Sarden]."
l0 Tom Fox,"Towardsthe Creati.,no{ a Ncw
Y or kCi tyOp e nSp a c eT a s kF o rc e .'N .i gh
borhoodOpen spaceCoalition,New York,
1942.
ll' P r ojed i n v e n to ry
1 9 8 1 ,T h el ru 5 tfo rPu bl i c
Land,New York City
CHAPTER
FOUR:
TH E
CARDENERS
SPEAK
OU T
rhe bo!.t' ol worl rl th! l\.:r 5rd. (:onrdrunittCr.lret t, f,1.nh.rlar

Why People Garden
Peopleexpectto see gardenson a
countryroador a suburban block,butin
an urbanenvironment, gardensare
something special-The community
gardeners havehad to put up with all
kindsof restrictions, regulations, and
requirements to planttheirseedsin soil
that is mostlybrickand rubbleleftover
fromyearsofdemolition. To brinSlifeto
a city streetis a totally different
erperiencefromthatof simplyplanting
a garden.lt meanstrustingthatoverthe
iayersof rubbleand the semblance of
decaya livingenvironment can 8row,
"We sawthat the grasscouldgrow.
And so we just starteddiggingand
clearing. lt wasso beautiful thatwe just
keptgoing,"saysa Sardener from the
Bronx."aluierotrabajarla tierra.I like
workingthe earth.""we startedthe
Bardento get out the rats." "l gardento
ert, to feed myself." "We wanted more
beautyforpeopleto seethelovelinessof
Cod'screation,"saysanother.
MelvinaJohnson from the (luincy
BlockAssociation comments, "Once
theytoredown thosehouseswe thought
the demolitionsitewould becomea
g.rrbage dump.We thoughttheywould
bringcarsliketheydo andstaftfires. The
neighborhood startsgoinSdown when
you seegarbage.You loseso much.That
waswhy when theystartedthe Barden,I
thought it was the bestthing that they
could havedone.Peoplegot togetherto
help their neighborhood."
In the oncefashionable Coneylsland
sectionof Brookiynthereare now over
27,000 residentswho are forced to do
withoutsimplenecessities Iikea nearby
supermarket to buy reasonably priced
{ood or a laundromat to washtheir
clothes.AccordinSto JerryMcNultyof
theConeylslandCommunityCenter,"lt
isgoingto takealotto putConeylsland
backtogetheragain."
When LaPlacita CardenClub of
Coneylslandwon the Mollie Parnis
DressUp YourNeighborhood awardfor
theircreationof a combination
vegetablefflowerBardenbetweentwo
buildings,it broughtdignityto the
neighborhoodand to the residents.The
successinspireda secondgarden,
LaPlacita ll, followedby the develop-
mentof evenmorecommunitygardens.
"Thereare still 35-50acresof fallow
land left in Coneylsland,"McNulty
comments. "lt is goingto takea lon8
time to useup all the landthat's
beenabandoned in thearea."In Coney
lsland,thecommunitygardens areonly
a start.Eventually, theresidenls wantto
see merchantsreopenthe storesand
moderately pricedhousingconstructed
on some of the abandonedproperty.
ConnieLesold'smotivationfor
startingthe FranklinAvenueShuttle
Cardenin Brooklynwasnotto preserve
open space,but rather,to savethe
FranklinAvenueShuttlefrom being
closedby the City.Forresidents of rhe
area,the FranklinAvenueShuttleis the
onlyconnection between theA trainand
the D train.Theclosingof the shurtle
would cut off thousands of peoplefrom
other parts of the City.
Theneighborhood residents formeda
Sroupandbegancleaninguparoundthe
threatened shuttlestations, an arerthat
had not receivedany attentionsince
I910. Whentheyfoundoutthattheland
wasnotownedby theTransitAuthority,
b0t by the City,they launcheda
campaignto obtaintheirCreenThomb
leaseand to starta communitygarden
wherethe FranklinAvenueShuttle
beginsits route acrosstown.
"You betterbelievethey kept the
shuttleopen afterwe took the time to
show them that we cared about our
neighborhood," saysconnie Lesold.
"Not only that,they put additional
lightingin the shuttlestations." To
Connie,a community garden is not
simplya placeto "turn turnips",it is
wherecommunilyleadersmeetand
discusswhatto do nextfor their
neighborhood.
"l 8ot involvedwith the El Sol
BrillanteCardenbecause Iwanted to
seesomething growing aroundhere,"
saysFlorenceBond,a community
organizer on Manhattan's LowerEast
Side.ioan Pipolo organized a groupof
peoplein 1976to convincethe City's
Departmentof HousingPreservation
andDevelopment to demolish whatwas
leftof a burned-out buildingat 636
BarrettoStreetin the South Bronx.The
lotwasthenclearedofthe rubbleanda
communitySardenwas Plannedand
built-Boththe EI 5ol BrillanteCarden
and the BarrettoStreetCarden have
becomelandtrusts. Assistedby theTrust
for PublicLand,the two groupstormed
nonprofitcorporationsto preservetheir
gardens as opensPace.
The Gardeners'Woes
Once theircommunitygardenhad
becomea land trust,the BarrettoStreet
gardenerswererequiredto pay$1,000
in taxesto the City. When the Barretto
StreetBlockAssociation appealed to the
TaxCommission andconvinced theCity
that the taxesweretoo high,that sum
wasloweredto $600."Evenso,it istoo
much{orusto pay,"saysPipolo.Claude
Allenfromthe Wykoff-Bond Cardenin
the BoerumHillsectionof Brooklynis
alsotiredof the largedebtsincurred
eachyearfromtheSarden. He expresses
a {eelingsimilarto those held bY
FlorenceBond,ioan Pipolo,and others
why shouldthey haveto PaYcity
propertytaxesfor providingan open
spaceamenityin the neiShborhood?
Communityinstabilityi5 another
problemfor the gardeners. "PeoPle
moveoutsoquicklyhere,"saysTheresa
Santiagofrom the East1I Bth Street
Cardenin Manhattan. Bill Raineyfrom
the TriangleCardenin the Bronxsays,
"Therearea lotoftransients in thearea.
That breedsa lackof interestand theft."
Vandalism strikes thecommunitysites
in manyforms.MariaAngladafromthe
Young People'sEastHarlem Resource
Centerremembers, "Theytore uP the
woodenboxesand the woodenplanks
thatweusedIo buildthevegetable beds.
Theytorethemup and burnedthemas
winterfuelto keepwarm.Somepeople
destroyedthe veSetablesbeforethey
Brew."A gardener in the Bronxrecalls,
"lt wasthe seniorcitizensthattookthe
vegetable. The kidstook the fenceand
madea bonfire."
The majority of the gardeners,how
ever,are not affectedby vandalism.
Peoplelookingout theirwindows,kids
on theblock,andthePoliceDepartment
lookoutiorthecommunitysites- Angelo
CeroneJromBrooklynsays,"A guy
camefrom CreenThumb and said,
' We'r ewillingto p u t up a chainlin k
fence.'Wetold him don't bother.We
don't haveproblemswith theft."ioan
Pipoloasserts, "lf thereis total
involvement fromthe community, then
no one will botherthe Barden."
Sowing the Seed
"l workedveryhard,carryinS a lot ot
heavybricks,andalmostbrokemy back.
We filled plasticbucketswith water
and carriedthem across34th Street.
But ldon't reallyconsiderit work. lt
is like givinSbirthto a baby.Anything
we could makecomealive,we have
doneso," saysFranCapalonofrom
the Tunn€lCommunityCardenon
West 34th Streetin Manhattan.
Othervoicesfrom the garden:
"We try not to spendany money."
"Youdon'tneedmoney;allYouneed
isa pairof handsanda backto bend."
"A smallgroupthatisBoingto workis
betterlhan a largegroupthat is only
''Thegardenhasa good kind of
effect.Peoplestopandask
neighborly
me how thingsare going-"
" 1v husbnncl comesfrom down
Southand wc lovefarminB- At firstit
\\ as hardgettingmorepeopleout
therein the garden.Peoplcseeyou
lheycan'tbelievethatan
\\'orkin!iand
eggplant$ ill Browin city soil."
Reapingthe Harvest
The reasons why the gardeners
struSgle with City aBencies, neliotiate
with realeslatedevelopers and break
theirLracks to cultivateand preserve
theirsmallplotsof vegetables and
flowersare many,To anyonewhose
neighborhood alreadyprovides
recreational and aesthetic amenities, or
who livesin an areathatis notproneto
vandalism ortransients
-.rn areawhi<h
reflects attentionandlinancialresources
.r communityeffo( may havelittle
meaning.Buton manyNew YorkCity
blocksthatisn'tthecase.Thc peopleon
thoseblocksparticipate in the
communityprojectsbecause it provides
the neighborhood with rlllhe benefits
that h.rvebeendeniedto them.
"Peopiedon't justgardenin those
sites,"sayslerryMcNultyof the Coney
lslandCommunityCenter."l-heytalk
aboutthe newsof the day. They
socialize. Theyform relationships." Hc
explainsthatthereis a distinctlackof
facilitiesand reioLrrce5lor recreation in
Coneylslancl. CatoJohnson fromthe
area'sMermardAvenucgardensa,\,s,
"Folksthat usedto bc bad peoplc,the
winosand junkies,fow theyre the
nicestpeople.I thinkit mellowedthem.
Peopleate mellorvedwith gndeninS.'
"The majorchanges that I sawwere
with the youth."saysJoanPipolofronr
BaffettoSlreel."Theywork w,iththe
olderpeoplein the Sarden,rfd
suddenly, they'reproductive."Cil
Alverezfromthe ElSolBrillante Carden
agrees,"Yep, lhe biggeslimpaclis on
the kids.""Thech ldren;re thesper:ial
beneficiaries," saysMariaCruzfromthe
SixthStreetB ockAssociation. "Sonreol
 the city kidsneversaw a tomatogrow food they can afford," sayslerry
beiore." McNulty.He adds,,,Butthe social
DannySotofrom EastI 61stStreetin aspectof the gardensis stilJthe
the Bronxmakesthiscomparison, bigSest benefit."
"Therearea bunchoifundedagencjes ThePinkerton Cardenat theMadison
that 8et hundreds of kidsand they 8ot SquareBoysClub on 29th Streelin
nothingfor themto do. Thekidsare in Manhattanis opento the publicand it
thebasement aildaylongreading comic hasa full staffthat providesmany
books.Thciseagencypeoplegetfunded outreachprograms for the area
for doinSnothing.Thekidsloveto work residents. Thegardenattractsmany
in the garden.Theylove to get their differentkindsof peoplewho enjoy
handsdirty." beinBthereyear-round. ,,1don,t know
MarieLiquerdello hasa smallgarden where they went beforethe garden
in her backyardon E.rstIoth Streetin opened,"saysSaraLevine,one of the
Brooklynwhereshehastaughta dozen gardenstaffpeople.
neighborhood kidshow to garden_ She "lthjnk thegardenmadepeoplemore
says,"lt keepsthemoccupied.lt gives awareol theirown community,,, says
them something to do. Something to SusanMoorefrom Eastl2th Streetin
lookforwardto. Theyhaveto planand Brooklyn."We talkto eachothernow,
thinkahead.Theywatchthe weather thereis a senseof accomplishment and
everyday. Theyare alwaysexcited.,, communrtypride.",,lt is like puerto
Many of the gardeners saythat the Rico.Theair isdifferenl_ tt isqLriet,,,
say
kidshelplookout fortheSarden. ,,That others.ConnieLesoldsumsit up,,,We
iswhatit isail about.Teaching thekids haveto deaJwith eachotherlikehuman
thatfood doesn'tcomefrom super- beingsdown therein the gaden.,,
marketsalone,"saysEddieLacewell
from Brooklyn."When they realize
that,they won't iet anyonetearup
the garden."
"The main benefitfrom gardening is
in the summenime. The food billsare
cheaper. On tomatoes aloneI can save
$85bygardening," saysFlorence Bond.
loan Pipolo adds,"The BarrettoSrreet
gardencan augment20 familieswith
freshproduce."
Somefind it therapeutic, others
challenging, othen social,othefs
econom;c."But rnostlyit tastesgood,,,
saysKim Estes from the Alley pond
Environmental Centerin (lueens.,,With
all the supermarkets relocatedout of
ConeyIsland,the gardensgivethem
C H A PT EFRI V E :
PU L L IN C
TOGETHER
P.vl ,n.l !.r.1er vJplxie^ rrre!'rg rhe ,...1|of ope, jpr.e al New tor( Cnr b!./8el her,',3!
 Justas aSreement for the $900,000
LetYourVoices seemedassured,the night beforethe
Be Heard Boardof Estimate hearings, the City
PlanningDepartment and the Deputy
when the Neighborhood Open Mayor'sOfficeput pressure on the
SpaceCoalition (NOSC) heardthat BoroughPresidents to drop their
communitygardens and parkswere requests. Brooklyndroppedit.
beingshortchanged in the City's Manhattan droppedit. ButStanley
proposed budgetfor I982,theydecided Simon,the BoroughPresident of
thatsomething dramatichadto bedone. the Bronx,didn't give in. He knew
AlthoughotherCity departments were the reputation of the BronxFrontier
beingasledto takea 12 percentcut in Development Corporation, one of the
funding,the City was proposinS to Coalitionmernberorganiz;tions
reducethe allocationtor itsopenspace invoivedin developing the alternative,
Sreening progfams by 74 percent- The and trusted thatthey would run a
new budgetwould haveeliminated the good program-
City'sOperationCreenThumb Program Carryingshovels,hoes,and rakes,
as well asthe InterimSitelrnprovement communityliardeners joinedwith the
andCleaningandCreening Programs of ParkCouncil's"Friendsof the Parks"
the Depalimentof HousinS, groups at the hearings the nextday to
Preservation and Development. This speakon behalfof the greening
amountedto a $1.35millionreduction programs and againstthe reductionin
in fundingfor greeninS programs. the ParksDepartment budget.One of
AlthoughtheCoalitionagreed thatthese the membersof the Boardof Estimale
City programs had beenrelatively turnedto anotherand said,"We're
ine{fective,theyfeltthat drasticcutbacks 8ivin8themmorepolice,nrorefiremen,
would hamperfuture effortsby the and all of thesepeopleare heretalking
communities to takecontrol of vacant aboutpafks!What'sgoingoni"
land in theirneighborhoods.Operalion As a resultof theiractions,$750,000
Creen Thumb had just been re-staffed was restoredto the City's budgetfor
by experienced professionals and there open spacework, which included
werealiernatives to the other two the continuation of the $:150,000 De-
programs. partmentof CeneralServices Creen-
The Coalitionbrought together Thumb, and.r $,100,000 BronxLand
severalmember5;roups to devisean Reclamalion Project. As a rcsultof
alternative programto the City's thiscoodinatedeffort,therearenow 78
proposedcuts.They presentedthe acresof grassand wildflowerson lhe
optionto th€City PlanninS Depaftment, former rubbleof the SouthBronx,and
aselectedand appointed officialswere the staffof OperalionCreenThumb has
delugecl by lettersand phone calls.The had the chance to demonstrate thevalue
groupsaskedthreeof the Borough oftheirrestructured program. Therewas
Presidents to pLrt$100,000eachinto alsoa subsequent increase of $20
theirdiscretionary budgetsto fund an millionin the ParksDepartment budget.
alternatrve program. Underneath ilshad exterior, thereisa
politicalcore in the middieof the Big
Apple.To reachthatcoretakesstronS,
well-organized, and well-orchestrated
action.The Neighborhood Open Space
Coalitionwas formedin 1980to make
surethatthevastnetworkof community
gardeners could reachthatcoreand
effectpolicychanSes thatwouldbenefit
the greeningmovementand enhance
the qualityof life for all New Yorkers.
How It CameAbout
The ideaof a coalitionwas lirst
vocalized duringa meetingon April25,
1980,at the City University Craduate
Center.The meetingwas calledto
cr;tiquethefirststudyof NewYorkCity's
greeningphenomenon, The Makingof
!sjg&9l!99d!PgtdPg!g. Li.n
Cashdan, one of the study'saLlthors,
recalls,"We sawthe open space
movementasverydynamic.Our study,
therefore, was'action'resealch, which
meantthatwe reportedour research
findingsas we discovered them."And
jnto
themeetingitselfturned anexample
of actionresearch, attendedby 30 key
representatrvesiromcommunrty groups,
technicalassistance orSanizations,
designfirms,foundations, and
government aBencres Io olscuss
candidlythe past,presentand futureof
the cornmunity openspacemovement-
Cashdan, alonSwith co-authors Mark
Francis andLynnPaxton, presentedtheir
research studyto stimulate discussion
on thecriticalissuesand policyoptions
in developingmoreeffectivecomrnLl-
nity initiatedopen spaces. Cash
dan remembers, "We cameup with
somerecommendations which the
groupsupported and endorsed. One of
the skongest was thata coalitionbe
formed.We stafteda seriesof planning
rneetings to definemorefully whatthis
coalitioncould be."'':lt took aboutsix
rnonthsof workinSinformallywith a
smaJlnumberof the participants from
the April meetinSto definewhat the
coalitionwould do and what its
structure would be.
Althoughmanyof the variouspro-
fessionals involvedin the communi
ty Sardenand park systemaSreed
ihat it was impoftantto coordi-
natethe existinBresources, there
seemedto be no on€with the timeand
energyto getthe projectofftheground.
"We realized thatfora coalitionto really
work, we neededa strongstaffperson
and,mostimpoftantly, the fundsto
coverthe expenses ol startrnSa new
organization," explainsCashdan. "Out
of this massconfusion, one of the
participants, Tom Fox,agreedto be the
Executive Directorand do the
fundraising." A six membersteering
committee would provideguidancefor
the coalitionand LisaCashdan, whose
pioneerinS research wasthecatalyst for
the coa ition'sdevelopment, was
electedChairm.rn.
The iirst l.rskrv.rsto preparea paper
presenting the ne$,coalition's purpose.
Entitled "Whv lhe Neltihborhood Open
SpaceCo.rlilion,"lhe pnper described
the problemsbc n61open sprce
resources, includingtherecogniton that
the movementto\^,arcls community
developcd parks and gardenshadbeen
"raprdand uo.onlrolled. Another
issuestressed in thcrcport$,asthatopen
spa(ewas still not pcrccivcdbi/
 decision-makers as importantin urban Cilliesfrom the VincentAstor
development. Lackof coordination Foundation playeda monumental role
amongexistingorganizations wascited in leveraging resources for NOSCby
as the singlelargestobstacleto the givingthe fledglingCoalitionits initial
movement's reachingits foll potential. 92,5008rant."One of the Sreatest
But "with the formationof the benefitsofthe openspacemovement is
Neighborhood Open SpaceCoalition thatit isonitingpeople,"explains Cillies
we have the tool to meet the task." as a reasontor her supportof the
LisaCashdanexplains,"l sawthe Coalition.As in the caseof manynew
Coalitionas beingthe nextloBicalstep organizations, the loundations provide
for all of us because we hadcommunity the start-upcapitalthat allowsan
groupsout there,one not knowingwhat innovative groupto developa track
the otherwasdoing;technical record neededto attractadditional
assistance groupsofferingservices; and lundin8.lt was the commitmentof the
theCityagencies tryingto makesense of foundations and the reputation of the
everything thatwasgoinBon. Untilthe Coalition's growinglistof member
Coalitionexisted, therewasnoforumfor organizations thatenabledthe NOSCto
d iscussion to occur. Now all thegroups diversifyits funding.
can gleaninformation aboutwhatthe When the City'sDepartment of
otheris doing.Linkingup the diffefent HousingPreservation andDevelopment
Sreening organizations createsa (HPD)realizedthar it had limited
constituency to which City agencies resources to offertechnicalassistance to
may be responsive." the communitygardenson the 96
With the formationo{ the interimsitesit haddeveloped aroundthe
Neighborhood Open SpaceCoalition, city, it approached the New York
the small, scatteredgroupsof Foundation, which arranged a meeting
communitygardeners throughoutNew betweenHPD and the Coalitionto
YorkCity'sfiveboroughs founda friend discussthe problem.Subsequenrly,
rhatwieldeda bi88erstickthanrhey HPD agreedto a $9,000contractwith
could.NOSCfostered theconceptofan the Coalitionto developllg
integratedopen spacesystemof ParLtCardenMarrtenan.eMrnur/
communitySardens, city parks,public which includestechnicalinformation
plazasand malls,rooftopsand street gatheredfrom all the member
trees,all of which needcommunity organizations. HPD alsoagreedto a
participation to survive. $9,000contractwith the Creen
Cuerillas, a NOSCmember,to provjde
on-sitetechnicalassistance usingthe
manual.The91 pageillustrated manuai
Leveraging
Resources containsinformation on community
organizing, fundraising, landscaping,
To supportthiscommunity wood and metal m.rintenanceand the
involvement,public resources
and resources availableto help with the
privatecapitalbecameessential.
Linda work.'' When the City only pLrblished
 250 copies,the Coalitionwas given gardensand parksthroughout the five
permission from HPD to reprintthe oorou8n5,
manual/and receivedfundingfrom FraserSeitel,Directorof Public
Citibankand Culf & Western Relations for ChaseManhattanBank,
Corporation to printan additionalone says,"The success of our summeryouth
thousandcopies.One copy was programhasmeantbeautiful
distributed to eachof the garden neighborhoods, lessunemployment,
coordinators aroundthe City.The and ChaseManhaftanBankhasgotten
remaininS copieswereofferedforsaleat somegood recognitionfor its efforts.
five dollarseachto offsetthe printing Hopefullymorecompanies will beginto
costsnot coveredby the grants. appreciate the benefitsof havingnicer
Anotherfinancialinstitution that has surroundings and moreof themwill
supported the greehingmovement 8et involved in cleaningup the City,s
throuShthe Coalitionis the Chase vacantlots."
ManhattanBank.Foroverthreeyears " O u r 1 9 8 2s u mme yr o u t h
the bankhasgiven$185,000tosponsor employment programwas givena
a SummerYouthProgram thateachyear tremendous boostby the five young
providesjobs for the unemployedand workerssponsored by the Neighbor-
offersextrahelptothe d ifferentgreening hoodOpen SpaceCoalition.As you
orSanizations that alwaysneedmore know,our Federalprogramwascut out
able bodjes.Duringthe summerof entirelyandtheCityprogramwasvastly
1982,tor example,57 high school cunailedandwithoutthisassistance our
students worked16 weeksfor I7 work would havesuffered,"writesRuth
differentCoalition memberorgani- AnderberB,Directorfor Programsat
zations,helpingthemto accompiish BronxRiverRestoration.
theirgoalsof neighborhood open "i preferto work with dirt. lt makesme
spacegreeningand parkrevitalization. feellikel'm reallydoingsomething, and
In a givenday,studentworkerscould givesmea {eelingof accomplishment. lt
be found performingstreetkee alsomakesthe neighborhood look
maintenance in LowerManhattanfor better," acknowledgesRon Regan,one
the Environmental ActionCoalition; ot the summerinternsworkingwith the
doingerosioncontrolworkin a Citypark HousingConservation Coordinators,
withthelnwoodHeightsParks Alliance; NOSChascreateda partnership
buildingnaturetrailsand assisting amongthe privatesector,the
natural istswith environmental Bovernment and the people.Butone of
educationprograms at the Alley Pond its mostimportantachievements is
Environmental Centerand Cateway simplythatitexists. lt isa phone number
NationalRecreation Area;layinga slate thatpeoplecan call,a friendon Reade
patiofora communitygardenin Harlem Streetfor all of the gardeners city-wide.
tor the Councilon the Environment; or As LisaCashdan explains,"Threeyears
buildingfences,plantingbeds,and ago when we took a look at the
pruningand waterjngflowersand greeningmovemenlit was frag
ve8etables in anynumberofcommunity mentedand suspicious. Now there
,

and lessduplication
: communtcatton sitein the community,l'saysArthur
cf :e.\ices." Zeckendorf, who builtltheColumbia
Condominium. "Theycameto meetings
and developed a workableplan.The
gardenwouldn'thavehappened
witho0tthem."
Strengthin Numbers
\\ ilh a dues-payinB membership of 80
-.sanizatrons and 5B individoals, The The Network
\ershborhoodC)penSpaceCoalition
;a! begunto confrontthe Coliathforce A principalfunctionoftheCoalitionis
ci the Citv and the realestate as a networkof informationfor its
derelopers, not as an opponentbut as memberor8anizations. Thereare a
; co-rrorker. significant numberof important
{ threatened gardenon West96th projects, events,research, and crises
Stfe€tand Broadwaywas savedwhen that are of interestto the various
:1e Coalitionhelpedto facilitate members. The membership meetings
TeetingsamonSthe Trustfor Public held threetimesa yearare lively,and
-and and the CreenCuerillas(two well-attended by a diversegroupof
Coalitionmembers), the local peoplewho exchangeconstructive
CommunityBoard, community
the ideasandformulate plansforthefuture.
eardening group,and the developer, The minutesfrom the meetings then
\rthur Zeckendorf. The resultof the serveas a newslefterto the other
negotiations is a 7,000squaretoot membefswho could not attend.
qardenwith threefeetof topsoiland a The Coalitionhasalsobeen
S:;.000 rnaintenance endowment. This successful in reachingthe broader
community open space,now calledThe publicwith a communitynewslefter in
LotusCafden,is locatedon the 8ara8e theformofcomputer Sraphics andatext
roofoi TheColumbiaCondominium, on up-comrng Sreenrng events on
\t hereit setsan importantprecedentfor Manhattan's CableChannel10.The
theinclusion of community gardens and New YorkUniversity AlternativeMedia
parksin new housingdevelopments Centercontacted NOSCin 1981to help
throughout the City.Followingthat developtheir pioneercableshow,Apple
precedent, a new development Bytes,which now providesinformation
displacing WestSideCommunity
the to 120,000viewersin lowerManhattan.
Cardenon Columbus Avenuewill soon The Coalitionsubmitsnewsof special
contain 18,000 square feetof land eventsor projects. Editedandilluslrated,
desiBnated.rs a communitypark,with the newsappears durinBa five minute
S I l;,000 of construction fundingbeing segment aboutopenspacethatairsten
suppliedby the developer, ierome timesa week.Involvement in theApple
Kretchrner. Bytesshowled the Coalitiondirectly
"A lothastobesaidfortheCoalition's into anothercomputerage networkinS
efiortto retainthegardenon itsoriSinal project,TheAppleComputerNetwork,
i

II
I
 a nelv experimentalprogramfor the use
of microcomputers in telecom-
munications networksamongnon-
profit groups.NOSC,and three of its
members TheCitizensCommifteefor
New YorkCity,the Councilon the
Environment, and the Trustfor Public
Land havenow receivedcomputers,
software,and stafftrajning as a pilot
Sroupin thenewphilanthropic program
designedby the AppleComputer
Corporation.
The four New YorkCity Sreening
orSanizations are developing shared
databases includingbibliographies of
their library resources,presslistsand
project listswhich can be accessedby
any of the members.The projectlist,for
example,containsa masterlistof all
communitygardensand parks,land
trusts,park preservation groups,citizen
streettree prunersand environmental
educators in localschools.Allofthisand
moreSoesintothecomputer, whereit is
accessibleby d ifferentvariables,suchas
typeof projector zip code.To date,17
open spaceorganizations or agencies
havereceived dataor mailinglists
derivedfrom the Coalition's computer
data base.NOSC requeststhat field
observations, suchas changesin the
contactperson,or the locationsof new
gardens, besentbackto theCoalition. In
thisway,thegroupswho usethedataare
insuringthatthe information is updated
on a regularbasis.
By makinSthisinformation available
on a localbasis,neighborhood net
works,which takeadvantaBe of local
resources and are lessdependent on
the city-widetechnicalassistance oc
qanizations, can beginto form. For
e\ample,it a communitygardening
groupin Brooklynneedsspecific
gardening tools,it couldobtaina listof
otherSardening groupsin the area
throughthe computernetwork.This
type of networkingcan reducethe
dependency on the Councilon the
Environment's CROW Truck,which
lendstoolsto the groups,but only on a
limitedbasis.
The networkis alsohelpingthe
technicalassistance groupsmakebetter
useot their resources. When the Bronx
FrontierDevelopment Corporation
heardthey would be receiving5,000
packetsofvegetableseeds{romAmerica
the Beautiful, they contactedthe
Coalitionfor help with distriburion.
Withintwo daysFrontierreceived
mailinglabelswith the namesof the
sixly-three communitygardensjn the
SoothBronxthat hadvegetable gardens.
They then put the labelson postcards
announcing the freeseedgivea,way,
reducing the laborcostsfor mailingand
increasing the numberof groupsthat
could take advantageof the offer.
Open SpaceAdvocate
TheCoalition'sroleasanadvocate for
openspaces iswhatkeepsNOSCandits
membersin the spotlight.Appearances
at localconferences,on televisionand
fadioshows,and articlesin the New
York Daily News,TheVillager,
AmericanBanker,New YorkTimes,
Metropolitan Magazine, and a
syndicated columnwhich appeared in
149newspapers nat,onally havehelped
to createa betterunderstanding of
neighborhoodopenspaceeffortsamong
the Seneralpubljc.Lectures at major
universitiesand to professional issuefurther.Thirty-five participants,
orSanizations on a city, reSional, and includinScommunityleaders,
nationallevelhave helped planners, government officials,planningand
landscape architects, and
horticulturists, design professionals, and open space
publicpolicymakers understand the advocates, discussed the problemsand
complexityand benefitsof this new possible solutions involvedin effortsto
componentof the urban system provide open spacein proposed
The moreprominentthe Coalition rezoninSresolutions. A NOSCZoning
and itsmembers become,the morethey Committeewas then formed and a
areableto influence the City'spolicies Coalitionresolution was presented to
and programs. The Bronx Land the affectedCommunityBoards.Two of
ReclamationProgram,for examPIe, the three Boardsagreedwith the
whichwas introduced as an alternative Coalition'spositionand requested that
to an unsuccessful City program,came theDepartmentof CityPlanning prepare
intobeinSthrough politicalleverage
the a new studythat looksat alternative
of the BronxFrontierDeveloPment waysto usezonrngto crealeopenspace,
Corporation with the supportof NOSC. The Coalition's ZoningCommitteeis
The Coalition'spresence at Boardol now workingwith the DePartment of
Estimate, City Planning Commission, City Planningto explorenew zoning
and CommunityBoardhearings has reSulations for the creationof open
in
beenimportant Presenting oPen spacein New York'smoredensely
spacedevelopment andmaintenance as populatedneighborhoods.,
vitalconcernswhich the City should The greatestadvocacyrole the
aoore55, Coalitionhasplayedto dateis as the
ln I983 the Department ot CitY creatorof a Neighborhood OpenSpace
Planningproposednew zoningthat TaskForce position paper. Bythetimeit
eliminated the incentives {or developers was sentto Mayor Edwardl. Koch,the
to includeopenspacein new paperhad beenreviewedand endorsed
commercialand residential buildings by 20 people,includingrepresentatives
TheCoalitionagreedthat the plazas of the City's Departmentsof Real
whichresulted fromtheexistingzoning Property and HousingPreservation and
regulationswerenot servingthe needsot Development, as well as the City
thelocalcommunity, theBeneral public, PlanninS Commission. The position
or theoccupants of thebuildinSs. NOSC paperled directlyto the creationof a
argued,however, that the need for public/private New York City Open
publicspacewas growingas new Space TaskForce,whosemembers have
development increased the densityot beenappointedby the Mayor.This I2
thethreeManhattanneiShborhoods that membergrouphasproposeda two year
would be a{fected by the new zoning researcheffort to identifyfuture open
proposal. spacepolicyand programoptionstor
TheCoalitionthenhelditsfirsttorum New York City.lf successful, the Task
entitled"Residential Rezoning: lsThere Forcecouldfinally give someofficial
A Placefor OpenSpace," to explore the credibilityand recognition to the
 alternativeBardenand park systemthat
the Coalitionrepresents.
Cuidancefrom
the Board
The Boardof Directorsof the
Neighborhood Open SpaceCoalition
waschosendirectlyfrom the vast
networkot greeningorganizations
whichthe Coalitionrepresent5. Among
theseare the Trustfor PublicLand,the
CreenCuerrillas, and the Citizens
Committeefor New YorkCity.Thereare
I5 directorsrepresenting community
Sroups/ technical assistanceorgan-
izations,and individuals who work
1orCity agencies,but representthem-
selvesin theircapacityas directors.
The directorsmeeteveryother monthto
keepthe Coalitionon a smoothand
effectivecourse.Eachdirectormust
represent his/herown organization's
interestas weil as determineihe best
comprehensivestrategjesfor the
Coalitionto takein its roleas an
umbrellagroup.
One of the originalboardmembers,
LysMcLaughlin, fromtheCouncilonthe
Environment, explainsthat herdual
involvement isbothto guideandadvise
the Coalitionas well as to watch it
carefuliy.Despiteits importance to the
greening movement, theCoalitionisstill
regarded as competitionto manyof the
smallergroups."On theonehand,all of
thegreening groupsneedtheCoalition.
Buton the other hand,we don't want to
competeover limitedfundsand
fesources," McLaughlincomments.
To circumventthe issueof funding,
theCoalition's boardmembers, manyof
whom represent nonprofjtgroupsthat
receivetheirlivelihoodfrom a small
numberof philanthropic organizatjons,
do notassist withthefundraising aspect
of the Coalition."More importantly,"
explainsMcLaughlin, "we offeradvice
ano explorenew proBrams, We
constantly address theissue ofwheredo
we go lrom here."
As one of the principalforcesbehind
theCoalition,LisaCashdan feelsthat,"tt
is one of the morepositiveand exciting
opportunities that l've had in this
movementto date."As President of the
RuppertCreenCommunityCarden,
SheilyStilessaysthalbeingon theboard
hashelpedher to fulfillthat role.She
adds,"lt hasalsogivenme emotional
support.I don'tfeelso alonewhen l'm
oot therefightingto hold on to the
gardensite.l'm veryproudto beon the
NOSCboard."Anotherboardmember,
JohnAmerosofrom the Cornell
Cooperative Extension Urban
CardeningProgramexplainsthat,"j'm
badat politics. TheCoalitionhashelped
me to understand the issues." lack
Flanagan, President of BronxFrontier
Development Corporation anda former
Chairmanof the Boardstates,
"The Coalitionhasbeenableto pull
toSether themanydiverseinterests in the
field,includingthoseof rhe splinter
Broupsin the outerboroughs. We have
formed a platformwhich promotesthe
interest ot openspace,while benefiting
individualmembers."
Ken Davies,Directorof the
Depaftment of CeneralServices
CreenThumb Program, is one Coalition
boardmemberwho constantly facesthe
complexityofopenspacepolitics."lt is
 ai.nrrs l/,f rJd.n c.nrs ii r rtlJ t, .rea'one t rr.
".,!trluh!o'r

...

:rl::.:1

a.;+-
a {ascinating experience to workforthe
City and also to be privy and party to
decisions on the partof the private
sector,manyof whom view the Cityas
theadversary," explainsKen."lam not
surethat if I wasn'ton the boardof
NOSClwould know,or feel,or
understand how peoplein the Coalition
arefeelinSaboutwhat is happening."
Defending hispositionasa Cityofficial,
he explainsthe difficultyof, "being
Siventhe responsibility for City
propertiesandCity interesls asopposed
to only havingto advocate on behalfof
the community. I haveto take the
communityprojectsthatwork and
balancetheirinterests againsttheCity's
needfor housingand revenue."
Liketys McLaughlin, Kenalsohad
someinitialreservations as to whether
NOSCwas reallyneeded.He explains
that,"The Coalitionactuallycameinto
beinSwithoutknowingquitewhatit was
goinStobedoing.Andthoseofusonthe
boardhavegonethroughsomesoui
seaching sessions as to what our goal
reallyis.At thispointI am verythankfuJ
that NOSChascome into beingand I
thinkthat particulariy the formationof
the Mayor'sOpen SpaceTaskForce,
andceftainlywith the inventory, NOSC
hasfurthered thecauseof openspacein
New YorkCity."
ReachingOut
The Coalition's abilityto influence
politicalchangeextencls beyondthe
City levelto the broaderarenaof
decisionmakersattheStateLegislature.
The I982 electionof Mario Cuomoas
Covernor of New York Stateoffered
opportunities to the varietyof Sroups
workingon communitygardening,
urbangreeningand directmarketing
projectsthroughoutthe state.lt was
NOSC,however,thatgathered those
peopietogetherto addressthe new
Covernorand to let him know how he
could furthertheircause.
PeoplelikeBarryBenepe, Directorof
CreenMarket; PaulWinkeller,Director
of CapitalDistrictCommunity Cardens,
Inc-;and Bob Lewis,of the New York
StateDepartment of Aliricultureand
Markets, drafteda letterwith other
rnembers of the Coalitionwhich
outlinedto theCovernortheimportance
of the proBrams that they represented.
The lettersaid,"ln thesedifficult
economictimeswe are proudthat
programs like ourscostthe Stateand
localgovernments very littJewhile
providingan essential servicewhich
enhances people'slivesand movesus
towardmoreself-reliance." setfol.lhin
the letterwere l9 sug8estions for
changesin currentStatepoliciesand
programs which would havea strong
beneficial impacton urbanareasaround
the State.
A statewide "CommunityCardening
Campaign"wasproposed whichwould
advertise theavailability of publicland
to growfood,similarto thecooperative
gardening effortthatoccurred durinBthe
Depression, World War I and World
War ll. Aftercorrespondence with the
Covernor's office,the Coalition's
directormet with the Commissioner of
the Department of Agricutureand
Marketsto discussthe suggestion
further.Commissioner JosephCerace
agreedto appointa specidlassistanl io
work on urbanfood productionand
distribution issues.
The Coalitionhasalsoplayeda
catalyticrolein havingNew YorkCity's
five boroughsdesignated as a Soiland
WaterConservation District.
Forthelast
ten yearsone CityaBencyor anotherhas
blocked the effoftsof local
environmental groups,leavinBthe City
withtheonlycounties in NewYorkState
not benefitingfromthe expeftise of the
SoilConservat'on Service.Real izinB
there was supportin the new State
administration, NOSCjoinedwith the
City CouncilPresident's office,the
CitizensUnion,and qlherconcerned
organizations,to revivethe effort.A new
bill supporting the designation is being
introducedin the StateAssemblyby
Assemblywoman Rhodaiacobs
(D-Brooklyn) who is the Chairof the
Sub-Committee on Food,Farmand
NutritionPolicy.Althoughthereis still
someresistance in the Department ot
City PlanninS, the momentumis
growingand the designation is much
closerto reality.
The Coalitionhasalsobecomean
activememberof the American
CommunityCardeninS Association
(ACCA),and the executive director
servesas the Vice President of their
Boardof Directors. Thisprofessional
orSanization includesthe leadersand
orSanizers of communitygardening
programsin citiesacrossthe country.
Throughtheirassociation with ACCA
the Coalitionhasreceivedinformation
on a wide varietyof programs that
provide ideasfor the memberorSan
The Coalitionhasalsopro-
izations.
videdinformation on theinnovative pro-
gramsits membersare involvedin.
Severalarticleson thework of New York
City gardeners haveappearedin ACCA's
lournal of Community Cardening.
GuidanceFrom
The Field
Thecoreof the Neighborhood Open
SpaceCoalitionremainsthe peopleon
the street.Withouttheirphysicalwork
converting the vacantareasto Sardens
and parks,therewould be no
community spacesto protect.Without
thestrong{eelings of unitythatthework
in thegardens produces,therewouldbe
no coalition.
TheCoalitionprovides a centralfocus
to thegreening movement andisa friend
to the peoplewho are strus8lin8 to
maintainwhatthey havethroughhard
work and limitedresources. When
women soccerplayershad nowhereto
practice, the Coalitionhelpedthem
obtainaccess to theathleticfieldsin the
AsphaltCreen.when the BronxRiver
Restoration Projectwound upwith more
telephone polesthantheycoulduse,the
Coalitionhelpeddistribute them by
spreadingthe word to other garden
groupsthrouShoutthe City that needed
the polesfor theirgardens.
Throughthe information providedby
the Coalition,its diversemembersare
ableto speakout on behalfof the
threatened garden5. BarryBenepe,for
instance, asthePresident oftheFineArts
Federation of New Yorkcouldwrite a
letterto the President of City Club of
New Yorkand ask,"We who are
concerned with thequalityo{ NewYork
ask,whatare the Mayor'spriorities?
Why is communityopenspace
destroyed to provideincomewhile
majortax concessions and Urban
Development Assistance Crantsare
providedto largecorporations, redJ
 estatespeculators,and such compar-
l2 Mark Franci sL-i sa C ashdaf,ard LynnP nx
ativelywell endowedinstitu
ton, Ihe Ma(hg ol N.ighbothoad Open
tionsasthe Museurn of ModernAn and spa.er, Centrr for Humin Environnrents,
the SouthStreetSeaport? Doesoniy C i ty U D i ve6i l voI N cw Y ork,l 9nl
bigness count?" rl l om Fo\, " \\h! a N .i ghborl roodOpen
sprceC onl i ti on," a p.perof th. pot.fti al oi
Provingto the world at-large tbat the C orl ti on, 1980.
thereis a "big" movementof l 4' A exnndi a C hrsty, P rfk.,n./ C .fden
communitygardeners in New YorkCity A.r./nt-"mn. e rltrnua/,NeiBhborhood Open
mightbe the mostimportantachieve 5pi vzhcoal i l i on, N ew Y ork,I9tl l
menrof the Coalitionto date.The
factthat NOSCprovidedan um
breilato the individuals and groups
thatwerelinkedwith the re greening of
New YorkCity'sopen spaces was not
enouShto assure thegeneralpoblicthat
a stronBmovementactualJy existed.
Therewas a unitedvoice,but no one
realJyknewwherethatvoicew.rs
comingfrom.Theirconcernswere
heardat City PlanningCommissjon
meetings and Boardof Estimate hear-
ings,but in an agewhereprecise,
nesscoLrnts, therewere no accurate
figuresto sayhow many peoplewere
reallyinvolvedor werebenefitting from
the gardensand parksthatthe people
themselves created.
With interns fromNOSC,a computer
system,and somecarefulplanning,
thoseexactfigureshave now been
uncovered. lf sizedoescount,the
communityBardeners in New YorkCity
havelakena monumental leapfrom
relativeobscurity in theearlyI 970's,to
something definitelyworth countingin
the m id 19 8 0 's.
CHAPTER
SIX:
TH E
B IG
PICTURE
 formerlybeenvacant,fillcdwith bricks
TheSearchBegins and rubble.A 1981 inventoryupdate
pointedto continuedgrowthof this
"lt wasa grealjob! Drivingaralund the phenomena, cataloging 448 Sardens on
City,and meetinSneighborhood I 5 5 a c re sa n d ll, l7 1 p e o p lein v o lv c d
people,lsawtheincredible workihey'd in theircarc.
donecreatinS thosegardens andparks." Compared with thc 25,000-acre City
lan Koeppelwasthe coordinator of the parksystem, the amountof community
thrcememberfieldresearch teamwhich openspaceseemsinsiSnificant. But
rvasgiventhe job of identifying all thc rvhenthe nr.rmber of facilities are
communitygardens and parksin New considered the picturechanges. The
YorkCityrecalls, "lt wasmy firsttime in City operates I,,190 parks and
New Yorkand I wassurprised to find a communityresidents carefor 448 or
city of caring pcople workingtogether 23% percentof all the parksitesin the
withtheirfamilies andtheirneighbors. lt City.The conditionand distribution of
was just the oppositcof whal l'd thescsitesdemonstrate communitythal
expected." gardens and parksare makinga
Thetaskwasquitea challenge. How significant contribution to thequalilyoi
manyof the communitygardensand life,especially in manyof the Cily's
parksare there?Whereare they?Why low-income neighborhoods.
areneighborhood residentsbuildinSthc Thesitesarescattered throughout the
gardens? How many people are City. Brooklyn,with 136, has the most
involved? Who is helpinSthem?Where gardens, followedin orderby
is the moneycomingfrom?All of these Manhattan, the Bronx,Queens,and
andotherquesiions hadto beanswered Slatenlsland.The majorityaresrnaller
to provewhat manyalreadyknew vacantlot Sardens, with theavetage site
thatcommunitygardens andparksarea claiming2,500-5,000 squarefeetor the
vitalpartof New YorkCity'sopenspace sizeof a lot left by the dcmolitionof a
system.Numbers,however,are a b u ild in g .
neccssity fortheplanners, citymanagers AlthoughdistribLrled throughout thc
and politicians who makethedecisions City,a majorityofthesilesarelocatedin
aboutthefuturcof theCity.while New low incomencighborhoods which had
YorkCityhaddeveloped oneofthemost expericnccd a devastating (ycle ()f
diverseneighborhood openspace disinvestment, abandonment, arson,
efforts in thecountry,noonereallyknew and demolitionin the lasttcn to fifteen
how successful or advancedit wasuntil years.lt is in theselow-income
the Coalitioncompleteda com- neighborhoods, $'hererecrealion and
prehensive inventoryof the City's sanitation scrviccsv/ereseverlycut
greeninSefforts- durinSthe City'sfiscalcrisisrn the
The research teamfound410 mid 1970's,that communiiyresidenls
communitySardens and parks,on 143 sawlhe Bardens asa wayto providefor
acresof New York City,beinStendedby theirneeds.Facedwith a hiSh
10,462peoplc.Over 102 acreshad unemployment rate,the residents also
viewthegardcns asa productive activity the rubbleof New YorkCity.
for thosewho cannotfind work. "Theyweredumpinggarbage therein
Besides the benefitof working broaddaylight,on tharlandthat
activities, local recrcation, and fresh everyone saidbelonged to theCity.ljust
food,the gardenshavea positive keptlookingoverthcreuntil I got some
psychological impacton thoseinvolved. toolsand I started planting,"saysHazel
Theyarewell-maintained because the Miles from lhe LayfayetteBlock
peopleparticipated in "their" Association in Brooklyn.In Qucens,
construction and feel a proprietary Mrs.Waren explains,"You seesuch
interest in them.Neighborhood resident beautifulthingsin otherplaces.lcame
involvement isthcmostimportant factor h o me o n c d a y a nIds a id , ' Wh y c a n ' t w e
in the success of the Sardens. lt is do thosethingshere'?"
residents way of investingin their EdnaRobinson from the 97th Street
neighborhood. BlockAssociation startedthe garden
Evenusingconservative figuresin its because of theratsgoinSintoherhouse
calculations, Neighborhood Open from the adjacentabandonedproperty,
SpaceCoalition (NOSC) foundthat the as did Elizabeth Rhemfrom Brooklyn.
work done by the communities in Therewas a strongrelationship
cfeatingtheirown green spaces betweenwhy peoplehad built their
amountsto $300,000in capital gardenand what typesof lhingswere
inveslmenls, andmorethan$3.3million found in the garden.Seventythree
in "swealequity"eachyear.When pcrcentof the gardeners saidthat
askedwhy thiscontribulionwas being cleaningup and beautifying the
made,morethantwo-thirdsof the neighborhood werethc rcasons for their
Bardeners explainedthatthey foughtto involvement. Reflecting lhat concern
obtainthe vacantland in their are the manyand diverseflower
neighborhoodsbecausethey wantedto gardcns, themostcommonfeaturein the
clean-uptheircommunity. communitysites.Vegetable gardens,
An abandoned sitein the middleof a treesand shrubs,and sittinSareaswere
dense,crowdcdneighborhood can nexton the listof gardenfeatures.
rapidlybecomea dumping ground for Communitypeopleusedplantsto
old tires,rustedappliances, and other changelhe imageof their
miscellaneous debris.Trashhaulers ncighborhoods, helpingthemto fccl
facedwith increasing feesat landfills betteraboutwherethey live and
and highfuel costsusedthe vacantlols showingthoscvisjtingthe
to theiradvanta8e, increasing the neighborhcxiIhat lhev care.Thc
problemof urbanblight.In New York Sardens fostered a senscof pridefor the
Citytodaytherearesome2,000acresof peoplewho hadinhabitcd theblocksfor
vacant,urbanland.rrTo realizethatthe yearsand didn't havethe resources or
land can alsobecomea productive the inclinationto nrove."Thereare
resource takesimagination, a s o mep c o p lewh o willwa lk t e n b loc k s
coordinated effon,and a strongfeeling out of theirway justto $ralkdown our
that life can blossomand Brow,evenin block," saysonc of the gardeners.
Anotherremarks, "We wantedto show
that the peoplein the Bronxare doing
somcthing besides sittingon theircan."
Cardeningis a good community
organizinS activitybecausc it provides
a SaraLevine, oneoftheinterns
quick,cheap,visualsymbolthatthe
peoplein thecommunitycare.Someof
the gardeners are evenexpansionists,
thinkingbeyondthe €iarden to housing
aswell.Atthc St.Ann'sCoopCardenin
the Bronx,for example,the gardeners
havebecomeinvolvcdwith the area
aroundtheirsite,by takingoversomeof
the abandoned buildingsand rnaking
malor rmprovernents-
Talking with the
Gardeners
The Neighborhood Open Space
Coalitiondid not conductits surueyof
thecommunity-developed grecnspaces
in thc conventionalfashion- Rathcrthan
simplycollectinB lheprojectlistsandthe
computerprint-outs from the City
agencicsand technicalassistance
groupsand insteadof sendingoul a
questionnairc with all of the usual
queries on who,what,where,andwhen
threeyoungfield internsfrom thc
Coalition,lan Koeppel, SaraLevineand
Nich Shorr,visitedeachofthe sitesand
spokedircctlyto the peoplewhile they
workedin theirgardcnsand parks.
Seventy-fivepercentof the Sardcns
identi{iedin the inventorywerevisitcd
and photographed. Ninetypercentof
the Sardcnlcaderswereinterviewed in
personor by phone.In additionto
gatheringinformaticJn on the gardens,
NOSCwantedto showlhe gardeners
they caredenoughto makepersonal
contact.Theyalsowantedt(r let them
knowthattheywerepartofan important
movementin the City and spreadthe
word aboutlhe Coalition.
hiredto
conducttheon siteinterview,s, explains
that manyof the garrlens becamcan
extension of the gardencrs themselves-
At a communitysitein the lnwood
HeightsPark,an 82 yearold gardener,
MargaretYamin,goesinto her gardcn
eachdayconcerned aboutwhichof her
plantsurvivedthe night.To someone
like Margarct,her work in the garden
helpsgive her the will to survive.
At thc HendrixStreetCardenin
Brooklyn,Sarafoundthat the Barden
actuallyprovidcda homeanda havento
oneoithegardeners. He recenlty gotout
of jail and spendsmostof his time tend'
ingthegarden, whileheslowiyreadjusts
to life on the outside.
Attractingneighborhood childrentcr
the TreetopCardens,LottyEvansand
her own grandchildren continueto
gardenthe sitelhey slaftedfrom thc
Treetop Cardens started thesitcwithher
own grandchildren. lt docsn'tbother
Lottythat somcof the mothersin thc
Bronxlookuponhergardening effortsas
a summerday-care program. Over28%
of the Bardeners saidthattheir
involvement waslargelyto cducatethe
childrenand showtheirneighbors that
somethinB positivc couid be achieved
on the block if they only tricd.
The Need for
RecreationalSpace
More thanone{hirdof thoseintcr
viewedexplainedthat their play equipmentfor a child.Hecksher
involvement in the comrnunity continues, "Johnthoughtthatwe could
garden/park mclvement was motivated reallybeautifyand improvethe
by a ncedfor recreation. "Somepeople neighborhoods, and the poorerpeople
likejoggingjI likegardening," Vincent oftendidn't understand what we were
Scamerdello from Staten lslandlold doing.On the EastSidcof CentralPark,
Nick Shorr,anotheronc of the field an adventure playSround was very
interns,Anothergardenerrcmarked"lf much appreciated. But if you triedthe
you wakeup in bedwith a badfeeling, sameapproachin the poorerareas,the
you work in thc gardenand thefecling mothers wouldrcsentit verymLrch- They
goesawaY."AngcloCerronefrom thouShtwe $,crcdeliberately tryingto
Brooklynsimplystated,"l justwanted h u rtt h e irc h ild re n . "
somcthingto do on thc weekends-" "Look at a map oi thc City," says
Deficientparkand recrcational Jeanette Bamford, theexecutive director
facilities, especially in iower income of the ParksCoun(ilof New York.
areas,hasalwaysbeena common "Therearea lot of ncighborhoods - and
complaintin New YorkCity.in I932, poor ones- wherethc grccn spaccsare
only 14,827acrcs()t7.28percentol the mis s in g . "
fiveboroughs hadbeensetasideforthe Communitygardenspresenta viable
recrcation of its citizen5, a percentage alternative. TheCoalitionfoundthatthe
smallerthanthal committedto averagecommunitygardencosts$5 a
recreation in any of the other10 largesl squarefoot,comparedb the $50 a
citiesin the world or America.Robert squarefoot the City now spends
Moses,Commissioner of Parksduring devebpinga park.The reason
New YorkCity'sdevelopmental phases, communityfac:ilities are lessexpensive
built 255 playgrounds in New York City is that theyltressthe useof plant
dLrring the I930's.Onlyoneofthescwas materiai,recycling,community
bu ilt Ha rle m.i!
in consttuction, and communily
AugustHecksher was Commissioner maintenance, Bccause of a vcry limited
of Parksduringthe perioddirectly maintenance force,City facilitiesstress
preceding the communitySarden/park structural development that is vandal
movementin the late 1960's.In resistant and costly.As a resultof the
response to his own termas Parks fiscalc risiswhenthenumberof full{ime
Commissioner, Hecksher "l lhink
states, employees dwindledin the Department
it is fairto sayof the Lindsayyearsthat of Parksand Recreation, fewerwork
we werenot primarilyinterested in that crewsare availableto kccp thc
aspectof the smallpark,namelythe parklands freefrom litter,vandalism,
flowersand gardens."Hecksher graffirti,and decay.
explains thatunderMayoriohn Lindsay HavinBdemonstrated theirabilityto
fundswereexpended to develop developand maintaintheirown
Scandanavian style"adventure rccreational spaces, communityefforts
playgrounds," whichwcreoftenmoreof shouldbe promotedand supported by
a sculptor's flightof fancythanuseable theCityastheleastexpensive coursethe
City couldtakc in providinB containedin the invcntorysectionof this
neighborhood recre€tional facilitcs. Thc
gardens miShtnot be asmonumental as The conrputer analyses showed
RobertMoses'achievements, or as preciselyhow the neighborhood
showyasLindsay's playgrounds, buithe residents are usinBthe community
communityspaces suitthe people.lt is gardcnsand parks.Flo\,ergardens
theirown form of recreation, aboundon 75 percentof the siles,nn(l
The Stateand Federal Sovernments veSetable Bardens .rrcbeing( ultiv.ied
golinvolvedin c()mmunity gardening in on morcthan69 perccnt-Treesand
I976 wilh the testprogramfor the shrubsprovideshadeand coloronntore
UnitedStatesDeparlment of thanhalilhelocations. Offeringrestand
Agriculture's UrbanCardening relaxali()narethc I5:l sjttingarc.rs.
Thc
program.The Cilv Sovernment soon Bardens and parks are "greening" thc
follorved,anclsetup Operation BigApplein thoseareasu,hereit needs
CrccnThumband thc IntcrimSite lireen the most.
lmprovcmcnt Program, The importance
of government involvemcnt is rcflected
in a larEieincrease in the numberof Urban Farmers
com m unity gard e n s in n ing
beB in I9 7 8 .
The government beganto inveslits Thatso nranyconrmunitvsp.rces are
moneyin a rvaythat compliments devotedto food proclucli(rn correlatcs
ncighborhood rcsourccs. with the ifveniorvfindingthatone{hird
Theinventory shc^vs a conscrvatively of the garclencrsare involvedfor
eslimated total investment of $13.5 economicrcasons- ll lowersthcir food
million in the communilySardens and billsconsiclerably,especiall),
duringthe
parksthathavebeenestabl ishedto date. summcrmonlh\.Hoovcrlack5onsays
Sweatequity,or community thathe gardens to "eat,to fecdmyseif."
participation, represents 8070ol this Madin Bacheloradds,"the vegetables
invcstment, These smallercclmmunily tastebellerlhanwhenvoubu\rthemill a
facilitesarc laborratherthancapital
tntellstve. New YorkCity'surb.tnfarmcrsfavor
Thedatacollcctcdbythcfieldinterns varietyand gro\, everylhing fron hot
as,'\rellas the statisticalinformation peppersto ChincseveSelables. Duc to
gleanedfrom the questionnaircs wcre lastepreierencc, thereare generally
fed inlo a (omputeral lhe State morecollardsthan lettuccand m()re
University of New Yorkal C)neonla. okrathanonidrs.An'r,rootcr(rpis.r
Aftcrthe information wascompiledat problemin ihe City envift)nmeni
Oneonta,a mastcrlistwas dcveloped be._ausethe soil is shall()rv.
Thoscthat
and the infonnation transfcrred to the atlemplcarrotsor potaloes will h.rrvesl
a
Coalition's AppleComputcr.Thisdata meagerf;rcsimilc of theirrural
basewas then manipulated andusedlcr counterpart.Tomaloes, brussclspftruls
produccthc maps,figuresand charts and broccoli,howcvcr,will hold thcir
\r /R !i ,f .l f, Itl ,t,r.nt.P
 own in thepresence ofskyscrapers. Fruit Althoughgrowingvegetables was
treesand bushesare rare on the City uppermost in the mindsof some
blockbecause they are erpensiveand communrtygardenorganizers, as the
pronetowardsbeingvandalized. But mostproductiveuseof the open space,
corn,whenplantedproperly,will ripen manygardeners cameto feela needfor
in Augustjustasit doesin themorerural landscaping aroundthemthatwasalso
fields.Colderweathercropslike kale morepermanent, and that provideda
andcabbage arestillin theurbangarden livingplant world and recreatjonal
patchesin September, and lchaban facilitiesyear-round.
eSSplants-akind of long,squiggly "Whcn we beganthe Operation
iapanese variety-do particularly well CreenThumb pr0gramit wasstrictJy for
in the smallurbangardens. gardenersgrowing vegetables.But
Many of the problemsthat urltan vegetables look shabbyin the
tarmersiace are not very differentfrom wintertime. TonyAnbnellis,assistant
thosethat plaguesomefarmersin this directorof OperationCreenThumb,
country:poorsoil,verylittlewaterand explains, "To makeIheirsiteslookmorc
development pressure. In additionto permanent and ntoreof a garden,the
removingbricks,glass,and other comrnunitypeoplethat reallycared
unidentifiable matterfrom the soil beganto pushtowardsputtingin more
betorea springplanting,urban treesand shrubs,sittingarcas,and card
gardeners generallyhaveto buy a tables-"
truckloadof soilfrom outsiderhe City, TessaHuxley,director(rfthc Creen
until they can generate enoughplant Cuerillas,recalls,"When the Creen
materialto maketheirown compost. Cuerillasbeganwe thoLrght that allthe
Accordingto theinventory, oneof the gardensshouldbe usedfor growing
biggestneedsexpressedby thc vegetables. We talkedaboutthefactthat
Bardeners wasfor goodsoil.Morethan peopleshouldgrow food and become
half of the gardeners useorganic lessdependent on oulsidesources.,, But
gardening methods.h is cheaperto the localpeoplcsaidthatif ihcywantcd
Sarden without costlypesticides and to growaiewfosesoralawn,theydidn,t
iertilizerandmanyof thegardeners feel wantsomeonelellingIhemn{)ito.
thatthey arealreadyexposedto enough Thatalmosthalfof the
chemicalsin theirenviroment. community-dcvelopcd spacesinclude
Findingusablewateris not as big a passive sitiingareasc()nfirms thata basic
problemas locatinggoodsoil.Although requirement of thc peopleis simplyfor
somegardeners run hosesfrom their greenopenspace.until this needis
kitchensinkto outsidetheirapartment recognized and publicpolicyis shaped
buildings,mostwatertheirSardens by accordingly, thepeoplewill continueto
usingthe nearest fire hydrantas a struSgle ior somespaceto callthcirrNvn.
mid summerirrigationpump.With a
gardenhoseadaptor,the hydrants can
be turnedon withoutaf{ecting thewater
pressure.
CHAPTER SEVEN:
WH ER E

WE
GO
FROM
HERE
Vrfof t.llv.rl I (!.h ll,inkrns the C.r'r,.ti \Lnnetraoth PtoEtan paln drnrs,r ai4 Ha/l

Phrt a.4xtI P h.t) l ]n

Strengtheningthe which,amongotherthings,allowed
menfor the firsttimeto taketheirshirts
Partnership off in the park; yet even with the
loosening of thc parksregulalions, the
The peopleof New YorkCity h.rve community'sinvolvement in the City's
assumed anactiveroleasthesteward! of parkssystemwas not immediately
thecommunitygardens and parks. They encouraSed.
are the creators and thc laborers. They The CommunityDevelopment Block
envisionho$,rubblcfilled spacescan Crantsthat beganto flow in front
beclearedandplanted, andthenrheyd() Washington in the 1970's,openedup
it- Ownerof 75 percenlof the vacant new possibilities. TheCity'sllepaftment
landthat hasbeentransformed into ot Housing,Preservation and
the
Sreenspaces, City has proven to be (H
Development PD),$,hichhas
an importantpartncrin the greeninS jurisdiction overresidenlial City owned
movement.Definingthe City'sattitude properties, initiallyusedsonrcof the
aboutthc futureof thesegardensand federalC()nrmunitv DeveJopment
parksand theextentof itsconlribulion, fundinlito provide peoplein the l{r.al
however,is verydifficult. neighborhoods with accesst.r vacrnt
Earlyin the greeningmovementthe lotsundcrtheirjurisdiction. Much of
City'spoliciesand programs regarding thai vacantland had beenabandoned,
community involvement in the parks but w.rsintenti()nnlly clearcdk)
systemwererigid.AugustHeckshcr, constructnew housingfor kJ\vand
who served asParks Commissioner from moderate-incomc residents.
I966 71,recalls, "One ofthetimesI got Communitypeoplcwere allowedto
the maddestas Commissioner of Parks crealeparksandgardens on someurban
was when I got a reponthatthese renew,al siteswhich wereslirtedfor
communitypeoplewereplantinS housng,but wherethe financingfor the
flowerswithouthavingSottena permit. actualhousingpr(rjects lvasyearsav\,ay.
Theparkmaintenance menweretearing While $,aitingfor thc construclion
up thc flowers,and I wasso furious.lt money,HPD deveiopedunderits
seemedto me the vcry imagc oi InterimSitelmprovement Program96
bureaucracy." "interim"gardensitcsirorn 1976k)
Hcckshcrexplainsfurtherthatthe I 9 8 2 , a t a c o s lo f 9 . J . 6millio n .-
traditionoi the ParksDepartment at that The problemwas thal lhe siieswcrc
time was to havean officialpefmitfor designed by HPDandbuiltby the HPL)
everything. "You couldn'tgo out and contractors, nol bv thc corTtmunilies. As
devclop,or plant,or changc, or improvc ()l
a result,a largenurnber the ' nterim'
anything. I don'tthinkyou wereableto gardcnswerequicklyabandoned or
takea photograph in the parklvithout vandalized. In thc samewa\ that
gcttinga pcrmit."DuringAugust Lindsay's vestpockctparksdid notreally
He.ksh-.r's lerm rs Park's involvethc neighborhoocl pcople,
Commissioner, underMa),orLindsay's HPD's"iftcrim" sitesoitcncdfail-.dto
administration, thc Department of Parks createw()rkablccontmunityprojects.
and Rccrcation drcw up new rules
 AddinSto the problems of desiSnand peopleout and givethema senseof
construction was the ASency's attitude power,and the abilityto fightback,do
thatthe communityis responsible for something positive,they oftengo from
maintaininB the site.Wilhout tools, the gardening effortinto much larger
technicalassistance or a proprietary communitydevelopment activity-The
interestin a site,thatwasdesiSned and communitygardening movementhas
built by someoneelse,therewas very beenthegern of muchlargerthinSs than
littlechancethat thiswould happen. justgardening and openspace."
Four yearslater aftera City report The nonprofittechnicalassistancc
showedthe programhad serious organizations weretirstto succeedin
problemsand the InterimSite workingwith the neighborhood
lmprovement Program was eliminated. residents.City agencies havefollowed
HPDconkactedthe Coalitionand its and begunto integrate lessons
the
membersto developa maintenance learnedinto theiroperations. The
manualand providesometechnical c0fientsuccess of the community
assistance to thosesiteswhere gardeningmovementis due to the
communityresidents werestillinvolved. growingcooperation betwecnboth.The
A Site lmprovement Pro8ram was fundsprovidedby the foundations,
designedand morequalityfacilities corporations, banksand federal
havebeendevelopedin conjunction government scrveasthelubricant, while
with housing, cultural,and educational the community people remain lhe
orSanizations that havethe abilityto drivingforce,and the muscle.
maintainthem.Operation Too muchgovernment involvemenl
CreenThumb, whichoriginallybeganas can smothercommunityparticipation
a leasingagency,o{feringvery little andtoo littlecanstarveit. Whattypesof
technicalor materialassistance, was resources and how much of themare
restaffedwith qualified professionals neededfrom the government,
and redirectedto work with community, privatesectorandnonprolit
communities and providequality institutionsaThosearethe tlvo most
technicaland materialresoorces. With importantqueslions for the future.
an increased budget,it hasbecomethe
mosteffectiveCily programworking
with localcommunities. A Question of Balance
The City hasfinallybegunto
understandthat it is befterto work with I n t h e mid -1 9 7 0 'tsh e c o mmu n i t y
communitypeopleratherthanjustdo gardeninB movementmushroomed in
thingsfor them.Thjsattitudeis helping Cal ifornia. With Comprehensivc
to fostergreaterparticipationfrom the Employment TrainingAct (CETA)
communities, Theprocessof funding,gardenorganizers were
participation is not simplebut it holds hiredto helplocalcommunities develop
manybenefits for the City.KenDavies, and maintaintheirgardens, which in
OperationCreenThumb'sdirector, SanFrancisco numbered over30.When
explains, "lf we can getthe community the bubbleburst,however,with a
discontinuation of the CETAprogram
and a changein Stateadministration,
therewere no longerany paid
organizers.The gardensbeganto
disappear. Today20 remain,thoughthe
San Francisco Leagueof Urban
Cardeners (5LUC)hasbeSunto revjve
communitygardening efforts.
New York City hasmadea goodstart
in thecommunitygardenandparkfield
by decidingto supportratherthan
sponsortheseactivities. Whereasmore
than60 percentof the community
gardens in theUnitedStates during1984
were sponsoredby Bovernment
agencies,'" only I percentof thesitesin
NewYorkCityaresponsored bytheCity
administration. The sourceof funding
for the City'ssupport,however,has
becomeincreasingly worrisome,
When New York City beganto
withdrawcertainmunicipalservices
duringthefiscalcrisisin 1974it started
to usefederalCommunity Development
(C.D.)fundingto supportopenspace
programs. TheInterimSitelmprovement
Program, OperationCreenThumb and
now the LandReclamation Progfam
haveall beenfundedby C.D. alloca
tions.In thewakeof diminished federal
support,
which hasdecreased the City'soverall
C.D. budgeteveryyearsince1981,
thereappearsan everwideninS8ap jn
the federalfundingavailablefor open
spaceprograms. TheCityhowever, now
hasitsownresources available.Withthe
fiscalturnaround, City revenues are
increasing. lf the City is seriousabout
institutionalizing the openspace
programs, il shoulddraw on its
replenished coffersand useitsown tax
levydollarsto supportthem.
Insteadof competingwith the
nonprof it orSanizationsfor private
support,the City shouldbe allocating
moteof itsown moneyfor openspace,
MorethanI3 percentof New YorkCity
consists of gardens and parks.r,Yetthe
City spendsonly 0.7 percentof its
budgetto manageand enhancethis
resource,lo Thatinvestment must
increaseto saveand conservethe parks
heritaSe we have.TheCity shouldnot
turnto theprivatesectorforfunding,but
allow this moneyto be usedby the
nonprofits who continueto providea
testing Sroundfor programs thattheCity
can later integrateinto its operation.
WhentheCityaccepts the integration
ofthecommunity gardens andparksinto
its parkssystem,privatefundingcould
be involved.With thedevelopment of a
for
largeendowment community
maintenance, a balanceof responsibility
and resourceallocationcould be
achieved. The City would protectthe
land;the community,operateand
maintainit; the privatesector,provide
stablefunding;and the nonprofit
technicalassistance groupswork with
all threeto facilitatethe process.
AlthouShthe processmay seem
unusualand somewhatcomplicated, it
istheonlyanswef.Noonegroupcan be
totallyresponsible, and no one hasall
the necessaryresources.lt everyone
participates and lales a proprietary
interestin the c.rmmLrnily Bardens and
parks,thenthereis a Soodchancethcy
willsurviveandeventhrivein thefuture.
SomeRecommendations
Providing
supportfor the community
gardensand parksin New YorkCity
requires moreIhando larsand cents.lt
requiresa visionand a cle.rrplan that
would involvca partnership amongthe
City,the community people, the
nonprofits, and the privalesecbr.
It all beliins$,ithedu(alion-li people
are empo\lerecl to n1.lkea positive
in
ch.rnge theirenvironment, thenth(rse
changcsshouldbc reifforcedin the
schools.Crcativcnutritiofeducation,
expandedaSricultural vocationa
programs and d returrrof lhe scho()l
gadeningprogrnms are all possible
progransfor thc Boardoi Education
undertakc in the iutureto helpchildren
understancl that participation, sharing
and natLreall havea partin theirlives.
Sincethe primar),purp()se for the
creation of thegaKjens andparkswasto
cleanup the neighborhood, the
Department of Sanitationshouldmakea
strongcr eifortto $,orkwith commufity
organizations who are$,illin8to takcan
activerole in cleaninBup their
neighborhoris.The impositionof
hiBherfinesalongw;th closertieswith
the localcommunityand the Poiice
Department to increase enforcement
would helpthe Department thwartthe
dump inSV. a cantlo t cle a n in sgh o u ldb e
quick,completeand coordinated
cioselywith eff{)rts at land reclamation
and gardenand parkdevelopment.
Recentefforlsin thisareahavebeen
encouraging.
The BuildingDcpartmcnt should
increase its monitoringof building
denlolitionto insurethework hasbecn
doneproperlyand thatsiteshavebeen
graded,fcnceserrectedand side\,!alks
kcpt intact.
Commufity residents haveworked
long anclhardto crcateopenspace
facilitiesand in manycasestheir
jnvestment shoLrld be protected. Land
trustsand iong-ternlleaseshave
providedprotectionin the past.These
gardensand parksare providing
neighborhoodrecreational resources
and iheir contributions shouldbe
tecognized as such.The integrati()n of
thesecomrnunity gardensandparksinkr
the cxistingCit,vparksystemis a
necessitv in thefuture,butasyetthereis
no appropriaie mechanism? ln addition
lo incorporatillg lhesefacilitresas
to mappedparkllnd,the Dcpartntent ()l
P.rrksand Recreation shouldinvestigale
the crenlionof a new designation for
communitygafdenand parkfaciiilies,
one which recognizes theirunique.rnd
flexiblenature.
As thc City integratesthe activities of
thc nonprofitgroupsint(rils atiency
operations and supportsthem in the
City'sbudget,the nonprofits-the
catalystfor this movement should
supportthc Cit),'sefforts.The City
shouldcrcatcsmalladvisory gft)upsthat
includethefonproiitpractitioners in the
ficldto assist $ith problenrsolvingand
lutureprogramdevelopment.
Clooperation could rcduccmistakes,
criticisnland the otherprobiemsthat
!\,astemuchtime,en€rgyandmoneyfor
all the involvedparties.
Morc rmportantly, the nonprofits
shouldcontinue theirpioneering efforts.
There.rreneedsthat have not yet been
su(cessfully met.Comnruritydesign, ior
example,rcquircsa betterpafticip.ition
process, in w,hichthesitesaremorefully
designedby the community.Technical
assistance groups.ouldalsostimulate
the involvement of dcsignschoolsand
professional organizatiofs in thedesign
process,for the benefitof both the Althoughthe open spacemovement
communityand the desiBnprofession. hascomea long way, thereare more
We shouldbeginto put more challenges ahead.New YorkCity now
resources towardincreasing public has448 communitygardens. While
awareness ol openspacerSsues. that'svery encouraging,
thereare also
Workshops, trainingprograms, speakers sevenmillionpeoplein our City.That
bureaus, andtourscouldbe expanded. meansthere'sone gardenfor every
A concertedeffort should be madeto 15,817 people.Bostonhasoneforevery
showCommunityBoardmembers, 4,674 residentsj
Philadelphia,
one for
electedofficials,agencyrepresentatives, every4,164fesidents-Sothereremains
and professionals the importance of much morework to be done.
publicpa icipationjn the City'sopen
spaces.New mediumsof Ten YearsFrom Now?
communication, suchas subwayads,
publicservicespotson television and Ten yearsago there were only a
radioandeducational videos, dhouldbe handfulof communitygardens and
exploredas toolsto providegreater parksscatteredthroughoutNew york
understanding to the generalpublic City's tive boroughs.Todaythere are
aboutthe importance of theirCity's hundreds. ln anotherten yearsthere
open spaceefforts. could be none.
AlonSwith greatergovernment Facedwith strongdevelopment
participation theremustbemoreprivate pressures, NewYorkCitydwellersmight
sectorinvolvement if the job is to be loseall oftheiropenspaceresources. To
done,and donewell. Corporations, imagine that,allonehasto do isshuthis
banks,and business shouldunderstand eyesandblockoutall rheavailable light.
thatthe openspaceactivities are not Thatiswhatlifein rheCitywithoutopen
only goodfor peoplebut alsofor spacewould be like.
businesses. Thatmeanstheyshouldthen It mightseeminconceivable thatthe
be supported. Theyincrease realestate peopleof New YorkCity would allow
value, provide activeyoungsters with realestatedevelopers and Cityofficials
creativeoutletsfor theirenergy, to obstructall open views,all natural
enhanceneighborhood desirabilityand light,all connectionwith the natural
stability,aswellascreating betterimage world. Fewpeople,however,think
for New YorkCity.lt's noteasyto give abouttheirurbanenvironment. Fortoo
moneyaway.Thereare realcompeting many,theirenvironment consistsofonly
interests for limitedfunds.Housing, a walk froman apartment buildingto a
healthcare,job traininSand other cab, or a subwaystation,and through
causesall need support.Open space, the revolvingdoorsof yet another
however,is provingjts viabilityas a high rise.
strongpartot communitydevelopment Therearemanypeoplewho feelthat
andshouldbe morestrongly supported. New YorkCitydoeshavea natural
It is quick,cheap,visualand environment that mustbe preserved.
complements manyotheractivities. While they femaina minoritygroup,
 rrli))l (rrrrtar\ apeni.N the.rntrrlr 1! 'Jnre rh. a:rrnir aommrnia (;.ld.r',

tr

'] :

>
lhe,vare a vocalminoritynnd growing
srronller.
Communitygardcners and other
concerncdpcoplcfcel that openspa(es
arc gro\,l,ing
and .han8in8.Somethink
lheywill becomemoretcmporary, thal
lheremilihtnot be openspacein ten
years.Othersbelicvcthatthc trccsand
shrubsthat are plantecl no$,$,ill
continucto gro$,thatthere rvillMopen
spaces if peoplenraketheopportunitics
for ope n sp a ccsto co n tin u e .So me
peoplesav that opcn spaces\\,ill con
tinueto grow in everyboroughexccpt
Manhattan, thattheiriuturerti I rlepend
onthcamountof fundingavailab e fronr
th-oC()vernnrent. 5on1e saythercwill bc
Sains and losses, but on thc whcJlewe
won'l backstep vcry mucll.
Othersrenlizethat thc Citv just
doesn 'lr h a n S ethatquicklv." l hin g s
laketime.lt took Fr-"deri.k Lrw,
O msteadI 6 vcarsto buildCeftralPark.
Wc'vc only beenw()rkingon thesc
community garcl-.ns.rnd pnrksfora short
tifle, andw,edon'ievenhavcthcpower
brokers on ourside,"savsLisaCashdaf.
''l'm a prettypatientpcrson.lexpecllo
be dojnSthisfor a longtime."
MichaelDirzulatis, headof policy
and planningf()rthe City'sDcpartment
ol CeneralSeryices, ieelsthat,"There
rvill bc openspa.esin ten yearsrf the
peoplelhenrselvcs makcopponunilies
ior lhespnccs to continue.fhereshould
be rnorepf vatoeffortsfor publicparks.
Forcxanrplc,N-"wY()rkUniversityis
clcanrngup \\ashifgbn Squ.rrcPark."
EarlBro$,nat lheCitv'sDepartmcnt oi
RcalPft)perlies feelsthatthccommunit)
opef lpnce projccts ar. goingl(r be in
dnnger.'Tcn ye.rrs.r8()|d o n 'lt h in k t h a t \u{l(lenlvnn(l fillcd,,rith f.rmilicswirh
peoplcrcalizedlhe \Lrdden
dcvel.rprrentboom thal ,,vouldtake
place in Manhattan.SLrddenlv hotels
that ouidn't give l()omsa!!ay are
building more "
"l haven'l thoughtab(rutwhat op-on
space$,il] be in tcn years,"savs
FlorenceBond al El Sol Brillanle
Ca(len. 'Bul with al theselarge
buildingsgoing up, therc probably
won't bc a.ly."
"Thinking nbout open spacein lef
vcars rs a \!ofry," s.rysLind.rCillics at
thc Ast()rFoundalion."Over the nexl len
ycars\ re'll nced sonrecreatve thinkin!i
and ( reativeadions.HislorVis n()lreally
in favor of maintainingopcn space."
Hard QuestionsThat
Must Be Answered
''The mainqucstionIh;riwc shouldirll
be askinBrightn(rwis why arewe letting
opporluniticsg(rdown thc draif," says
Liz (lhristyfrom lhe Council on thc
Invironmcnt."Wa' nccd .r nlirstefplan.
We necclbetterlcgislation."
()thers $,onderif thc c()nrmunitv
gartlensand p.rrksare most Lrscfulin
thcirpresentlocati()nHowvaluableafe
the are.rsto the c(rmntunities? H(^v can
cnoughopcn spare be provid-.din those
areascufrcntly under constrLt( tion?
"Opcn spa(:eis.rkifeti( .)rt,"addsLiz
Chrjsty.Pe(rpleshould learn horv to
cvaluateopen sp;t e bec.rusethe necdg
of.()Drmunities<hangcs(rqLrickly.'ln
len yearsthere * ill rrost likely bc less
emphasison veSetablegadens. Ther-.
\\'rll bc m()re multi use parks.A park
burlt ior sefior cilizensmight n()l bc
appftrprintcit the nrca ch.rfEed
sm.rllchrldren."
 PhilipWinslow,a landscape
archilc(t. agrpe\thatopen>pa(ps .hould
be designedthat are non-specificand
durable."ln general, peoplehavebeen
too design-conscious, trendy, and
faddish.Butthe useof spaceschanSes
overtime.We shouldbe lookingat
maintenancein the desiSnprocessthat
is goinSon now."
KenDaviessays,"l'm concernedthat
theseopenspaces only providelimited
gardeningactivity for a few people.As
the neighborhoodsget denser,there is
no questionthat we are goingto need
morespace.Butit hasgotto serveall age
Sroups.
City dwellersmust becomemore
creativewith what they have. How can
they befte.utilizetheir rooftops,or their
waterfronts? "ln ten yearsthe waterfront
will present someofthemostintercstang
openspacepossibilities," saysMichael
Kwartler,an architectand Open Space
Task Forcemember.
MichaelDirzulatisfeelsthat people
shouldaskthemselves how muchthey
arewillinSto payto keepa permanent
i openspace."Someonewill haveto
make a sacrifice,"he says."The City
only haslimitedresources. The
communitypeoplemustconsiderthe
expenses and the maintenance costs
involvedin theirprojects."
Ken Daviesat Operation
CreenThumb alsofeelsthat people
shouldaddress the questionof what is
the City's responsibilityfor providinS
openspaceversusits responsibility for
maintaining it.
"Peopleshouldthinkaboutwho they
can find to helpthem politicallyand
financially,"saysFlorenceBond-She
addsthatthecommunities shouldstand
togetherand glean from their local
resources,
Greeningorganizations shouldlook
at waysto usetheir local resourcesand
becomelessdependent on
philanthropic groups.LindaCillies
adds,"Theyshouldlookat waysthatthe
funds can be generatedby the
gardeners. JeffersonMarketCarden,for
example,is now a membership
or8anization."
On the otherhand,CreenCuerrilla
directorTessaHuxleyfeelsthat the City
Sovernment shoulddo morefor
communitygardeners. "Theyshouldn,t
haveto buy the land," sheexplains.
"The City shouldsetasidepermanent
communityopenspacesfor as longas
the communitytakescareof them.,,
Echoing hersentiments arethosewho
askwhy policymakersare so
short-siShted thatthey selloff long-term
public lands.Theyquestionrhe
violationof city dwellers,',rights,, such
as the needfor sunlight.Many believe
it'svitalto definewhatcity residents do
requireto maintaina "qualityof life',in
theirneiShborhoods.
"The greatquestion, perhapsthe great
fact," musesAugustHecksher, ,,isthat
openspacein thefutureisonly goingto
be developed,as RobertMosessaw in
histime,in conjunction with otherlarge
public works. Westwayis a very good
example.Often theseprojectsbegin
with thesegreatpromisesofopen space
andthenwhenthebudgetcrunchcomes
in they begin to retractthose
immediately."
The TaskForce
Someof the hard questionsthat face
 New York City'sopen spacesystembe
answeredin the near future.The
increasing numberofgardensiteson the
City'sauctionblockforcedmanyof the
people interestedin the retentionof the
gardenstogetherto preparea strong
positionpaperfor the Mayor. "Toward
the Creationof a New York City Open
SpaceTaskForce"was writtenand
distributed by the Neighborhood Open
SpaceCoalitionin April I982, to
documenttheopenspacethatwasboth
alreadylostand threatened and to cali
on the Mayor to set up a taskforce to
beSinlookingat the openspace
resources as an importantCity service.
Thepaperstated that,"New YorkCity
suffersfrom the lack of a
comprehensive,integratedopen space
policy."Realizing theneedfora rational
policy,"The Neighborhood Open
SpaceCoalitionurgesthe creationof a
New YorkCityOpen SpaceTaskForce
composedof professionaland
concernedcitizensfrom the private,
corporate, and governmental sectors,"
The actualcreationof the New York
City Open SpaceTaskForceby Mayor
EdwardL Koch in June19B2,
represented a majorchangein theCity's
attitudetowards its open space
resources.The pressreleasesiatedthat
"The creationofthe TaskForcereflectsa
concernthatthe traditionalmeansof
providingand managing openspace
mustbe augmented by new initiatives.
The Departmentof Parksand
Recreation, the City'smajorproviderof
openspace/manages an enormous
systern but is seriouslyconstrained in its
abilityto fully maintainall o{ its
facilities,
address changingrecreational
demands, and acquirenew openspace
where most needed."
Evenso, the early stagesof the Task
Forcewere not easy.In the beginning,
thepeoplewhowereontheI2-member
TaskForcewhich includes
representatives irom City agencies.the
Mayor,the Comptroller, the City
CounciiPresident, the Coalitionand
privatesectorrepresentatives from the
banking, development andurbandesign
protessions did not know muchabout
oneanother. lt tooktimetofindoutwho
was reallycommittedand who was
theresimplyas an appointee.
As a memberof the TaskForce,Ken
Daviesdirectorof Operation
CreenThumb recalls,"l am veryglad
thatth€TaskForcehascome into being.
I thinkit is goingto be veryvaluablein
havingpeopleat all levelsof
government and all variousagencies
thatareinvolvedon a regularbasisin the
open spacemovementwork together.
The City PlanningDepartment was
somewhathesitantaboutthe TaskForce
at first, but now they have embracedit
totally."
While membersof the Coalirion
wantedto sit down and look at the
permanency issoeimmediately, it
becameapparentvery early that the
Task Forceneededto take a broad
approachto openspacepolicy,and to
seriously consideroverallopenspace
policyand programs. The Coalition
agreedthat the specificpermanency
issues couldbesettled "in thetrenches"
jftheTaskFo.ceworkedtowardanopen
spacepolicyfor the City thariocluded
optronssuchascommunitygardens and
Parks.
The goalof the TaskForceis to
developa methodology forassessing the
 need for open spacein the City and to
developan integrated policyfor open
:parP lhal , ombrne\lhe le.our(e\ol lhe
government,Privatesectorand
community.Theprivatemembershave
raisedthreeyearssalaryfor an
administrative coordinator. TheTask
Forcehasalso received $1 15,000 in
CommunityDevelopment fundinBfor a
three-prongedwork program trom the
City Bovernment.
Thefirstpartoftheprogramwill bean
open spaceneedsassessment tor New
YorkCity neighborhoods, including
criteriaand standards on how much is
needed.The second, cost-benefit
a Ken Daviesadds,"The TaskForce
analysis of open spaceprovisions, will
aftemptto quantify some of the
qualitative benefitsof openspaceand
comparethesewith the revenuelostby
settinSspaces aside.Thethirdstudywill
reviewall the openspaceprogramsin
theCityandthe resources thatarebeing
allocatedfor open space development
and management,
A historyof open spaceprovisionin
I New YorkCity as well as an
I investiSation of openspaceproSrams
J
that are operatingin othercitiesin the
L UnitedStates andaroundtheworldwill
complement thethreestudies. Thefinal
productwill be a report offering
recommendations for the future
The work of the TaskForcewill be
focusedon neighborhoods representing
bothendsofthe spectrum-high density
neighborhoods, wherereaI estatevalues
are hi8h and open spaceis covetedlor
development, as well as low-
development pressure areaswhere
there.isa largeamounlof open space.
"Sincethe TaskForcehasbeenin
i existence,we havecome to regardoul
effortsmote and moreasan oppoftunlty
to reallylookat theentireissueof open
spaceprovision in NewYorkCity,andto
come up with some good long-range
conclusions and recommendationS."
SaysLyndaSimmons,Ptesident ot
Phipps Houses "We should recommend
policiesthatcan hold usfo. the nextten
to twenty years. lthink that everyone
who isinvolvedin theTaskForcenow is
very pleasedthat the group hascome
into existence.We are committedto
working as hard aswe canandasopenly
as we can toSetherto try to make it
wofthwhile."
will confirmthe effortsof the people
throughout the City who havebeen
buildingand workingand mainlaininS
theseopenspacesites.Afterall, thisis a
fledgingmovement whichisiuststartinS
to comeintoitsown. Now thattheTask
Forceisslatedto runforthreeyears,it is
goingto SivetheseSroupsthreemore
yearsof a trackrecordto seewhat really
happens."
The Neighborhood Open SPace
Coalitionis hopingthattheTaskForce's
needsassessment will showth€Citythat
in someof the highdensity
neighborhoods, no morebuildings
should be constructed.They feel that
manyof theCityaBencies havefailedto
perceivethe importance of the open
spaceand too much of the land has
alreadybeensold.Thevacantlandwith
the highestvalues,unfortunately,
locatedwherethe population
is
densityis
I
alreadythe hiShest, in areas like the
UpperWestand the UpperEastSides.
By investigating neiShborhoods that
havea largeamountof openspace,the
Neighborhoodopen space Coalition
hopesto providea rationalefor
includinSit in the redevelopment plans
for the neighborhoods five to ten years
Skcptical feelingshavealsobcen
expressed aboutthe City'sabilityto
formulate stronS policiesregarding open
space.LisaCashd.rn, for one, remains
suspicious aboutthe TaskForceand
feelsthat it couidtoo quicklywhither
and die awayas so manyothertask
forceshavein the past."On the other
hand,"sheadds,"lf, in fact,thisTask
Forcecan take itselfseriously and get
enoughsupportfromwithintheCityand
from influential others,to developa
coherent planandcriteria forwhichsites
shooldbe preserved, it is tcrrifically
important."
"Evenso," Cashdan says,"lt would
bcar eal s h a meifth e TaskFo rce d cc id e s
that noncof the communilysitesis
worth prcserving. lt is a gamble."
"Therewasa lot of city-ownedland
soldoff underMayorWaSner's
adminislration," recallsAugust
Hecksher. "Theysoldoff landin Slaten
lslandand elsewhere bccausethey
wantedmoney.Land,however,can
becomevcry imporlanl, especially now
when communities are underBoinB
chanfieas rapidlyas theseNew York
Cily communitics. We oLrght 11Jbe very
carefulwith the land.But,whateveris
done,oughtto bedoncnotonly$,ithfull
respect for the law,butalsowith a Ercat
dcal of sensitivity bwardsthc
communitics astheyexislnow,.Evenit
the communitysaid,'Lel'shavea very
bigbuildingthcre',stillyotrwouldhave
to ask,'Yes,but what aboutthe
conrmunily tenyearsfromnowwhenall
thcse private lots have been
developed?"
The futlre of New York City's green
open spacesis in limbo.As
developmcnt pressures incre.rse and
the needfor housingintensifies, theCity
mightforcetheDivisionof RealProperty
to selloffthelastremaining openspaces.
Whateverthc TaskForceconcludes, and
whatever is rccommended to Mayor
Koch,miShtnot be strongenou8h.
AugustHecksher feels,"Thereare a
lot of sources ofopenspace,actually,in
thc yearsahead,but the troublewith
openspaceis that in orderior it to Lre
usefulopenspace, it hasto be in thcright
placcin relationship to wherepeople
live,andit hasto servercalneeds. Empty
spaceis not very usefulto anybody
exceptthat il may saveour livesin the
cnd saveus from asphyxiation."
l 7- S l al i sti .alA na !si s of thc Inreri nrS i l e Lm-
provemef t P roS ram, D epartmenl ot H ousi fg
Pr-"servat on and Dcveophenl, Neighbor
hoodOpenS paccC o! i ti on,1982
l8- N.tiona Cadcn Prosr.nnSuNey Report.
Cardenstor A , Bur inglon,VT, 1982
l9 Pdfh rr.l Re.rertio, A Crcar Hernrge,
Depanmenloi P.rrksand Rccrcaton, l98l
20 Iesri ho.y on l he P ropos.d E xccuti ve
B !dgel and C ommuni l v l )evel opm-" nl
B l dgelfor Fi s.alY ear1985.
PARTTWO:
THE
INVENTORY
 requestingthat Coalition member
CommunityGarden organizationsusingthe information
and Parklnventory developedfrom the database, reportany
changesfoundon field tripsor in
Introduction conversations with the gardeners.All
Thissectionof the StruggleFot Space indications point to a steadyincreasein
providesa detailedanalysis of the the developmentof communitySardens
information gathered by the duringthe 1983 growingseaton.
Neighborhood Open SpaceCoalition It is our hope that this reportcan be
duringa six monthfield surveyof usedasa referencefor futureresearchon
communitygardensand parks.The the New York City open spacesystem.
facilitiesanalyzedin thissectionwere The relevanceof theseactivitieswill be
only thosethat have been created, more clearlydefinedas future research
managedand maintainedby local is conductedin the contextof specific
communitygroups.Thisexcludesthe social and demographicinformation
296 "Friendsof the Parks"Sroupsthat availablefor the differentneiShbor-
carefor 255 City parks.'The hoodswherethis phenomenon occurs'
development of communitySardens and
parkson landnotunderthe jurisdiction
of the Departmentof Parksand
Recreationis only a part of a larger
communityopenspacemovement.This
study representsan initial attemptto
documentthe primaryway that New
YorkCityresidentshavegotteninvolved
in improvingopen spacesin their
neighborhoods.lt is our hope that the
activitiesof the Friendsof the Parks
Sroups,HousinSAuthority rcsidents,
and Block Associationsthat plant and
prune streettreeswill also be surveyed
to develop a comprehensiveinventory
of the neighborhoodopenspacesystem.
The informationpresentedhere is a
first-everanalysisof the community
garden/parkmovementthat has
developedin New YorkCityoverthe last
twelveyears.Thestatistics, however,are
by no meanscomplete.They represent
as accuratea pictureas possibleof a
changeablephenomenonat a fixed
pointin time:the 1982growingseason.
An updateof the datawas preparedby
 SITTCOUNT Total Sites 1001
AnalyzedSiles 410

Iable | - SiteCount by Borou1h

Manhattan 103 116 132 248

Bronx 91 94 145 239
Brooklyn 136 139 r98 337
Queens 73 70 r55
Statenls. 7 9 t3 22
Total 410 443 558 1001
Notes land.Sincea completelistingof
TOTALSITTS: community managedsjtesassociated
In total,l00l siteswere includedin with thoseCity agencieswas not
an initiallistofcommunitygardens and available,the 33 were surveyedin an
parksin New YorkCity.Thatnumber attemptto get some idea of how those
was derived from two sources: typesof sitesoperate.The data from
1. A consolidated file of siteslistedby thosesiteswere leftout of the following
technicalassistance organizations analysesso the reportwould focus
and City agencies workingin open specifically
on communitydeveloped
spacedevelopment and and managedfacilities.
manaSement.
2. Siteswhichwerenot includedin any ANALYZED SITES:
of the listsbut werediscoveredin the 410 siles(93% of surveyedsites,or
field, or cited in newslettersor other 41% ofall siteslisted)wereanalyzed jn
publicmediawhile the surveywas detail to producethe bulk of the data
beinSconducted. presentedin this report.The followinS
sections referonly to the 410 Analyzed
SURVEYED SITISI sitesfound to be active in the Summer
A total of 443 slteswere investigated and Fallof 1982,plusany additional
in detailby administering a question- sitesfound prior to Januaryi 9BJ. Sites
naire to a leaderof the com- foundbetween January andMarch1984
munitygroup,and by takingphotos are coveredin the Inventoryupdate
and ratingthe qualityof the site. section,
Thirty-three(33) of the 443 siteswere
foundto be underthejurisdiction ofthe EXCLUDED
SITES:
Department of Parks,or the Housing
Authority.Theserepresenta small Of the 558 Excludedsites,367 (or
sampleof communitygardens andpa*s 66% of the total) were found to be
that exist on non-vacantCity-owned "lnactive".The "Undeveloped"sites
Table-2- ExcludedSitesby Botough
Und€vld. Abandoned
Manhaftan 30 39 9 78
Bronx 53 3B 6 97
Erooklyn 83 6l
Queens 17 t0 I 2A
Statenls. 2 3 0 5
185 t5l 3l
showedlimitedcommunityactivity.At
best,thosesiteswereclearedofdebrisin
preparationfor an active use.The
"Abandoned" sitesshowedno recent
communityactivity,butwerc stillvacant
lots that had the potentialto be
developedinto productiveopen spaces.
"Lost" sitesare thosethat could no
longerbe consideredpotentialopen
spaces. Of the 31 "Lost" sites,1l were
turnedinto parkinglots,4 were built
upon,4 weresoldto ownersforbidding
communityactivityon the lot, and 12
were abandonedfor a varietyof other
reasons(one becauseof toxic wastes
foundin the soil,anotherbecause an
adjacentbuildingfell on the site).
"UnsurveyedParks"representa
portion of a largernumberof sitesthat
are locatedin mappedCity parklandor
HousingAuthorityprojects.Thosesites
were not surveyedbecausea complete
listingwas not availableat the time of
the survey.Accordingtothe Department
of Parksand Recreationthere are
approximately 296 "Friendsof the
Parks"groupsthat work to maintainthe
City'sparks.The HousingAuthorityhas
statedthat there are hundredsof
resident-maintained openspaces
associated with public housinSprojects.
Only 128 of thesetypesof sites(33 of
41 t3 13 2
2B 20 14 5
159 7 f2 198
l9 23 70
0 8 I3
95 96 558
which were surveyedbut not analyzed)
werefound in the originalsitelist'.
The 96 "No Contact" siteswere not
includedbecause a responsible party
could notbefoundafterseveralaftempts
were madeto surveythe site. lt is
assumedthat thosesiteswere no lonSer
activeas communitymaintained or
operatedopen spaces.In a few casesit
was apparent,aftervisitingthe sitethat
theplantrtherewereperennials growing
wild withoutanyoneattending to them.
Obse ations
Therearea numberofreasonswhyso
manyofthe 1001sitesthatmakeup the
initiallistswerefoundto be inactive.
1. Many of the groupsthat requested
assistanceneveractually8ot a site
started.The numberof undeveloped
facilities(i 85) represents 50.57oof
the inactivesites.
2. Many groupsthat do manageto 8et
theirsitesstartedf indout quickly how
difficult it is to maintaina projectand
keepthe group orSanized.The
numberof abandoned sites(151)
represents 417oof the inactivesites.
3. Once a Sardenisdevelopedand used,
it usuallystaysactive.Thenumberof
lostsites(31)isonly 8.5%ofthetotal
inactivesites.
Figure-1
NUMBER OFSITES/COI!
l\ilUNlTY
n ,"".",
BOAHD

f f i" , ,
&,,,"
1, , "" . " "
El *RKs
FiBure-2
SITE LOCATIONSIN
MANHATTAN
Erceptfor thefinancialdistrict(CB-1)
thereis a fairlyevendistribution in the
borough.Thereis a highconcentration
of sitesin the LowerEastSide(CB-3)and
Centraland EastHarlem(CB-l0 and
c B -l 1 ).

[':^m

BRONX
of sites
Thereisa heavyconcentration
in fourof thesixcommunityboardsthat
makeup the "SouthBronx"(CB's1-6).
Theseneighborhoods includeMott
Haven(CB-l),AldusCreen/HuntsPoint
(CB-2),Morissania (CB-3),and
Tremont/B.onx ParkSouth(C8-6).

Figure3
SITE LOCATIONSIN

,.i'*]
SIIE LOCATIONSIN
B F OOKL Y N

5.

BROOKLYN
With the exceptionof Coney lsland
(CB-l3),you can seethat the Northern
halfofBrooklynhas,byfar,themajority
of sites(only13 sitesin CB's7, 10, I 2,
14, 15, and 1B).Thisareaincludesthe
neighborhoodsof Bedford-Stuyvesant
(CB-3), Bushwick(CB-4), EastNewYork
(CB-5), Williamsburg (CB-l), andCrown
Heights (CB'sB and 9).
 J'r "

Figure5
SITE LOCATIONSIN
QU EE N S

Q UE E NS
Thereis a fairlySooddistribution of
in
sites the borough with a few areasof
concentration.Sunnyside Cardens/
Woodside (CB-2) and Corona(CB-3),
havea largenumberofsitesasdoesthe
southeastpart of the boroughwhich
includessaintAlbansand Jamaica.
STATINISLAND
The few community gardensand
parksthat exist in Statenlslandare
locatedprimarilyin the northernhalf
the borou
observations
Thereseemsto bea strongcorrelation
betweenthe overall distributionof the
sitesand commuhitiesthat have
experienced socialor physicaland
economicdisruptions sincethe 1960's.
Thisis probably due to the factthatthe
City hasreducedmanyordinaryservices
suchas sanitation, and parksand
recreationfundinSin thoseareas.This
was especially trueduringthe fiscal
crisis.Other programssuch as the
Departmentof HousingPreservation
and Development's Interimand
PermanentSitelmprovementprograms,
andthe Departmentof CeneralService's
CreenThumbprogramweresubstituted.
{i€3i"o3^',o""
,n
STATEI{ ISLAND
The communitygardensand parks
movementis a self-helpphenomenon
dependent on communityinvolvement,
technicaland materialassistance from
nonprofitorganizationsand City
agencies.Many of theseneighborhoods
containjng thesecommunitygardens
and parksare low-incomeareasthat
havehigh unemployment rates.
Residents, therefore,have a liftle mo.e
time anda greate.motivationto become
involved in theseactivities.Many
privatenonprofitand other programs
(CornellCooperativeExtension,for
example)havechosento focustheir
attentaonin neighborhoodswhere the
need is the greatest.
I

AIEA

SilesReportint 393 Reported Acrea8e 143.35

PercentSample EstimatedTotal Acreage 149.55
Table-3 Arnount of land

R€lil€d NR NR TSI,
i'li sir€r
rNR)
Acrcs
G)
Manhattan 10 3 99 32.52 0.33 14309 4 r.3l 33 .83
Bronx 91 B5 27.56 0.32 1 4 1 2 4 6 '1.95 29.51
Brooklyn 13 6 133 29.03 0.22 9508 3 29.68
Queens 73 69 23.99 0.35 I 5 1 4 5 4 1.39 25.3B
Statenls. 7 7 30.25 4.32 188241 0 0 30.25
Total 410 39 3 143.35 0.36 16117 17 6.20 149.55

Notes rrgure-/
The abbreviationNR refersto those
troups that havenot reponedthe \i7e of
their sites. CITYWbE A|TE gIZEA

Observations
Table-3portraysa relativelyeven
distributionof totalopensprcea( reage
in each of the City's five boroughs.In
general,with the exceptionof Staten
lsland,the averagesitesize is inversely i' E
9 €p
€gaFH
! ; 3! Ee 3
proportionaltothe total numberofsites
:i a-
in each borough.
Thedistributionofsite sizesis related
to the predominanthousingtype in the
neighborhoodswhere the sitesoccur. Citywide,the greatestpercentageof
For example,the high percentageof sitesare2500to4999 squarefeetin size.
smallersitesin Brooklynis due to the This size categoryaccountsfor 23% of
prevalenceof vacant lots that have allcommunity gardens/parks in thecity.
resultedfrom the demolitionof Figure-7illustratesthe citywide
individualstructures in rowsof attached distributionof site sizes.
buildings.Thereare88 sitesin Brooklyn
(66%)that are betweenl0O0 and 7499
squarefeet in size. Most of thosesites
had previouslycontainedbrownstones,
,oJ wood trame row houses.
PRO'ECTTYPE ReportingSites 410
PercenlSample 100

Table1 Numberof Sitesby Prcject ryre

Va.rirlor vrc.d.Lot
Toi:l'[s Crden

Manh. 103 66 t5 8 4 4 I 5
Bronx 91 52 2 2 l 2
Bklyn 136 112 17 I l 3
Queens 73 l0 9 4 t6 2 2 10
Stat.ls. 7 1 2 3 1
Total 410 261 67 19 28 20

Notes Street/Block lmprovement - Creening

CLOSSARY OF PROJECT TYPES
VacantLotCarden-VeSetableand/or
flowergardendevelopedon vacant
property.
Vacant-Lot Park- Multi-purpose open
spacefacility on vacant property-
Thesesitesmostlikelyincludea
gardenareaalongwith otherland
usessuchas ballfieldsand
praySrounos.
HousingComplex- lmprovement of
courtyards,lawnsand otheropen
spaceassociated with non-public
housingdevelopments.
lnstitutionalCarden/ParkCardenor
parkdeveloped in association
with
specialfacilitiessuchas botanic
gardens,healthclinics,homesfor
the elderly,and psychiatric
centers.
RooftopCarden- Cardenon exposed
roofof a building.
SchoolYardCarden/Park- Cardenor
Parkusedas a creativeplay or
learningfacilityfor a schoolor
daycarecenter.
of pavedand unpavedareasalor'g
streetsand adjacentto buildinSs
(plazasand malls).
In manycasesa particular sitemayfit
into more than one projecttype cate-
gory.An examplewould be an orna-
mental gardenon the roof of a pri-
vatelyownedhousinS facilityfor the
Blind (such a gardenexistsin Midtown
Manhattanand the plantsare meantto
be touched,smelledand tastedby the
residents).In sucha case,the sitewas
classifiedin only one of threepossible
categories:as a rooftopSarden.
Observations
The Vacant Lot projecttypesare the
mostcommonsimplybecause thereis
sucha largestockofvacantlandin New
York City. That there are more Vacant-
Lot Cardensthen Parksis partlydue
to the factthat plantmaterialis less
expensive thanrecreational equapment.
Together,the two typesof Vacant Lot
projecttypes represenlB0% of all sites
anaryzeo.
 TheHousingComplexsitesaremore monthswhen plantmaterialmustbe
commonin Manhattanand the Bronx maintained.
wherethereis a largernumberof Thenumberof Institutional sitesseem
multiple-family dwellingunits,and a to be growingwith the awareness ofthe
higherpopulataon density.Thesefactors advantages of horticulturaltherapyfor
accountfor a greaternumberof public the Disabledand Aged.
openspacesdevelopedin housing similarly,thereis increased aware-
complexes. nessof educational and nutritional
The RooftopCardensare most advantages in community Sarden /
commonin Manhattan, which hasthe parkdevelopment for childrenin
highest population andtheleast
density, schools and daycare centers.
amountof opensurfacespaceforgarden Table-S-
and parkdevelopment. Overall,the Percentof Vacant-LotCarden/Parks
numberof communityrooftopfacilities Manhattan 79.6
islowduetotherelatively hiShcost,and
Brcnx 42.4
technicaldifficulties involvedin 94.1
Brooklyn
developingthesetypesof sites Limited 54.8
Queens
accessto rooftopsand questionable Statenls. 42.9
safetyin usingthem areotherreasons
why morecommunity .ooftopsiteshave The ratioof Vacant-Lot Cardens/
not been developed.The majority of Parksto the other projecttypes is
rooftopfacilitiesareprivatelydeveloped greatest in Brooklyn,and smallestin
and maintained by theirownerg Statenlsland.The largenumberof
(penthouses and balconies).The Vacant-LotCarden/Parksitesin
numberof rooftopfacilitiesis currently Brooklyncan be attributedto the fact
increasing. true in
This is particularly thatBrooklynhasmorevacantlotsthan
Manhattan- any other borouSh.AccordinSly,the
Theoverallnumberof SchoolYard activitiesof the DCSCreenThumb and
sitesis relativelylow, probablybecause CornellCooperativeExtensionare more
the schoolyeardoesnot correlate well extensivein that borough.The same
with the growing season.Most schools both
factorsinfluence,to a lesserextenti
are not in session duringthe summer the Bronxand Manhattan.

Table-6- Numberof Acresby ProiectType

va.anG[d vacant ld Housn3 thoo Yad SrftetSlak
Caden Park Comple! CadedPat| lmprovement

Manh. 3 2 .51 27.4 6 3.20 0.45 0.63 0.08 0.34 0.35

Bronx 2 7 .54 1 5 . 2 5 9.52 1. 8 2 0.18 0.03 0.65 0.09
Bklyn. 29.0 4 2t.77 6.97 0.01 0.15 0.r 4
aueens 2 3 .98 9.5 7 4.16 1.05 3.56 0.2s 4.14 1. 25
Stat.ls. 30.25 0.41 3.70 26.O9 0.05
Total | 4].t2 74.4 6 2 7 . 5 5 3.33 t0.61 0 . 36 5.18 1.83
 Noles
The informationin Table-6is based
on 393 siteswhich reportedsite area
(seeTable-3).Thetotalacreagefigureis
slightlydifferentfromTable-1duetothe
recombinationof rounded-offnumbers.

Observa{ions
Of the sevenproject types,the
Vacant-LotCardencoversthe mostarea
in all of the boroughsexceptfor Staten
lslandwhere the InstitutionalCar-
dens/Parksare most extensive.ln each
of the boroughs,the Vacant-LotParkis
the secondmostextensiveprojecttype.
Note that while the projectson vacant
lots accountfor 807, of all sites,they
covet only 7 1% ol the lotaI acrea8e.The
siteswith the smallestamountof total
acleaSeoccur wherc there are greater
limitations in the amountof space
availablefor communitymanipulation
such as rooftops,city streets,and
housinSprojects.
When comparingthe total areaofthe
Vacant-Lotproject typesto that of all
other project typeson a borough-wide
basis,it becomes clearthatthenatureof
the communityin termsof population
and buildinBdensityhasa greatimpact
on the type of open spacethat is
I developed.Thisis illustratedby the fact
I that the bulk of areacoveredby project
typesother than Vacant-LotCarden/
Parks,is found in Queensand Staten
lsland.
 I

I-AND USE SitesReporting 4oG

PercentSample 99.02
I fable-7 - Numberof Sitesby LandUse

i* : 3t
: : j_ ; E
Fi E3 i 2 ;; r ; s E$-s
81 76 6 1 52 28 12 t 5 4 8 12 3l 22
Bronx 62 59 5 1 42 a21 9 9 63 14 1
Bklyn. 1 0 1 ',I09 7 3 44 22 12 t t 6 17 5 71 2
Queens 56 36 4 3 13 4 3 14 5 1l l1
Stat.ls. 623 2- 2 2 J

306 282 231 153 62 50 49 26 32 21 11

Notes while providingimmediate

Most of the sitescontain more than environmental, educational,and
one landusetype Dueto the informal economicbenefits. Crowing plants isan
0e designof the varioustypesof projects, activitythatcommunity residents can be
UN and limitedstafftime in the{ield,it was directlyinvolvedwith. The Plant
impossible to calculatethe amountof materialalsorequireslessinitialcapital
acreageset asidefor each of the investment, and moretime for
Ih individualland usecategoriesThe maintenance, Indeed,in many
5l term "structure" refersto a tool shed, low-incomeneighborhoods where
5C sculpture, arbor,or otherbuilt form' thesegardensare developed,money is
rt Obseivations scarce,and freetime is abundant,
The mostcommonland useis the Of the14typesof landusessurveyed,
FlowerCarden.Citywide,757oof all only threeare not generally foLlndin
siteshaveflower or ornamentalSarden New YorkCity parks.Theseare:
{ plots.The VegetableCarden is the vegetableSardens,barbecueareas,and
secondmost common land use, Sreenhouses. Thispointsto thefactthat
occuringon 69% of all sitesThe third communityresidents are developing
mostpopularuse,occuringon 567. of park-likefacilitiesin theirneigh-
all sitesis land plantedwith treesand borhoods. As mentionedin the site
shrubs.Thefact that plant materialis so distribution observations,this is
commonseemsto indicatethat probablydue to municipal disin-
communityresidents want local vestmentin the existinSCity Park
facilitieswhere they can interactwith system in manyoftheseneiShborhoods
I and manipulate naturalsystems tor It alsosuSgests thatthe existingCity
personalor communitybenefit.Flower parksinventoryis not adequately
gardens,vegetableSardens,treesand meetinSthe needsof those
shrubsmakea neighborhoodlook better communitie5.
MOTIVATIONS SitesR€porting 334
PercentSample 8 1

Table-B- Numbet of Sitesby Motivation

E
Es:EiEi:g E P E
{[ ; I : t '=
i**;sils2o'96
Manh. 86 61 33 27 33 19 15 12 3 9
Bronx 53 3t 24 22 1l 16 14 I 7
Bklyn. 112 a7 35 29 21 35 25 10 3 5
Queens 61 42 20 14 9 9 5 7 l 7
Stat.L 1 l

Total 334 243 9 85 75 4l 2B

Notes
Responses to the question- "Why is
your group developinSthis gardenor
park?" resultedin the following
motivationcateSories:
CLOSSARY OF MOTIVATIONS
Sanitation-to cleanup or beautifythe
neighborhood,and to discourage
dumpingin vacantlots.
Recreation- to enjoy gardeninS,or
workingand playingoutdoors.
Education- to teach children and
adultsabout nature,how food is
grown, and that neiShborhood
cooperationcan accomplirh
somethingworthwhile.
Social to meet with neighborsand
friends,to provide a place for
specialcultural events,and to
discourageantisocialbehavior.
Economic-to savemoneyby growing
food, to reducethe expenseof
travellingto a distantrec.eation
area and to keep up property
values.
Nutrition - to obtain better,more
wholesomefood,andto contribute
to thosein the neighborhoodwho
don't haveenoughto eat.
Organization-torallyarearesidents to
accomplish othercommunity
objectives.The site actsas a
meetinggroundand develops
greatercommunityspirit.
Memorial - to commemoratea
communityleader,public
personality,or group of
individuals.
Other - Any mentionthat does not fit
into the abovecategories(physical
or mentaltherapy,art/culture,
safetyfor children, nature,
conservation,and prayer).
Obs€rvafions
Thereis a surprisingsimilarityin the
groups'responsesin the different
boroughs.TheexceptionisStatenlsland
where only one of the sevengroups
respondedto this particularquestion.
The most frequentmotivation
reportedwas Sanitation(73%).fhis aaeimportantbecausethey are places
correlateswell with the most common where peoplecan get to know their
landuse-flowergardens, which make neighbors.there are picnics,parties,
the neighborhoodlook better.Perhaps dances,and other social activitiesthat
this is relatedto the fact that regular take place in thesefacilities.In
sanitationserviceshavebeenreducedin Manhattanthe Socialmotivationwas
the areaswhere the gardensexist. In mentionedasoftenasRecreation {38%).
addition,trash haulers,awareof the Economicmotivationswere the fifth
largeamountof vacant land, have mostfrequentlymentioned(22%).This
dumped thousandsof tons of garbage is surprisinSto manyofthe practitioners
and constructionwastesthere to avoid in the field who assumedthe Economic
payingthe tipping feesat the landfills. motivationwas more common in the
Thesecondmostcommonmotivation low income areassuch as the South
is Recreation(36%).The growinSof Bronx, and the Lower EastSideof
flowers,vegetables,treesand shrubsis Manhattan.The high percentageof
considereda form of passiverecreation Sroupsreportingan Economic
(althoughmost gardeneBwould argue motivationin Brooklynseemsto be due
that it is "active" recreation).Sifting to the activitiesof Cornell Cooperative
areas,ballfields,lawns,and Extension, thegrowingof
which stresses
playgroundsare all recreationalland vegetablesratherthan flowers,has a
uses.ln thewakeof severereductionsin veryactivenutritioneducationprogram,
the Departmentof Parksand and hasbeenworking in Brooklynsince
Recreation'sbudSet,it appearsthat 1976.
thesesitesare a grassroots effort to
develop and maintainrecreational
facilitieswhich are closeto home.
The third most common motivation
reportedwasEducation (28Vo\ .v ery lew
schoolshave continuedthe gardening
programsthat were prevelantdurinSthe
1950'sand 1960's.Parents, particularly
thosewho cameto New Yorkfrom rural
areas,are developinggardens/parksto
teach their children the benefitsof
working with nature.Thesefacilitiesare
often catalytic in that they are visual
symbolsof successfulneighborhood
cooperation. Thiswould alsoexplain
why the Organizationalmotivationwas
included in I B7oof the responses.
Socialmotivationsrankedfourth
Citywide(25%).Thisseemsto verifythe
feelingthat communitygardens/parks
 SilesReporting 364
ACTIVEPARTICIPANTS ReporledNumber 9,343
PelcentSamDle 89 EstimatedTotal Numbel 10,462

Table-9
lori
ReDoninr Numb.r
1T) (R) (R)

Manhattan 103 97 2,662 27.44 2,827 27.02

Bronx 91 73 1,3 8 1 18.92 18 341 1, 7 2 2 16.46
Brooklyn 136 122 2 ,522 20.67 l4 289 2,811 26.47
Queens 73 66 2,299 34.43 7 244 2,543 24.31
Staten15. 7 6 479 79.83 1 80 559 5.34

Total 410 364 9,343 25.67 t1t9 10,462 100.00

Notes
The term "Active Participants"refers
to the numberof individuals closely
involvedin the seasonal or continual
maintenanceof the open spacesite.
Somegroupshavemoreaccuratemeans
of countingthe numberof active
participants thanothersdo.Thesmaller
groupsknewexactlyhow manypeople
were involved.For largergroups,the
number reportedwas often a rough
estimatecalculatedat the time that the
surveywas given.Thatnumberwas
sometimes derivedby countingthe
peoplewho pay duesto usethe site,or
by countingthe numberof individuals
who maintainvegetable plots.
Whenevera rangeof activeparticipants
wasgiven,the lowernumberwasused
to keepall calculations conservative.
Thefigures do not includethosepeople
who may participate on a lessthan
active basis.
Theterm "NR" refersto thosegroups
that did not reportthe numberof active
participants involvedwith theirsite.
observations
Table-9illustratesthe distribution of
active participantsby borough.The
numberof participants represents.I39{,
oi the total Citywide populationbased
on 1980Censusfigures. Noticethatthe
greatest percentageof participants
are in
Manhattan which is the mostdensely
populatedof all the boroughs(96
persons/acre of community
gardens/parks). Activeparticipants in
Manhattanrepresent .187.of the
borouBh's totalpopulation, the highest
percentageof any borough in the City.
FiSureB showsthe numberof active
participants Citywideby Community
Board.
 FiEUre-B

PABTICIPANTS/COMIVUNITY
BOARD
E ,ro.* ru
fl ,"-'o "eo+.
x,".,.,"..".,
".o",.
L*"*".o"..
I """*****
SPONSORSHIP SitesReporting 410
PercentSample 100

lable-10- Numberof Site'by T\pe ot Spon'otingOrSdni/ation

S.hd / Reigious Unafiiliared Healih P'ivare

YouthCrcup Inniu on

Manh. I03 4935735211

Brcnx 91 38 26 6 11 1 2 5 I 1
Bklyn. 136 93204563122
Queens 73 48954-3 3 1 -
stat.ls. 7 t5r-
Total 410 ))9 95 23 23 12 t0

Notes claimsponsorship for a singlesite.The

CLOSSARY OF SPONSOR TYPES one that exercises the most
Civic Association - BlockAssociations, responsibilityfor maintaining the
tenantgroupsand socialclubs. cohesiveness of ind ividuals who usethe
PrivateNonprofitOrganizationAny site,eitherby holdingmeetings,
nonprofitorganizationother than organizing resources, or obtaininga
thosementionedabove.Includes leasefor the usergroup, is considered
universities, technicalassistance here to be the sponsor.
organization5,daycarecenters, Respondentsoftenselectedmorethan
specialinterestSroups,etc. one categoryto identifythe primary
School/Youth Croup- OrSanization sponsor. The mostdistinguishing
sponsoring forchildrenor
activities characteristicof the sponsoring or-
teenageas, ganization determines i-
its classif
ReliSious Institution Group cation.Forexample,a sitespon-
associated with a religious soredby a Cirl'Scouttroopwas
congregation. identifiedas a School/Youth Croup,
Unaffil iatedCroup- Non-organized eventhoughit may alsobe thoughta
groupof individuals. Civic Association, or a Nonprofit
HealthInstitution - Croupassociated OrSanization.
with a hospitalor clinic. Sinceso manygroupsconsidertheir
PrivateBusiness For-profit sponsors to be bothCivicAssociations,
commercialinstitution or and NonprofitOrganizations,the two
assocratron, categoriesare combinedfor purposesof
PublicAgency- City, State,or Federal analysisinto a Civic/Nonprofit
agency. cate8ory.The remainingsevensponsor
Theterm"Sponsoring Organization" typescomprisethe "Othe/' category.
refersto the most active organization
associated with a particularsite.In Observations
severalcases/ morethanonegtoupmay Citywide,the Civic/Nonprofit
,ponsorship ty,pe
accounts for 797.ofall the New York City Human Resources
sites.Theproportion of Civic/Nonprofit andthe New YorkState
Administration,
sitesto the "Other" sitesissimilarin all Departmentof MentalHygiene.
five of the boroughs. Table-l1 Percent
of Sitesby
Figure-9 Sponsorship
TYPE/NUI'BER
SPOI{SORSHIP OF 6lTC3

I CivicAssociation
cv,crNoNPRoF,r 57 14
23 12
H o*en
School/YouthCroup 6 16
Religious
Institution 6 3
PublicAsency 1 50
Other 7 5

The distribution of the seven Notes

sponsorship typeswithin the "Other" Table1l compares thepatterns ofsite
categoryvariesgreatlybetweenthe sponsorship in New York Cityto the
boroughs.Among the sevencategories UnitedStates as a wholc.The national
the greatestnumberof siteswere found perccntages comefroma Callupsurvey
to be associated with Religious whichdcfinedthevarioussponsor types
Institutions (particularly in the Bronx), somewhat As a result,some
differently.
and School/Youth Croups.Eachof discrepancies do exist.Forexample,
thosetwo sponsorship typesaccoontfor mostsitesin New YorkCity received
approximately 670of all sitesCitywide. supportfroma Cityagency(primarilyin
Therewerea significant numberof the form of a CreenThumb lease),but
Unaffiliated CroupssponsorinS sitesin they are not "sponsored"by the City.
Manhattan andBrooklyn- Typically they Observalions
are characterized by a smallgroupof Unlikeotherareasof thecountry,the
neighborswho have stakedout areasof publicsectorof New YorkCity has
a vacantlottogrowgardenswithout any chosento supportratherthan sponSor
specificarrangements to use the communitygardensand parks.This is
property.A few of theseSroupshad jmportantin establishing a proprielary
initiallystartedwith an annuallease intereston the partof the local
throughthe CreenThumb program. community.Therewas a very high
However,after failingto meet the failurerateof sitessponsored and de-
proSram's basicrequirements, sLlchas veiopedby the Department of Hous-
filingfor renewalofthe lease, the Sroups ing Preservation and Develop
weredroppedfromthe program. Those ment's(HPD)InterimSiteProgram
groupswho havecontinuedto usethe because the programdid not get
site are consideredto be squatters. the communityinvolved.Now that
The publicaSencies that were agencywill developsitesonly if thereis
reportedas sponsorsinclude: the New a strongcommunitySroupwillinSto be
YorkCityDepartment ofSocialServices, the sponsor.
 OWN ERS HIP SitesReportin8 410
PercentSample 100

lrbl.-l) - \uml,cr at \i,c. b) LJr ner'h,p i )pp

New Yo* communiiy Private
rorrltner city oqtrizrior nd vidual

101 73 b 3 8 5 I 43
Bronx 91 71 4 5 6
Brklyn. 116 3 4 3 l 4 4 43
73 4A B 6 2 5 ! 2-
StatI 7 :l 2

4t0 308 21 17 17 t6 12 t0

Notes
CLOSSARY OF OWNERSHIP TYPES
New YorkCity - City-ownedland
underthe jurisdiction of the
Depl.of CcneralServices,
Boardof Education, Dept.oi
HousingPreservation and
f)evelopment or Dept. of
HiShwa),s
CommunityOrganization - Land
ownedby communitylandtrust,
housingcooperative, or
homesteadinB Broup.
PrivateIndividual Privateproperty.
PrivateHousinS PropertybelonginS
to a privatehousingdevelopment
(not a cooperative).
State/FederalCovernment Public
propertyunderthe jurisdiction
Federal Agency,NewYorkState,
quasi-public agency.
Observations
Citywide,75E ofall sitesarelocated
on City-ownedland.Mostof the
City-ownedproperties were previously
trashfilledvacantlotsthat havebeen
developedas vacant-lot gardensand
parks(82%).Theremaining 127oofsites
on City property are locatedon traffic
easements, school property,or other
non-vjcantparcels. The secondmost
commontypeof ownershipis the
CommunityOrganization, which
accounts foralmost67.ofall sites.At the
time this reportwas beingprepared,
severalsitesthat are presently on
City-ownedlandare the subjectof
negotiations thatcould resultin a
transfer of ownershipto Community
of organizations, or privateconcerns.
or Figure-10
OWI{ERSHIP/NUiIBEROF SITES

ReliSious - Property
Institution
belongingto a religious
6Bc X N E W YOR KC r Y
conSregation.
LocalBusiness Property ownedby
El ornen
for-profitenterprise.
NonprofitInstitution Property ot
priv.rte;nonprofit organization
?2
includingschools,hospitals, i1
loundatrons.
Notes Statenlsland,whereapproximately43T,
Figure-l0comparesthe numberof ofthe sitesare City-owned.Thoseratios
siteson City-ownedland to all other indicatewhere the effortsof the
ownershiptypes. municipalprograms, namelythe DCS
CreenThumb, and HPD'sInterimSite
Observations lmprovementProgramshave been
The ratioof siteson City land to concentrated,
"Other" ownershiptypes is hiShestin
Brooklyn,where 88.57oof the sitesare
on City-ownedproperty,and lowest in

Table-l3 - Numberof Acresby ownership Type

Tdal New York community Privare Privat€ stare/F€d€al Religio0s Ldal Nonpoft
Boough Ciiy O[anizarionlndividua Housins Ca€rnment Indirution susin6s tn$irdion

Manh. 32.52 24.86 .74 .25 .54 .09 .t3

Bronx 27.56 24.1 9 .9s .13 1.82 .o7 .40
Bklyn. 29.O3 25.70 .47 .18 1.9s .27 .18 .29
Queens 23.99 17.04 2 . 9 7 .48 1.O7 1.44 .40
Stat.Is. 30.25 3 .75 2 5 . 5 4 .41 ';
Total 143.35 95.54 30.67 t.O4 3.43 9.63 1.16 .BB . 97

Notes constitutesthe third most extensive

Table-13describes ownershipin
termsof area (acres).The area data is
basedon the 39t sitesthat reportedthat
type of information(seeTable-3).
Obseryations
Thedist.ibution
of areaby ownership
is somewhatdifferentthan the number
of sitesby ownership.Of the total area
coveredby communitygardensand
patks,67%is City-ownedproperty.
The secondmost extensivearea is
ownedby CommunityOrganizations.
The majorfactorin Community
ownershiphas been the effortsof the
Trustfor PublicLand.The Trusthas
established24 land trustsin New York
City coveringapproximately30 acres.
Communityownership accounts for just
over21%ofthe totalarea.Landowned
by New YorkStateand Federalagencies
ownershiptype (6.77o). The remaining
typesof privateownershipmakeup 5%
ol the area,
Figure | 1
OWNERSHIP/TOTAL
ACREAGE
Thetotal areaofCity-ownedproperty
represents a smallerproportionthan the
numberof siteswould suggest. The
communityownedsitesin Statenlsland
are quite large,and makeup a
disproportionateamount of area,
therebyreducingthe overallpercentaSe
of City-ownedproperty.
SITEACI SitesReportint 397
PercentSample 97

Table-14- Cumulativesite Age(years) fable-|5 Nunbet of Sitesta/t UPs

by Year
516 Toral
Manh. 101 349 3.4
Bronx a7 377 3 .1 1942 52 I 3.10
Bklyn. 13 0 408 3 .1 1981 55 13.85
Queens 73 633 8 .7 r980 92 23.17
Stat.ls. 6 23 3 .8 1979 14.36
1978 51 12.85
lot al 397 1790
1977 23 5.74
1976 21 5.29
Noles Before 1976 11.59
Theterm "cumulativeyears" refersto
the total numberof yearsthat the sites 397 100.00
havebeenin existance priortol982 For
example,threesitesthat startedin 1980 Noles
would havea cumulativeageot six The term "Before 1976" represents
years. the aSSregateof all the community
gardensand parksdevelopedbefore
observations The oldest
1976,and still in existence.
sitesin QueensandStaten
In general, sitesarepartof the SunnysideCardens
lslandtendto be older becausethey are Conservancy,which consistsof seven
not on vacant,City-ownedlots which CourtAssociations thatwereoriEinally
were recentlyoccupied by buildings. establishedbetween1927and 1928.
Many of the sitesin thoseborouShsare
locatedon landthat was intendedto be observations
open space,as part of institutional The greatestpercentageof siteswere
propeftiesor as traffic easements- reportedto have startedin 1980. This
may be due to the combinedeffortsof
the CornellCooperative Extensionand
the Department of CeneralService's
OperationCreenThumb.Both of those
pro8ramswere being reviewedat that
time and may havemadean exka effort
to increase the numberof sitesthey
served continued
to helpjustify funding.
true in Brooklynand
This is especially
Manhaftanwhere thoseorSanizations
haveconcentratedtheir efforts.
Figure-]2illustratesthe numberof site
start-upsby borough.
 figure 12 BEFOBE'IS76-1942
SITE DEVELOPMENT/CITYWIDE

'!

E S :99B A E q
ts;:;;E:E doi i; Ao!o@ o- N o

6
j uruurrm d ; otrEENs d

Observations subsequently becamemuch more

Of all the boroughs, (lueenshasthe effectiveat providingmaterialand
mostconstantstan-upratethroughthe technicalassistance versusjust issuing
years.Perhaps that is a resultof the eases.Therefore,the "boom" of
relaliveabsence of the CreenThumb startups in 1980 represents actual
programin that borough. start-upsof proceeding years.This
The46 sitesdeveoped beforeI916 woLrldaccountfor the apparent
represent the cumulativestart-ups ot decrease in startups in 1981tor
several years.An apparent declinein the Manhattanand Brookyn.
rateof start'ups in 1976in someol the Thefigurebelow illustrates the
borouShs is therefore deceptive. numberof sitesthat were reportedto
ln 1977therewas decrease
a in the havebeenstarted overthe periodoften
rateof startupsin Manhattan. Thismay years.
be due to an increase in development
pressures whichnade it moredifficultto Figure'13
obtaincity propertyfor a community
garden/park. In.rddition,the formation Ten Year Start"UpRate
of OperationCreenThumb, and the
StreetTreeConsortiLrm, plusthe
reor8anization of the CreenCuerillas
mayhavedivertedtheattention of open
spaceactivists awaytrominitiating new
[]o
sitesin that year.
while rnanysitesstartedby the 2N

CreenThumb pro8ramobtainedtheir
leases 980,rnany of themwerenot
in I
activeuntil a yearor two later.This is
consistent with the factthat C)peration
CreenThumbwas restaffedand
restructured in 198081, and
 Costs
In an effod to qLrantifythe resources
and laborthatwentintodeveloping and
maintaining eachsjte,fourtypesof data
werecollectedin the field survey:
l. InitialCapital
2. AnnualCapital
J. Numberof HoursWorkedperWeek
4- A8e of the project
Fromlhosefour elements, eighlcost
categories weredeveloped lseeFig.I4).
CLOSSARY
lnitialCapital(tC)- Reported initial
expense oi developing thephysical
stfuctureoi Ihe site.
AnnualCapilal(AC)_ Reportedi982
estrmate ot capitalexpenditure for
materialusedto maintainlhe site.
TotalAnnLr.rl Capital(TAC)- Annual
CapiLrl(AC)muJriplied by the
numberof ycarsthat lhe project
had beenin existence.
AnnualSweatEquity(ASE) Estimated
costof iaborin mainlainingthcsile.
Reported numberof hoursworkecl
per week nrultiplie.lby the
m r nrmumwa g e(9 3 .J5 ),
and by the lengrhof
the growingseason(24 weeks).
TotalSweatEquity(TSE) - Annuil
SwearEquiry(ASE)multipliedby
thenumberofyearsthattheproject
hasbeenin existence.
AnnualMaintenance (AM) Annual
Capital(AC)idded to the Annual
Sweattquity (ASE).
TotalMlintenance lTM)-Total Annual
Capital(TAC)addedro the Totai
SweatEquity(TSE).
CrandTotal(CT)- Overallcosr{orthe
proleclcalculatcdby adding
the InitialCapitalCon (lC)lo the
TotalMainten.rnce (TM).
Notes
All costfjguresare basedupon
estrmatesderivedfromnumbers citedby
the individualssurveyed in the field,by
inspectionof the site,and by figures
reportedby technicalassistance
organizationsand City agencies. The
accuracyof the figuresis influenced by
the followingfactors:
l. Somefiguresmay havebeen
overstatedeitherbecause the
separatccosicategories oveilap,
or because thenumbers havebeen
exaggerated by the respondentto
rmpress the surveyinterviewer,
2. Figuresreportedfor individual
srtesmay havebeenunderstated
becausefactorsthat aredifficultto
quantity(suchas amountof time
worked)may not be takenfully
into account,or because
respondents reducedfigureswith
the intentionof leveraging
additionalfundsfrom the survey
Inlervtewelsorganization.
3. Thegenerallackofdocumentation
otcostsforcedthosewho reported
datato makeroughestimates,
often"ballparkfigures',. Some
respondents would not even
attemptto quanlifythe resoLrrces
that went into developing their
site.As a result,the percentage of
sitesrepodingcostdataislessthan
for othertypesof analyses
presentedin this report.
4. As w;th any of the an.rlysesin this
report,whenevera rangelvas
givenby the respondent, ihe
lowest reasonablefigureswere
used.ln effect,allcost estim.rtes
presented in this reportm.rybe
considered conservative.
figure 14 -
Flow Chart of costs

TOTA LA N N U A L
CAPITAL C A P ITA L
(AC) (TAC)

M AIN T EN AN C E I

SWEATEQUITY
(ASE)

Ctaphic illustrationof the reiationships

of the typesof costfiguresand how rhey
Table-|6 - Summaryol ReportedCostJ

An.lal Ann6l ToratAn.ual

Capnd S@alEquiryMainr€nanc€ CaDilat

Manh. 1 ,1 5 7 ,1 4 2 54,a70
592,7A7 647,157 r79,4t0 3,090,1551,269.565
Bronx 1 ,3 1 4 ,3 6 5 17,505
411,163 428,66A 330,496 1,42A,1411,756,617 3,O73,002
Bklyn. 33,644 622,372 656,020 227,526 3,697j6 5,291,558
Queens 451,22s 52,795 59A,O11 650,606 90r, 5 8,562,705 9,463,420 9,915,045
Stat.ls. 174,460 4,OO0 142,46A 146,46A 26,600 r,061,838 r,088,438 1,263,294

Total 4,?64,236 r62,318 2,366,801 2,529,119 1,665,1491A,O40,225

19,705,174
21,969,610

Notes the cost effectiveness of the community

Table-16providesa summaryof all
the reportedcostdata.Eachtypeofcost
is examinedin detailin the following
pa8es.
Obs€rvations
Accordingto the Centerfor
LandscapeArchitectureEducationand
Research,the total costsof providinga
reSularpark is made up of 20% initial
capital investment,and 80% fal
maintenance expenditures. The U.S.
Departmentof lnterior'sNational Park
Service costestimatesare15%forinitial
capitaland B5%for maintenance.
Table-16 showsthatoverall,the averaSe
costsof providingcommunity
garden/parks are 187ofor initialcapital,
and82%for maintenance. Thispointsto .
garden/parksystem.The major cost of
thefacility'smaintenance isconlributed
by neiShborhoodresidents.
In thisstudymaintenance costsare
derivedfrom two measures;Annual
Capital,which is the costof materials,
and Annual SweatEquaty,the cost of
volunteerlabor. lt is interestingto note
that the reportedTotal SweatEquity
amountsto 92% of the Total
Maintenance,and 75% of the repofted
Crand Total investmentin the
communitygarden/parksystem. This
reinforcesthe critical role that local
citizensplay in New YorkCity,sopen
spacesyrtem.
INITIALCAPITAL (IC)
R€portingSites 264 ReportedTotal $4,264,236
PercentSample 64 EstimatedTotal $6,709,810

Table-17- lnitialCapital(lC)

Manhattan 103 64 1,157,142 18,080 39 705,120 1,862,262

Bronx 91 54 1 , 3 1 4 , 3 6 5 24,340 37 900,s80 2,)14,945
Brooklyn 136 a9 1,166,644 13 , 1 0 8 616,O76 1 , 7 8 2 , 7 2 O
Queens 73 51 4 5 1 , 2 2 s 8,8,18 22 194,656 645,881
Statenls. 7 6 1 74 , 8 6 0 2 9 , 1 4) I )9 , 1 4 2 204,OO2
Total 410 264 4,264,236 16,152 146 2,445,574 6,709,A10

Notes
InitialCapitalcostsincludeall
one-timeexpenses appliedto the
originaldevelopment of the site.These
expenses includetheclearingof thesite,
providinga fence,plantmaterials,
lumberfor raisedbedsand benches,
tables,signs,technicalassistance, etc.
Of all costdata,the figuresfor sites
developedby the Department of
HousingPreservationand Develop-
ment'sInterimSitelmprove,
mentprogram/and the Depart-
mentol CeneralService'sCreen-
Thumbprogramarethe mostaccurate-
Table-18analyzesCostsof the HPD
lnterimSitelmprovementProgram.

Table-l8 HPD lnterim SitelmprovementProgramCo5ts

Percent Avs Con Avs. Cod
Cla$ifi.ation

Active Sites 62 2,677,636 76 Jt.81 58 43,148 84,176

InacliveSites 24 5 r5 , 5 5 3 t5 I4.08 26 2 l, 4 8 t 3 6 , 6 1 6
tost Sites 2 42,490 I o.62 I 21,245 64,532
UnsurveyedSites 11 247,197 B 7.99 t5 26,109 35,945
Total 99 f ,522,876 100 54.50 100 15,5B5 64,640

A standardformula was usedto oevelopment.

estimate the lC for sitesleasedthrough
the DCSCreenThumb Program.5 Those
estimateswere basedupon a rating
givento eachsiteby the CreenThumb
staff,andon actualsitereconaissanceto
assessthe degreeof physical
Mosl of the sitesthatCreenThumb
rated"1" werenot includedin the
inventory,but were counted as
"Excluded"sitesin the "Undeveloped"
cateSory.
 improvement projects
and institutional
Table19 DCS CreenlhurnbCosts which requirelesscapitalto develop.
Altho0ghManhaftan, Brooklyn,and
I (MinimumDevelopment) $ 250 Queenshave relativelylow averagelC
investments, theirAnnualCapitalcosts
2 (SomePhysicalDevelopment) 500
are hiSherthanin the Bronxand Staten
I (HishlyDevelop€d) 1000
lsland(seeTable20).Thisshowsthatthe
sitesin the Bronx,andto someextentin
2 50 Statenlsland,tend to have greater
SlTts Soil(18 CubicYdt 600 emphasis on InitialCapitalratherthan
Lumber s00 AnnualCapitalexpenditures.
Trees& Shrubs 750 ThefollowingFigurecompares
250 averaSelC by site and by land areafor
eachborough.
LARCT SmallFence 500
SITES Larg€Fenc€ r,0 0 0 Figure-l5
INITIALCAPI-IALCOSTS
soil (38 cY) 1,200
Lumber 1,0 0 0
Ifees & Shrubs 1 ,50 0
250

Observations
Of allthe boroughs, Statenislandhas
the highestper siteavera8eIC. The
reasonfor this is relatedto the fact that
Statenlsland's sitesarelargerthan those
in other boroughs,and thereforerequire
morecapitalper siteto develop.
TheBronxhasa relatively hiShlC per
site- nearlytwice that of Brooklyn.
Thismay be due to the activityof the
South Bronx Open SpaceTaskForce
which operatedbetweenthe yearsof
1978and 1979with a largecapital
budSet.The Bronxalsohasa high
numberof HPD lnterimSitelm
provements which were heavily
capitalized.
The low averagelC in (lueensis
explainedby thefactthattherearefewer
vacant-lotproiectswhich tendto be
more capital intensive,and more street
4tt22
5E; ! e
EdE,
FigureI5 a6ovecomparesaveraSe lC
costbysite,andbyacreage. Theaverage
costperacrewascalculated usingonly
thosesitesthat reportedboth lC and
acreagefiBures.Thedifferencebetween
the two linesreflectsthe averagesizeof
sitefor eachborough.MultiplyinSthe
averaSelC per acreby the averagesite
sizeyieldsfiguresthatareverysimilarto
the averagelC per site.Thisexplains
why the average costper siteis highef
than the averagecost per acre in Staten
lsland.The averaSe sitesizein that
borou8his 4.32 acres.
ANNUALCAPITAL(AC)
TOTAL ANNUAI. CAPITATfiAC) (AC) (rAc)
R€po ing Sites 219 ReportedTotal 162p1A 1,665,149
PercentSample 53 lstimated Total 300,996 2,954,409

Table-2j - AnnualCapital(AC)
R@d€d R@d€d Avsas€
iir6 Cot Coe Sil6
(R) (iv) (iav) (NR) 1E)

Manhattan 10 3 49 54,370 1,110 54 5 9 , 9 4 0 1 1 4 ,3 r 0

Bronx 91 17,505 473 54 25,542 43,O47
Brooklyn 136 BO 33,648 421 23,576 57,224
Queens 73 50 52,795 1,D56 23 24,2A8 77,043
Statenls. 7 3 4,000 1,333 4 s,332 9,332

4r 0 219 162,318 741 l9 l 138,678 300,996

fotal AnnualCapital(TAC)

Manhattan 103 49 't79,4'^|O3,661 54 197,694 3 7 7, 1 0 4

Bronx 9l 37 330,496 4,932 54 482,328 al2,424
Brooklyn 136 BO 227,524 159,264 386,792
Queens 73 50 901,1 15 18,022 23 414,506 1,315,621
Statenls. 7 3 26,600 8,867 4 35,468 62,064

410 219 1,665,149 7,603 I9t 1,289,260 2,954,409

Notes Numberof participants- Sites

TheAnnualCapital(AC)accounts tor
all expenditures in l9B2 for obtaining
plant materials,tools, construction
materials,and any miscellaneous items
neededin the maintenance of the sites.
The TotalAnnualCapital{TAC)is the
capital coststhroughthe life of the
project,assumingthatthecostsfor years
previousto 1982weresimilar.
Ob6€rralions
Thereseemto be four variablesthat
effectthe AC investment:
1. Sizeof the site- the largersites
requiremoreAC thanthe smaller
sites.Statenlsland hasthe largest
sitesand the hiShestPersite AC
costs,
witha largernumberof peoplecan
afford higherAC investmentsif
they are sharedamong the
participants.Brooklynand the
Bronx have the lowest numberof
participants,and the lowestAC
costs.
InitialCapital(lC)- Siteswith
larSerlC investmentsneed less
annualcapitalinvestment.
Brooklynandthe Eronxbothhave
thehighest numberofHPDInterim
Sitelmprovements (34each),and
the lowestAC costs.The Bronx
alsoreceivedinitialdevelopment
resourcesfrom the SouthEronx
Open SpaceTaskForce.
ANNUAL SWEATTQUITY(ASE)
TOTAL SWEATEQUITY(TSE) (ASt) GSE)
Reportint Sites 3o2 ReportedTotal 2,366,801 14,040,225
PelcentSamDle 74 EstimatedTotal 3,259,205 23,441,O45
Table-21- AnnualSweatEquity IASE)
Av.dge NR NR
c6t 5il6 c6t
lr) (t)

Manhattan 103 79 592,787 7,504 24 r 80,096 772,483

Bronx 9l 59 411, 1 6 3 6,969 32 223,OO8 634,171
Brooklyn 136 102 622,372 6,102 34 207,468 829,440
Queens 73 57 598,O11 10,491 16 167,856 765,867
Statenls. 7 5 142,468 28,494 2 113,976 256,444

410 102 2,1 6 6 , 8 0 1 7,837 108 892,404 3,259,205

TotalSweatEquityftSE)

Manhattan 10 3 79 3,0 9 0 , 1 5 5 24 938,744 4,O24,939

Bronx 91 59 1,428,141 24,206 32 774,592 2,202,7
33
Brooklyn 13 6 102 3,897,386 38,21O 34 1,299,140 5,196,s26
Queens 73 57 8,562,705150,223 16 2,403,56810,966,273
Stalenls. 7 5 1,0 6 1 , 8 3 82 1 2 , 3 6 4 2 424,736 1,486,574

lot al 410 302 ta ,o4 o , 2 2 5 5 9 , 7 J 6 1 O 8 5 , 8 4 0 , 8 2 02 1 , 8 8 t , 0 4 5

Notes
Sweatequity is a measureot human
laborquantifiedin termsof dollars.The
AnnualSweatEquity(ASE)fiSure
attemptsto accountfor the amountof
workthatwentintomaintainingthe sites
during1982.lt was calculatedby
multiplyingthe reportednumberof
hoursworkedperweekbytheminimum
wage($3.35), andtheminimallenSthof
growing season(24 weeks).The Total
SweatEquity(TSE)is the productof the
ASEmultipliedby the numberof years
eachsitehasbeenusedas a community
open space.Forlack of a beftermethod,
it is assumedthat the amountof time
spentmaintaining eachsitein 1982was
constantthroughoutthe life of the site.
Obs€rvations
The averaSeASEis rouShly
proportionalby boroughto the average
number of participantsby borough.
While Statenlslandhasthe highest
averageASE,it also hasthe highest
numberof pafticipants per site.But/
becauseStatenlsland has the fewest
numberofsites, itstotalASEisthelowest
of all borouShs.
The only exceptionto the rule is
Brooklyn, wheretheaverage numberof
participants
isslightlyhigherthan thatof
the Bronx,but itsASEis lowerthanany
otherboroughincludinBthe Bronx.
Ahhoughthe Bronx hasthe fewest
participantsper site,this sugSests
that
more time per panicipantis spent
maintainingthe sitesin theBronxthanin therestofthegroupalong.Thissuggests
Brooklyn. thatmore
Table22 illustrates a needfor moreemphasis on
time per personwasspentworkingin the communityorganizing skills.
sitesof the Bronxthan in ar]yother
oorouSn:

Table-22- AverageParticipantHours
\lorkec! Per Week

3.1
Bronx 4.6
Brooklyn i. 7
Queens 3.8
Stalenlsland

Thefollowingobservation may be
explained by examininS unemployment
rates,and assuminS that unemployed
peoplemay havemoretime to spend
maintaining theiropenspaces. Although
the 1982annualrateof unemployment
washiBherin Manhattan (l I .7%)thanit
was in the Bronx(10.47.),the South
Eronxarea(CommunityBoardsI to 6)
whichcontains74.47.of the borough's
sites,had an unemployment rateof 17.4)
Regardless of the relativelvhlBh
proportionoi 5\,eatequitvrn the lotll
costs,the levelof citizen'sinvolvernent
in d e velo p inBand main t a in intgh e
garden/park sitescouldbe greater. In a
latersectionof this reportwhefesite
ratinSsare examined, the rnajorit)oi
garden/park sitesarehighlyratedin all
ratinBcategories.However,107. oi the
siteswere ratedfrom fair to poor in
communityparticipation. Mostof the
groupswould admitthat theirsiteis
bettermaintained with greater
involvement of the Broupmembers. ln
manycasesSroupsnaveone to lour
dedicated activeindividuals who "pull"
ANNUATMAINTENANCE (AM)
(TM)
TOIAL MAINTTNANCE (AM) (TM)
SitesReportint 338 Reported Total 2,529,119 19t7ls,374
Per(ent Sample A2 EstimatedTotal 3,560,201 26$3s,440
Table23 (AM)
AnnualMaintenance
Reponed E\iiddted Enimaren
AC ASE

54,370 592,787 647,157 114,310 772,883 847,193

Bronx 1 7 ,505 411,1 6 3 428,668 43,047 631,171 677,21a
Brooklyn 33,648 622,372 656,020 5 7 , 2 )4 829,840 887,064
Queens 5 2 ,795 598,0 1 1 650,806 77,OA3 765,467 84),950
Statenls. 4,000 142,46A 146,464 9,332 256,444 265,776
Total 162,3 1 82 ,366,8 0 12,5 2 9 , 1 1 9 3 O O , 9 9 63 , 2 5 9 , )O 5 3 , 5 6 0 , 2 O 1

Total l\4aintenance(TM)
tsrimared Enrmaied
T5r

Manhatlan 179,410 3,090,r

ss 3 7 7 , 1 0 4 4,028,939 4,406,O43
Bronx 330,496 1 ,424,1 4 1 1, 7 5 4 , 6 3 7 812,824 2 , 2 O 2 , 7 3 33 , O 1 5 , 5 5 7
Brooklyn 227,5 2 4 3,897,346 4 , 1 2 4 , 9 1 4 386,792 5,196,526 5 , 5 8 3 , 3 1 8
901,1I 5 8,562,70s 9,463,820 1 , 3 1 5 , 6 2 110,966,27312,281,894
Statenls. 26,600 1,0 6 1 ,838 1 , 0 8 8 , 4 3 8 6 2 , 0 6 8 1,486,574 1,544,642
Total 1,665,1
49 18,040,22s19,74s,37
4 2,954,40923,881,04s26,815.454
Notes with lowerACexpendhurestendto have
TheAnnualMaintenance (AM)is the higherASEinvestments, andvice versa.
sumof the AnnualCapital(AC)and the AnnualSweatEquitylASE)represents
AnnualSweatEquity(ASE). h is n 91.57.of the TotalMaintenance (TM).
measure of thetotalcostof maintaining Thiscoofirmsthefactthatthe success of
a sitefor 1982.TheTotalMaintenancc communitySardens /parksdepends
(TM)is the sum of Iotal capital(TAC) primarilyon the involvement of local
and the TotalSweatEquity(TSE)- lt is an residents.
estimateof the totalcostof maintcnance The TM for (lueensis much higher
throughthe life spanof thc site. thanany of the otherborbughs, while
the AM in alueensis only the third
Observations highest.Thisis due to a greaternumber
Thefeis a surprisinSsimilarityin the of oldersitesin (lueens.Forexample,
EstimatedAM fiSuresfor the five seven(lueens'sites, locatedin the
boroughs.In fact,the differencein Sunnyside Cardenscommunity,have
EstimatedAM betweenManhattanand eachbeenmaintained for55to 56 years.
Brooklyncomesto only $l29. This Thosesitesaccountfor nearly
a generaltrendwhereareas
indicates $1,000,000of the TM.
CRANDTOTAL(CT)
ReportingSites 368 ReportedTotal 23,969.610
PercentSample 90 EstimatedTotal 33,545,264

Table-24- Ctand Total (CT)

*.fJ, *?"1*
Manhattan 1 ,1 5 7 ,1 42 3,269,565 4,426,707 1,462,262 4,406,O43 6, 268, 305
Bronx 1 ,3 1 4 ,3 65 1,75A ,637 3,071,002 2,214,945 3,015,557 5, 230, 502
Brooklyn 1 1 ,1 6 6 ,644 4,124,914 5,291,558 1,742,720 5,583,1r8 7,366,034

Queens 4 5 1 ,2 2 5 9,463,820 9,9r5,045 645,881 12,241,494 1 2, 927, 775

Statenls. 174,460 r,088,438 1,261,294 204,002 1,544,642 1, 752, 644

4,264,236 19,705,374 23,969,61O 6,709,410 26,A35,454 33,545,264

Notes
Thefiguresin Table-24represent the
sum total of all cost data reported
includinS the "time factored"estimates
which attemptto accoLintfor costs
throughoutthe li{eof the sites.Only
357. of the sitesreportedcompletecost
data. The 90% samplerefersto those
sitesthat reportedat leastone of the
analyzedtypesof cost data. Therefore,
the remainingI0% of the sitesdo not
contributeto the CTC at all.
The CrandTotalcost(CT)is
calculatedby addingthe InitialCapital
(lC)reportedby 264 sites,and the Total
MaintenanceCost (TMC)reportedby
338 sites(153of which reportedeither
AnnualCapital(AC)or AnnualSweat
Equity(ASE), but not both).The
estimated CTC is the sum of the
estimatedICCand the estimated TMC.

obseryations
Sweatequity,or the laborof local
communityresidents,represents75%of
the CrandTotalcostof the community
Sardensand parks.
SITERATINCANAT}5IS ReportingSites 218
P€rcentSample 53
Table25 SiteRatingAra/ysiJ

234
7 1 1 2 7 19 10 2 2 0 )5 1 1 t 3 l 7 )7 3 0
Bronx 5 1 4 1 4 11 I 12 17 12 4 2 4 22 20 2
Bklyn. 1 15 31 25 5 3 21 37 14 1 I 40 24 5
aueens 463 2 J 7 )l I 49 )
T ot al 13 4 4 B 0 58 2 l 96 0 8 t 4 1 2i 4 20 9t 8l 18

Manh. 8 15 21 1 5 1 l l '15 26 20 t0
Bronx 4 14 )3 I I 8 22 14 6
Bklyn. t5 3 8 1 6 4 6 2 1 3t+ 16 2
aueens 2 12 l 1 8 ll
Total tB 4 6 96 40 1B l0 4 6 9 0 5 l t9

Table'26 Numbero/ -siteJRatedby opinionsbaseduponthe following

Borcugh standard description5:
r Plant(-)uality(Conditionof plant
Manhattan materials)
Bronx 50 1. Desolate or weedy
Brooklyn 79 2. Sparse plantinBsbetweenweeds
Queens t5 and rubble
Statenlsland 0 3. Partiallyplanted,someweeds
4. Fullyplanted,healthygarden
Total 214 garden,diversityof
5. Showcase
species
Notes . PhysicalStructure (Conditionand
A qualitative ratingsystemwas amountof physicaldevelopment)
designed andusedto examinef ivetypes I Unimprovedlot
of sitecha.acteristics. Eachof the 2. Slightimprovements,siteclearedof
characteristics wasratedon a scaleof 1 debris
to 5, where5 represents the highestlevel 3. Somefunctional development; soil
o{ quality.The ratingdeterminations cover,fencing,grading,plotslayed
were left up to the surveyer'ssubjective out
 4. Secondary development;Suchas
benches,tables,pathway,tool
shed,greenhouseetc.
5. Fullydeveloped,well designed
functionallandscape,sound
structures
3. Organizedgroupwith minimal
Sroupaclrvrly
4. Someorganizedgroupactivities
and eventsotherthangardening
5. LargeactiveBroup,frequentevents,
outsideactivityencouraged

r Cleanliness r Access(Opportunity for public

1 Trashed, dumpingground accessibility)
2. Messy,liftle effort to clear site 1. Catealwayslocked,few keys
3. Slightlylittered available to restfictedmembership
4. Clearof refuse 2. Cateusuallylocked,rarelyopento
5. lmmaculate, manjcured p u b lic
3. Opento publiconlywhenmember
. Participation
(Levelof community present
activity) 4. Usuallyopen to public
1- No visiblesiSnsof community 5. Alwaysopen,no fence,or gate
act|vrty neverlocked
2. Individualefforts,no organized
group

Table-27- Percentof Siteswith Ratinesof "3" and Above

75 . 7 70.3 90.4 68.9 76.7

Bronx sB.0 66.0 88.0 64.O 84.0
Brooklyn 79 . 7 69.6 a7.3 73.4 6 5. B
Queens 73 . 3 ll.l 100.0 86.7 80.0

Tolal 73.0 67.4 89.0 7o.6

Observations gardento park ratio (excludinSStaten

PlantCluality:Brooklynhasthe lslandwhich hasmoreparksthan
highestoverallratings. Thisis probably gardens).
due to the extensiveactivitiesof the Ratioof Yacant-LotCardensto
CornellCooperative Extension and the Vacant-LotParks
DCS CreenThumb programs. ln
addition,Brooklynhasthe highestratio
Manhattan 4.4
of vacant-lot
Bardens to vacant-lotparks.
Bronx 2.2
Thegardensitesaremore intensjvely
Brooklyn 6.6
plantedthanthe parksites.
(?ueens 3.3
TheBronxhasthelowestplantquality
Statenlsland 0.5
rating,and accordingly the lowest
 PhysicalStructure:Thehighestratings The AverageCommunity
are in Manhattan, and the lowestin Garden/Park
Queens.The reasonsfor this may be Whilethereis no suchthingasa truly
relatedto Initial capital costs(lc). typrcalcommunityopenspaceprotect,
Manhattan's average lC isthe highest of the statisticsbasedon the previous
all boroughsexceptfor the Bronx.(Take analysesallow one to presentthe
note however,that the Bronx has the followingcharacteristicsas a
lowestAnnualCapitalcost,meaninS hypothetical"averagesite".
that the physicalstructuresof the sites NEWYORKCITY'S
have probablydeteriorated). AVTRAG€ COMMUNITY CARDTN/PARK
Accordingly, Queens'lC is lowerthan
all borouBhs exceptfor statenlsland. SiteSize . 5,225squarefeet
In addition,Queenshasa greater (. 1 2a c re s )
percentaSe of projecttypesthat require ProjectType Vacant Lot Carden
lessphysicaldevelopment (Skeet (640/.)
lmprovements, lnstitutionalSites). LandUses FlowerCarden(75%);
Cleanliness:All of theboroughs have VegetableCarden(69%);
high cleanliness ratings.This Treesand Shrubs(57%)
correspondswith the primary Motivations Sanitary (71%);
motivationCitywidebeing Recreation (36%)
"Sanitation". ActiveParticipants -25.7
CommunityParticipation: Thelact SponsorshipType Civic/Nonprofit
that Queenshasthe highestrating OrSanization (B0o/")
matchesthe fact that it also hasthe OwnershipType City of New York
greatestaveraSenumberof participants \7 5o/.)
persite.Thiswouldalsoexplainwhythe Age ol Site 3.5 years
Bronx has the lowest participation
ratings. CO5T5
PublicAccess: Thegreatest numberof InitialCapital $t 6,365
high ratingsare in the Bronx,and the AnnualCapital 734
leastare in Brooklyn.This may be AnnualSweatE quity l,e4s
explainedby the field observation that CrandTotal $16,7s6
thereare more fencesand lockedgates
in Brooklyn,and fewerin the Bronx. Noles
AnnualCapitaland AnnualSweat
Equityareaddedtogether to derivethe
AnnualMaintenance cost,The Annual
Maintenance is multipliedby theageof
thesiteandaddedto theInitialCapital to
arriveat the CrandTotal.
5amplerrolect rrottte
One
The Dome Proiect
Upper West Side, Manhattan
The Dome ProiectinitiallybeSanin
1976one blockeastof theexistinB site.
In I978 the garden /park was moved to
its cufientlocation-The new I0,000
square-foot City-ownedvacantlot was
leased for$1.00peryearuntilI981 bya
youthorganization caliedthe Dome
Project.Since1981the sitehasbeen
withouta leasing arrangement because
the City wantsto put the land uP tor
auction.
Therehasbeenmuchpublicpressure
to retainthe siteasan openspace/and
negotiations are underwayto transfer
control of the siteto the Boardot
Education.
Over theyearsthe sitewasdeveloped
withtheassistance oftheCouncilonthe
Environment's A-Lotprogram.
Plant The
esiimated valueo{ materials,awards,
workshops,and stafftime providedby
the Councilamountsto $25,000.The
Dome Projectraisedat least$1,500
towardsthe initialproiectcost.The
AnnualCapitalcostis approximately
$200 which is providedby awards
granted by theCitizen's Committee, and
by feeschargedfor horticultural
workshops offeredby CornellCoop-
erativeExtension and the Hofticul
turalSociety.Manurewasdonatedby
the ClairmontStables which is a few
blocksaway.
Approximately 90 hoursof laborper
weekwas providedby two summer
youthprograms; The Neighborhood
OpenSpaceCoalition's youthproSram
fundedby ChaseManhattanBank,and
the SummerYoLrthProgramfunded by
the New YorkCity YouthBoard.Six to
ten adultsare regularlyinvolvedin
maintaining the site.Eachschoolyear
morethan 1000childrenfrom local
schoolscometo the siteto learnabout
gardenrng.
A Beodesic dome greenhouse is
locatedin the middleof the siteand is
surrounded by a lawn.In the backare
benchesand picnictabies.Vegetable
andflowerplotsarelayedout alongthe
site'sedges.The motivations for
developing the sitewere:education,
sanitation and organization.The site
was rated45444.

COSTsANALYSIS
InitialCapital(lC) $26,500
AnnualCapital(AC) 200
{nnurl \wedl Fquilv.ASFr 7,236
(AM)
AnnualMainlenance 7,436
5 years
TotalAnnualCapital(TAC) r,000
TotalSweatEquity(TSE) lu 8!
lordl Varnlenan(
e \TM) 37,180 37 , 1 8 0
CrandTOTAL(CT) $61,680

SampleProject Profile
Two
Union ProspectElock Assoc.Garden
Morlisania, Bronr
In the Springof 1979the Union
Prospect BlockAssociation established
a vegetablegardenon a City-owned
vacantlot with an annualCreenThumb
lease.Thesiteis 3,500squareteetand
contains20 raisedbedsof vegetables
andflowers(7plotsare100sq.ft.,13are
40 sq.ft.) Thereis a smallsittinSarea
with tablesand benchessurroundedby
fruit trees.
DCS CreenThumb providedthe
fence,soil,trees,tools,andwood forthe
raisedbeds,benchesand tables.They
COSTSANALYSIS
Initial Capital (lC)
AnnualCapital(AC)
AnnualSweatEquity(ASE)
AnnualMaintenance (AM)
A8e ot Site
TotalAnnualCapital(TAC)
Total SweatEquity(TSE)
Total Maintenance(TM)
Crand Total (CT)
alsoprovidedhorticultural in
assistance
cooperationwith the Horticultural
Societyof New York.Thetotalestimated
contributionby CreenThumb is $7,668
includinS$1,000for staff-time.The
BronxFrontierDevelopment
Corporationdonatedone truck-loadof
compostworth $75 (wholesale).
The siteis maintainedby 20 Block
Association members eachpayinS
the
$l.50 in monthlyduesthroughout
year.ThisAnnualCapitalamountsto
$360 per year.Eachmemberworksat
leastfive hoursper weekduringthe
growinBseason.
The motivationsfor maintaining the
recreation,
siteinclude:sanitation,
socialand organizational.The sitewas
rated43343.
$7,743
360
.q,04
8,400
4 years
1,44O
12,t99
3_l.qso
$41,341

Sample Project Profile
Three
Sumptel SlreetCarden
Bedford Stuyvesant,Erooklyn
In 1979,the SumpterStreetBlock
Association obtaineda one yearlease
for a 7,500 squarefoot vacant lot from
the DCS CreenThumb program.The
groupturnedthe trash-filled siteinto a
gardencoveredby rows of a wide
varietyof vegetables.
While the CreenThumb programcan
providethematerials needed to develop
a successful community Sarden,the
SumpterStreetBlockAssociation
preferredto be self sufficient.
CreenThumb reportsthat theydid
COSTSANALYSIS
Initial Capital (lC)
AnnualCapital(AC)
AnnualSweatEquity(ASE)
AnnualMaintenance (AM)
Age of Site
TotalAnnualCapital(TAC)
TotalSweatEquity(TSE)
Total Maintenance(TM)
CrandTotal(CT)
deliver24 cubicyardsof soilvaluedat
$384.
The group recycledscrapwood from
the siteand nearbylotsto build a low
picket fence with a gate that is never
locked.Seeds, tools,fertilizer,
andother
materials weredonatedby residents of
the block.ThreeBlockAssociation
members havebeenworkinganaverage
of 12 hoursper week,and they often
spenda wholeday at a time with their
familiesin one of the two sitesthey
maintain.No morethan$50 is spent
eachyearfor supplies.
Thegardenfeedsthreelargefamilies,
andthesurplus isgivenawayto children
in the neighborhood who cometo play
and help out in the garden.The
motivationsreportedfor developingthe
sitewere: recreation, education, and
nutrition.The sitewas rated32335.
$ 1,384
$s0
2,494
2,944
4 years
200
11,576
11,776 11,776
$ 13 , 1 6 0
 Sample Project Profile
Four
12th Street PreschoolPlayground
Windsor Terrace,Brooklyn
Theplayground wasbuiltin 1980on a
4,350squarefootCityownedvacantlot
acrossthe streetfrom the l2th Street
Preschool.The site was designed,
funded and constructedby the
Departmentof HousingPreservation
and Development'sPermanentSjte
lmprovementProgram.
The initialcostof development was
$36,000.NeitherHPD or.theagency
COSTSANALYSIS
Initial Capital (tC)
AnnualCapital(AC)
AnnualSweatEquity(ASE)
AnnualMaintenance (AM)
Age of Site
Total Annual Capital(TAC)
TotalswearEquiry
(TSEI
Total Maintenance(TM)
Crand Total (CT)
that sponsorsthe school,the Human
Resources Agencyfor Child
Development,havemadeprovisionsto
maintainthe site.Theschool,sjanitor
spenosten hoursper weekmaintaining
the playground.Approximatelyg200
from communitydonationshasbeen
spenteach year to replacestolenor
vandalized equipment.
More than i00 childrenusethe
playground,someof whom are not
studentsof the school,but live in the
neighborhood. The motivations
reportedfor maintainingthe site arel
sanitation,
recreation,education, and
social.Thesitewasrated23432.lt hasa
serjousdrainageproblem;water
collectsbeneaththe playequipment.
$36,000
200
$
804
1,OO4
J years
600
2,412
3,012 ] pt 4
_ $39,012

SampleProject Profile
Five
QueensBotanicalSeniorCarden
FlushinB,Queens
The QueensBotanicalCarden set
asidean areaadjacentto its Sroundsin
1974for seniorcitizensto grow their.
own vegetables. The65,340sq.ft. (1.5
acres)landfillsiteisownedby New York
City and has been vacantsince it was
partofthe siteofthe 1964World'sFair'
The gardenis divided into 62 private
gardenplots(each6' x I5') andseveral
largecommunityplotswheretheseniors
grow corn, squashand apPletrees.
Thereare three lawnsand a siftingarea
coveredby a pavilion.
COS]S ANALYSIS
Initial Capital (lC
AnnualCapital(AC)
AnnualSweatEquity{ASE)
AnnualMaintenance (AM)
Age of Site
Total Annual Capital(TAC)
Total SweatEquity(TSE)
Total Maintenance(TM)
Crand Total (CT)
The Initial Capitalwas providedby
grantsfrom the New York StateCouncil
on the Arts, and the Natural HeritaSe
Trust.AnnualCapitalis providedby an
annualgrantof $3,000plusother
one{ime Srants. In 1982the Sarden
received$100from the Citizen's
Committee's Mollie ParnisDress-Up
Your NeighborhoodContest.
There arc 73 memberswho PaY
annualduesof $10 each.All members
work at leastninehoursperweek.Other
assistance includingworkshopsis
providedby the Cornell Coop€rative
Extension,and the Queens Botanical
Carden'sstaff.
The motivationsassociatedwith the
SeniorCardenafe: sanitation,
recreation, andsocial.Thesite
nutrition,
was rated44453.
$ 6,000
$ 8,000
s4,270
62,270
9 years
72,OO0
48j1]9
560,430 560,430
$566,43O
SampleProjectProfile
Six
SerpentineArts and Nature Commons
SerpenlineRidge,StatenIsland
Homeownerswithin the Serpentine
Ridgeareaand along its perimeter
formedan organizationin 1978to save
1l acresof hilly,ecoloSicallyfragile
landscape.Theirgoalwasto protectthe
area and keep it open for passive
recreationaluses.ln 1981the group
incorporated,and with the technical
assistanceof the Trustfor Public Land,
and otherorganizations,theyformedthe
SerpentineArts and Nature Commons
COSIS ANALYSIS
Initial Capital (lC)
(AC)
AnnualCapital
AnnualSweatEquity(ASE)
AnnualMaintenanceiAM)
Age of Site
TotalAnnualCapital(TAC,
TotalSweatEquity(TSE)
Total Maintenance(TM)
Crand Total (CT)
Over the lastfive yearsthe group has
beencomprisedof30 to 60 dues-paying
members($4/year).The five officersof
the groupeachdevoteat leastsix hours
per week (30 hours)to raisefunds and
worktowardsestablishingthe landtrust.
Approximately$20,000 was raised
from foundationtrants to pay for the
planningand desiSnof the project.The
group was alsosupportedby the Staten
lslandCouncilontheArts,theMud Lane
Preservation Society,and the local
CommunityBoard.The Trustfor Public
Land providedpro-bonotechnical
assistance includingapproximately 150
hoursofnegotiationand 40 to 50 hours
of legal sewices.The group spends
about$6,000peryearforrealestatetax,
insurance and supples.
$30,000
$ 6,000
2,412
8,412
5 years
30,000
12,060
42,060 42,OQO
$72,060

SurueyMethodologY
ln Julyof 1982two researcners,
workinSunderthe directionand
supervision of the Neighborhood open
SpaceCoalition set out to gatherall
availableinformation on the devel_
opmentand maintenance of New
YorkCity'scommunitY gardensand
parks.The first stepwas to develop a
"sitejile". Sitelistsdatingbackto
1979 were Satheredfrom the
followingsources:
PRTVATE NONPROFIT TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE ORCANIZATIONS
r Bronx FrontierDevelopment
Corporation
I Cornell CooperativeExtenslon
r Citizen'sCommittee for New York
City
r Councilon the Environment of New
York
r CreenCuerillas
r HorticulturalSocietyof New York
r HousingConservationCoordinators
. Trustfor PublicLand
CITYACENCIES
r Departmentof CeneralServices,
u reenIn u mo
r Departmentof Housing Preservation
and DeveloPment, Interimand
Permanent Sitelmprovement
Program
The listswereconsolidated into an
indexcardfile which was arranged
borough,color codedand organizedby
zip code.Eachcardcontained thename
organization,a
of the sponsoring
number,
contactnameand telephone
siteaddress and the source
if available,
of the information.
As the site listswere being Sathered,
the following open spaceexpertswere
consultedre8ardingthe preparationof
the surveyquestionnaire:
john Ameroso- Cornell Cooperative
Extension
NoelleBrisson- Department of City
P la n n in g
LisaCashdan - Trustfor PublicLand
Liz Christy- Councilon the
Environment of New York
CraceFisher - Citizen'sCommiftee for
New YorkCity
Kate Hogan Lower EastSide
Cardeners
TessaHuxley- CreenCuerillas
The questionnaire was designed to
gatheras broad a rangeof detailed
information as possible.Our major
considerations wereto developa format
thatwould be easyto administer in the
field, and to define the tYPeof
information thatcouldbeobtained from
the projectcoordinatorsThe form was
field testedand refined(seeques-
tionnairein the followinSpages)
Realizing the low PercentaBe ol
returnsnormallyleceivedtrom a
mail-outquestionnaire, the
Neighborhood Open Space Coalition
decidedthat as manysitesas possible
shouldbe visitedand surveyedin the
field.One tesearcher spokewith the
project leaderand filled out the
questionnaire, while the othertook
photosand measuredthe site Later it
by was foundthat moresitescould be
inventoriedif the tlvo survey
interviewers splitup andvisitedd ifferenl
sites.A thirdresearcherwas addedto the
teamsothat,on adailybasis,one person
could remainin the officeand
coo.dinatethe nextday'swork
 Wheneverpossible,contactwas
madewith a projectleadertoarrangefor
a meetingat the site so that the
questionnaire couldbe administered in
person.When a field interviewwas not
possible,a researcher visitedthe siteto
take photosand determinethe site's
qualityrating.The questionnaire was
then deliveredto the contact personif
possible,and the interviewwas
conductedby telephone.
Sjtesthatwerenoton anyofthe lists,
but were found by the researchteam
while in the field were investigated to
identifya contactperson.lf nonecould
be found,a callingcardwas leftat the
site, or with a neighbor.The card
requestedthat whoeverwas involvedin
maintaining the site,contactthe
Coalition.
Approximately70% of rhe
questionnaires for active siteswere
administered inthefieldwiththeproject
leaderof the group that developedthe
site. In rarecaseswhere a second
questionnairewas completedby
anotherindividualassociated with a
particularsite,someminor
discrepancies in the information
receivedwerefound.Mostnotablewere
the differencesin sourcesand amounts
of technicalassistance and materials
received.Other factorssuchas amount
of time spenton the site or numberof
people actively involvedwere also
difficult to determineprecisely.In fact,
somerespondents were unableto come
up with any specificnumbersat all.
When unsureof specificfacts,the
respondentswere encouragedto give
reasonableestimates.lf that was not
possible,the item was left blank. The
numberof sitesrespondingto each
question(aswell as an estimate
for the total sample)is described
in the beginningof eachof
the sectionspresented.
It is very difficult to get statistical
information from communityresidents
becausetheykeepveryfew records,and
manyof the quantitative factslike
avefageamount of hoursspent,would
be difficult to recordanyway.Someof
the questions askedare necessarily
projectedfrom the individualto the
group ratherthan drawn from the
consensusof the gardenmembers(i.e.
Why did yourSroupgetinvolvedin this
project?)Whenevera rangeof numbers
wasgivenby the respondent, the lowest
reasonablefigure was used.Therefore,
all estimatespresentedin this report
should be consideredconservative.
Most City agenciesand nonprofit
technicalassistance organizations don't
keepdetailedrecordson materialcost
and stafftime devotedto specifjc
projects.Time constraintsand staffing
limitations aretheprimaryreason forthe
lack of detailedrecording.
Statistical Technio ues
For each type of information
analyzed,the following techniques
were usedto calculatean estimatefor
100 percentof the sitesanalyzed:
T = R+ NR
Where, the total numberof sites
analyzed(T)equalsthe numberof sites
reportingdata(R),plusthe numberof
sitesnot reportingdata (NR).
Subsequently, the estimatewas arrived
at by the followingformula:
E : Rv + (Ra v x NR)
L

Field Questionaiie
 Where, the estimatedtotal value (E)
equalsthetotalrcportedvalue(Rv),plus
the per sitereportddavera8evalue(Rav)
multipliedby the numberof sitesnot
reportingdata (NR).
Unlessstatedotherwise,the average
valuesare calculatedfor each of the
Boroughsindividually.
In most instances,the figureshave
been calculatedusingvaluesthat have
been roundedoff to the nearestwhole
number.
Data Processing
among its memberorganizations.The
communityopenspacdinventorywasto
becomeone ofthe shareddata-bases of
that network.
The data was re-enteredinto the
Coalition'sApple Computerfilesso that
it could be updatedand manipulated
in-house.Thedata-basewas udated to
January1, 1983and a setof data
printoutsweregeneratedusingVisicorp
softwarepackages.Once the data was
tabulated,the statisticalinformation
could be extracted.The statisticswere
analyzedwith the help of the Visicalc
and the PFS-Craph computerprograms.

The Oneonta Laboratoryfor

ComputerCraphicsandSpatialAnalysis
at the StateUniversityof New York
Collegeat Oneontaprovidedin-kind
servicesto computerizethe field data
and do somepreliminary analysis.A
coding processwas developedto distill
the informationrecordedon the
questionnaires onto a form thatcouldbe
sentto Oneontafor computerization.
PaulR. Bauman,Chairmanof SUNY
Oneonta'sCeographyDepartmentand
his assistant, ThomasC. Smith,
developedthe softwarefor the analysis
of the raw data.The datawas analyzed
for sixteend ifferenttypesof information
including: totalsitearea,numberofsites
for each project type, land ownership,
sponsorship,land use,motivation,and
numberof participants,and average
hoursworked per week.
During the time that the data was
beinganalyzedby Oneonta'sComputer
Lab,the NeighborhoodOpen Space
Coalitionwas awardedfour Apple ll+
computersystemsto develop an open
spacetelecommunications network
InventoryUpdate
At thetimeof thiswriting,a complete
updateof the CommunityOpen Space
Inventoryfor 1983wasnotyetavailable.
However, datagathered up untilJanuary
of 1984 revealsuseful information
relatingto:
1. The rateat which datachanges
2. The accuracyof the initial
inventoryfor 19B2
3. Ceneraltrendsin the community
open spacemovementbetween
1982and l9 B 3
Threemethodswereusedin gathering
data for the update:
1. Feedback from technical
assistance organizationsthatused
the 1982inventorydata;
2. Follow-upon missingor
questionable databy checking
with field contactsand/orrecords
of technicalassistance
orSanrzatrons;
3. Reviewof updatedsitelists
providedby technicalassistance
orSanizations thatprovidedaid to
new sitesdevelopedin 1983.
In exchange for datareportsand
mailinglistsgenerated by the initial
inventory, seventechnicalassistance
groupsreportedchangesand
inacuracies thattheyfoundthroughtheir
work in the field.In the courseof one
year,datafor64sites hadto bechanSed
(167.of total sites). The m.rstcommon
alterations were in the namesand
addresses of sitecontactsan.j sponsors.
Thatamountof changereflects the
transience of peopleinvolvedin
communitySardenins.
DurinSthe periodcoveredin this
update,six siteswere lostand had to be
droppedfrom the inventory.Four of
thosesites,totallingjustoverone acre,
werelostdueto the saleofthe property
for housingdevelopment. Threeofthose
tour siteswere City owned, and the
fourth was on Federalproperty.The
othertwo sites,totallingone fifth of an
acre, were abandonedby the
communitygroupsthatdeveloped
them.One had beenheavily
vandalized, and the otherhad lostits
groupleader.
5/rE5aOsI
MAN HATIAN I 21,000 8 5
BRONX J 20,208 7
BROOKLYN 2 14,160 2 7
TOTAI 55,368 11 9
Due to limitedresources availableto
conductan update, onlytwo areasofthe
Citywereexaminedin detail:theSouth
Bronxand Bushwickin Brooklyn.Using
data generatedby the 1982 inventory,
the EronxFrontierDevelopment
Corporation did a follow-upsurveyfor
the SouthBronxincludingCommunity
Boards1 through6. The Bushwick
follow-upwas conductedby the
Coalitionas partof its work with the
New YorkCityOpenSpaceTaskForce.
Citywide,44 new siteshave been
identified
andsurveyed. l6 ofthosesites
(8270)werefound in the two areas
mentionedabove.
Of the,14additional sites,I 6 of them
existedat the time the 1982 inventory
was conducted,but wereoverlooked.
Thosesitesweremissed mainlybecause
theydid not appearon any of the
originalsitelistsprovidedby rhe
technicalassistance organizations.Ten 1983UPDATESUMMARY
ofthc overlookedsiteswerefoundin ths
SouthBronx,and nonewerefoundin
Bushwick. Thus,the levelof survey 12.55 828
Deletions (j 1.27 lt 9
completeness was B7%for the South
Bronx,and 1007"for Bushwick. TotalIncrease 38 I ] 28 709
Thc remaining28 additionalsites 1982Total 410 I43.35 10,462
weredcvelopedin I 983afterthe initial
surveywasconducted.Because only New Total 448 1 5 4 . 6 3 1 1, 1 7 1
two areaswereexaminedin detail,wc
assumethat manymore new sitesmay
havebeendcvelopedsincethc 1982
invenlory.l9 of the 28 new sitesfound
arelocatedin theS()uthBronx,and7 are
in Bushwick. Theolhertwo sitcsare in
Queens and Staten lsland-

ADDITIONSIO /NYFNIORY
!:---- l1:
S olt hB r o n r l O 19 2 9 2 5 4 ,7 4 7 4 9 O
B us hwc k O 7 / 2 1 ,6 5 5 1 49
other 6 2 A 266,067 149
t6 )a 41 i46 469 a2a

Whentakingint()acc()unlthe lossof
threesitesin theS()uthBft)nx,the()verall
rateclfSrowthf.JrI 981 isslightlyhigher
than25ol..Thatfigureis doublethat of
the previousyearwhenonly eightsites
becameactive.With sevennew sitesin
Bushwick, thegrowthrateisnealy 60ol.
for 1983,comparedt() a zeftrgrowth
ratein 1982.ll is the opinionof
professionals in theopenspacefieldthat
the citywidenumberof community
openspacesis increasing.
PARTTHREE:
THE
RESOURCES
il

COUNCILON THEENVIRONMINT
TechnicalAssistance New York, NY 10007
Orsanizationsln 566-0990
Prcvidesmaterialand technicalasistanceto
New YorkCiW communrtygroupe open spaceE€enrn8
Droiects.Publishesa seriesof tact sheetson
.ommunity gadeninSandparkdevelopmenl and
ALLEYPONDENVIRONMENTAL CINTER maintenance.An exiensiveresourcelibrary
228-06 North Blvd. w heremanyof thebool 5l i stedIn rheS adening
D o u g l a s to nN, Y 1 1 1 6 3 b,bl'oSraphycan be found.New'letter- NYc
129-4000 E vironmerta/8ullelin (bi-monthly)
An envircnmenlaleducalionfacilily locatedon ENVIRONMENTAL
ACTIONCOALITION
600ac€sof New YorkCitypa*land withforcsts,
kettleoonds,sah and freshwater marshes. New York, NY 10003
caleriderof evenrspublishedquane y. 677-1601
BRONXFRONTIER DEV!LOPMENTCORPORATION Disseminates fact!al infomation and
1080 LegSetiAvenue ,mplementsprojectsin environmentaI education
Bro n x ,N Y' 1 0 4 7 4 P ri martl o(u<n
ai medat ci trzeni nvol vement.
542 4640 streettreesand recyciing.Newsletter
Operate' a larSea.rle compo5lingoperation Eco-News(occasional)
producinsZooDoo, providet materi:l and CATEWAY NAT'LRECREATION AREA
iechnicalassistance to community8re€nin8
proie.ls in the SouthBronx,operalesthe HeadquarteuEuildinS#69
Chirckwason,amobile nutrilionedu€ation B rookl yn,N Y 11234
338 1338
BROOKLYN BOTANICAL CARDEN A 26,000 acre NationalRecreationArea with
1000 WashingionAvenu€ beaches,hisioricsites,and visitof centers
Bro o k l y nN , Y I1 2 2 5 pro!i di ngl he publ i cw i th a si de as' onm entof
622-443) summerproEram(,worksnops,rno specral
A o u b l i cs a d e n o n 5 0 a c re swhi ch In(l ude.a even\.C aeaderofevents publ i shed
bi -annuail'.
children'i8ardenthat hrs beei op€rahnBfor 70 TH EC R E EC NU E R ILLA S
years.Providestechnicalassislance and
wo*shop, for Brooklynresidentsinterenedin New York, NY 10003
revitalizationand beautification.Publishesa 674 4124
,eriesofhandbookr,manyofwhich areinclud€d An action orientedvolunteerSreening
i n th e Ba rd e n i nbSi b l i o S ra p hMai
r ntai nta
rzable bot.nic l,brar!. Calenderof evenls orBanrzar,onwh i( h providestechnrcaI a$i\lan( e
anil marerialsro rnr publrc8rcen,n8project.
Maintains5everaldemon+rationSardentire5
CITIZENS' COMMITTEE OF NEWYORKCITY throuShoulthe City. Publishesa seriesof facl
3 West 29th Street sheelson ulban greenins.Newsletter- C.een
N e w Y o fk ,N Y1 0 0 0 1 Cueril/aReport(quarterly)
6A4-6767
CREENTHUMANYCDEPT.
OF CENERAL
Suppori' and assistscommunityseli help SERVICES
or8anizahonsLhrouSh publicaLion5..onfer€nces,
b l o (l o rs a n rz i naEn d rm a l l -8 r rntproS ramc. New York, NY 10007
Newslerer- C'ttzen5 Rrport (hi-annual) 233-1926
CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Provideslons and short-termleasesfor
NYC Cadenins Program communrtysardenand parl developmenton
l5 East25th Street !acant City-ohn€d propert).Assistsin buildinS
N e w Yo rk ,N Y 1 0 0 1 0 and maintainingneighborhoodsponsored
140 2900 commu.iry Sadensand parls on lheselols.
Provideshorticult!ral adviceand technical Operatesr low cost,lal8eecaleland reclamation
asistancelo !6an Sardeners lhroughoutthe prosram.Newsletter DCSCreenfhunb
Citv. Specializesin educationalprogEmsior
planninSSadensand prcvidestrouble shooting
and rte visil5for on-8oin8site mainlenance.
N€w'lener- CorhamCJrdene.lmonthlr)
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NTWYORK NYCSTREET TREE CONSORTIIJM
128 Wen 58th Street 3 West 29th street6rh Fl.
New Y or k ,N Y 1 0 0 1 9 N ew Y ork,N Y 10001
757 0915 679 4441
An 84 year old organizationdedicatedto OfierscoLrrses in strel tree maintenance,
increasingrhe knowledSeand loveof honic!lture providesstrcetireematchingfunds, andtechnical
throughthe collectionand disrmination of andeducationpfos.amsforthemaintenance and
informationaboutthe cultureand careof plants. .are oi streettrces.Publishes fact sheelson tree
Maintainsan extensivehorticullur.rl ibrary. care and marnlenance.Newsletter- Citizen
Newsletter- Horti.u/tura/so.,ety of New Yo.k
{bi monthly) TRUST FORPUBLIC LAND
HOUSINCCONSERVATION COORDINATORS 254 Wesl 3l st street
N ew Y ork,N Y 10001
New Y or k ,N Y 1 0 0 1 9 563-5959
541- 5996 A l rnd-.on,etuari on
organi z,),,on
provdrnS
A comm!nity basedhousin8organizationdeal- assrslanc€l or(ommuni t\brsedorprni zahons to
ing primarilywith tenant landlordproblemspro- rcqurre,controli r.d pror{t pr.pertv In their
v idinsles al c l i n i cfo
, o d -c o o pa,n dh o mema i n te nei S hborhoods.N ew ,l e er N \a L;nd P rorect
nanceclasser.AlsoprovideslechnicaI a$ktance /nlormationf rchanFe(quanerly)
to neiShborhoodgreeninS proje€lr, sponsors
nei8hbor h o o dS u m m e rY o u th P ro g ra m ,and
woA \ wir h h rS h5 c h o o l)o u l h s .N e w q p a p er 249th Streetand Independence Ave.
Clinton Connun , P,e$ (monthlyr B ronx,N Y 10471
s49,2055
MACNOLIA TREE TARTH CENTER Publicgardenon 28 acrcsoverlookinqthe
HudsonRiver,ofteringa unique sirefor arr
B r ook ly n,N Y 11 2 1 6 exhibitions,indoor/outdoorconcertsand narure
347- 2116 stLidies.Creenhouseand sardenwalksevery
Environmental ed!calion agencyspon50rinsa Sundayal 2:15. Freeon weekdays.Calenderof
wide varietyof uban environmentaleducation eventspublishedquaderly.
ano communtryrmProvemenr proSrams,a
resourcelibrary,and technicalassinancetor
neiShborhood greeninsprojecc.Majoremphasis

NEWYORKBOTANICAL CARDEN
SouthernBlvd.
Bronx,NY 10458
220-4700
A 250ac r es i tei n N o d hC e n l raB l ro n xw i l h a 40
a.rc virginforcstandthe homeotEnidA. Haupt
Conetuatory.InternationalCentertor science,
educ at iona,n dh o d i c u l tu re g ep l anl
c o n c e mi n th
world.Calanderof evenispublirhedmonthly.
P A RKCOS U N C IL
457 MadisonAvenue
New Y or k ,N Y 1 0 0 0 2
838- 9410
An orsanizationwhich provid.s technic.l
infomation and maleriasfor.ommunity sroups
interesledin planting,re€rcation,and spruceup
projectsintheirneiBhborhood pa*s. Newslelter
Ihe Pa.ksCouncr/(monthlv)
QUEENS BOTANICAL CARDTN
43-50 Main Street
F lus hing,
NY I l :1 5 5
886 3800
A public gardenon l8 acres,includinsa rose
Barden,soodland sardF., demun'lrar,on
ha(lyard Edrdcn'Jnd m"re. Off€,splant
inlormarionservice5, Erouptou,s sorlshops Ior
aduhsand children,a resourcelibraryof
sardeninsbooks.Edlcation Depadmenlopen
9-4:30 M f. Newsletter- Queeni Eoladtcnl
New York City's
CommunitvGardens
1983
] ] 8TH ST.ELOCKASSOC.
305 W. I l8th 5t.
1 1 8 rH ST .EL OC KA s S OC .
NWC 1',l8ihSr.& 8th Ave.
] 27TH ST.TENANTSASSOC.
r4 0 1 4 2 W. l 2 7 i h S t.
]3 5 T H ST .E L OC KA SS OC .
3 0 8 3 1 0 W. l l 5 th S t.
]]5 T H 5 T . B L OC KA SS OC .
3 0 3 W . l l 5 th St.
]6 8 E ,8 T H ST .GA R D EN IN C
3 7 2 E. E i S h thS t.
452 W. 5OTH5T, TENANTSASSOC.
448 to 452 W. 50lh Sl.
4 5 5 W 3 5 T H5 T .T E N A N T SA S S OC ,
4 5 5 W. l 5 rh 5 1 .
534 W. 46TH 5T, TENANTSASSOC.
5 t4 W. 4 6 th S r.
6 T H ST .BL OC KC OMMU N ITYC E N TE R
624 E. SixthSt.
96, 97 & PARKMALL TASKFORCI
Bet 96, 97 sts. & ParkAve.
9TH ST.COMMUNITYCARDTN
Ninth St.at Ave., C
AS SOC IAT EBL D IN DIN C .
1 1 5W.2 3 rd St.
AS SOC IAT EBL D IN DIN C .
1 3 5 W .2 l rd St.
BE D F OR D D OW N IN CC A R D E N E R S
19 BedfordSi.
BL OC KA SS OCOF . H OL YR E D E E ME R
Third St. Bet Aves.A & B
ERADHURSTAVE. BLOCKASSOC,
N E CB ra d h !6 t& W. 1 5 2 5 1 .
BRADHURsTAVE. BLOCKASsOC,
SWC 8th Ave. & W. 152nd 5t.
C H AR AS
SWC E. Ninth 5t.
C H IL D R EN 'SST OR E F R ONIN
4 9 E. l 2 9 rh S t.
C L IN T ONC OMMU N IT YC AR D E N
w. 48th 5t. 8et 9th & loth Aves.
COLONIALPARKCOMMUNITYA55OC,
8th Ave. N/O 148th 5t.
COLONIALPARKCOMMUNITYASSOC-
8th Ave. Bet 148 & 149 Sts.
C OMMIT T E F EORA SP H A L T CR E E N
Bel 90, 91, Yolk & f. End Ave.
C ON C ER N EC DIT IZ EN OF
S T. IS TH S T.
Thineenth5t. Bet 2nd & :lrd Aves.
CRTATIVILEARNINCCOMMUNITY
2:l E. 104th St.
CROTONAJEFFERSON COMMUNITYASSOC.
I l8l CrotonaAve. al Boston& jetieEon
D E V E LOP ME NHTOU S IN CC OMMU N ITY
RENEWAL
NWc lslandRd. lo Coler Hospital
DOME PROJECT INC.
84 St. Bel Amsterdam& ColumbusAves.
D U N W E LLP LA ZAS E N IOR S
1920 AmsterdamAve. Co'rdyard
D Y C K MA NE U ILD IN C7 TE N A N TP A TRO L
3784 101hAve. 8et 202nd & 20lrd Sls.
EASTHARLEMYOUTH RESOURCE CENTER
i 05 E . Iol rd 5t.
EAST] ]7TH 5T. BLOCKA55OC,
221 E. I I Zth 5t.
EAST] 88TH ST.NEICHEORS
CR OU P 5 E . tS ath st.
E A S TMID TOW NC OMMU N Iry C OU NCI L
l l 2 E . 29rh5t.
E A S TR IV E RN OR THR E N E W AIN
L C.
427 E . 117thS r.B etl st & znd A ves.
EDCECOMEAVE. BLOCKASSOC.
EdgecombAve. & W. l42nd St.
EDUCATIONALALLIANCE
197 E . B roadw ay
E LC A LLOC LU B
SECE. I lSrh St. & Lexin€IonAve.
E LIA R D IND E LP A R A IS O
Foudh St. Bet Aves.C & D
E LMU S E OD E LB A R R IOC A N A D E V P T-
220 E . t24th S T.
E LS OLB R ILLA N TE
521 E.Twelfth 5t.
E LS OLB R ILLA N TE
535 E . t2th 5r.
ELDRIDGE5T. BLOCKASSOC.
SWC Eldridge& SlantonSts.
E LE V E N TH 5], B LOC K ,{S S OC .
422 E. EleventhSl.
FIFTHST. BLOCKAsSOC.
E. Fifih St. Bet lst & 2nd Aves.
FIR E MA NME S MOR IA L CARDEN
360 t. E i ghthS t.
FORSYTHCOOPERATIVE A5SOC.
TC , 156 ForsythSt.
FR E D E R ICDKOU C LA SB LOC KA S S OC.
SEC2902 8th Ave. & W. ls4th 5t.
FR E D E R ICDKOU C LA SC OMMU N ITY
CARDEN
E S8th A ve 8et l 36th & I37th S l r.
C IR LS C OU TTR OOP]2OO
ShermanAve. & lshamSt.
C R A N DC OA LITIONOF S TN IOR IN S C,
80 Pitt 5t. at Rlvington51.
C R E E NC U E R ILLAIN S C.
CorneroI Bowery& HoustonSt.
HAMILTONMADTSONDAYCARECENTER METRONORTHASSOC.
Calherine& Monroe Sts. tS 2nd A ve.8et l 00th & 101n S ts.
HAMILTONTERRACT BTOCKASSOC- NATIONALCONSERVATION RECYCLINC
l44th St. Bet Hamilton & Convent CORPS
CENTER LexingtonAve. Bei 28th & 29th Sls.
HARLEMREHABILITATION
r 65 W . t 29th s t. NERVE
107-lI I E . 102ndS t.
HARLEMTTAMSASSOC.
121 W . r 39rh5 t. PARKEASTHIGH SCHOOL
240,250E . I torh 51.
HE NRYS T .SE T T L EME N I
265-26/ Henry St. PAR'2UEDE TRANQUILIDAD
706 E. 5 St. Bet Aves.C & D
HO P ECO M M U N IT YIN C ,
1651 Lex ing toA nve. PROJECT CREENHOPE
COORDINATORS 334' 316E . 120 S t.B etl sl & 2nd A ves.
HOUSINCCONSERVATION
513 W . 46t h Sr.8 e t l 0 th & l l th Av e s . ROOSEVELT ISLANDRESIDENTS ASSOC,
COORDINATORS WS Main AcrossFromCarage
HOUSINCCONSERVATION
505 W. 52nd 5t. R U P P E RCTR TE NIN C .
COORDINATORS Bet 93rd, 94th Sts.,2nd & I Aves.
HOUSINCCON5ERVATION
S A LE MC OMMU N ITYC OU N C IL
7th Ave. Bet 129th & ll0th Sts.
ICLESIAPTNTECOSTAL
174 SuffolkSt. SEVENTHST.BLOCKA55OC.
221 E. 7th St. Bet Aver. B & C
I NNE RCI T YL IC H T
SWCStanton& EldridSeSts. S QU A R E
S H E R ID A N TR IA N C LEA S S OC .
Ber Eanow Si., 7th Ave. & 4th 5t.
I NT E RM E D IAT SEC H OOL1 9 5
Co!,dyardof 625 W. 133rd St SIXTHST. ELOCKASSOC,
PA R KAL L IA N C E s30 E. SixthSt.
I NW O O D H EIGH T S
EroadwayBet kham & 207th Sts S TR IV E RIN5 C.
5t I W . 157rh5t.
J A RO I NDE LPU EB L O
r r rrh si & AmsterdamAve. TH EC A R D E NC OU N C IL
r0l W .82.d S r.
J E F F E RS O MAN R K ET A R E AIN C .
GreenwichBet W. 10th 5t. & 6th Ave. THIRTEENTH 5T. BLOCKASsOC.
H OU SE 520 E. ThifteenthSt.
K E NK E LE EA
218 E .S ec o n d5 t. TID YC OMMITYOF C ON V E N TA V E .
K I W A NI SCL U BOF H A R L IM
WS MadisonAve. 8et I lTth & I lSth sts TR IN ITYLU TH E fo{N CHURCH
Cornerof Ninth St. & Ave. B
LA CUA RD IAC OMMU N IT YC A R D EN S
NE CLa Cua d i a Pl . & El e e k eS ri W. ] ]2 5T. BLOCKASSOC.
H OU SE 127 W . l l 2nd S t.
LA CUA RD IAME M OR IA L
t oz E . I r 6r h 5 t. W A S H IN C TONH E IC H TS /IN W OOD
COALITION
LITTLEITALYRISTORATIONASSOC. SECl87th 5t. & Eroadway
182 MulberrvSl. Bet Kenmare& BroomeSts
W A S H IN TONMA R K E T C OMMU N ITYP A R K
LOSAMICOS DEL BLOQUE Creenwich,Chambers,Duane,& WestSts.
r600 LexingtonAve. Bet 101st& l02nd sls
w. r48TH 5T. ELOCKASSOC.
LOWERSEAMANAREAAsSOC, W. l48th St. Bel Convent& St. NicholasAves.
5WC 204th 5t. & SeamanAve
W 34TH ST.BLOCKA55OC.
MADTSONSQUAREBOYSCLUE 458 w. :l4th Sr.
NFc 2nd Ave. & 29th 5t.
WTSTHARLEMCOMMUNITY
MANHATTANMEDICALCROUP OR C A N IZA TION
I865 AmslerdamAve. 228 W. 116th5t. Bet 7th & 8lh Aves.
MANHATTANPSYCHIATRIC CENTER
W E S TS ID EC OMMU N ITYC A R D E N
WS ColLrmbus Ave. Bet 88th and 89th Sts.
MANHATTANVALLEYDEVELOPMENT CORP.
ManhaitanAve. Bet 104th & l05th sts E R ON X
MANHATTANVALLEYDEVTLOPMENT CORP. 105OH OE A V E .C A R D E NC LU B
109th St. & ManhattanAve. l018-45 Hoe Ave.
M E DI CA LSOC IALW OR K D IV./D 5 5 ]096 TE N A N TS& C OMMU N I]YA 55OC .
CharlesH. Cay center l r 21 West FafmsRd. & l l l0 Hoe Ave.
]9 6 ] MA PE SAV E.T E N A N TS
A S S OC . C OMMU N ITYR E S OU R CCTR OU P
360-62 E. r 5r Si.
2 3 2 R DST ./E BA , R N ES BL OC KA S S OC - C ON C E R N E C D ITIZE NOFS E . ] 74TH5 T.
E e h i n d8 1 7 Bu s s i n Ag ve. NWC I74th 5t. & LonSfellowAve.
789 TENANTSASSOC, C ON C E R N E FE D WC A R D E NC LU E
MN S 7 9 1 E . l 6 6 rh S r.B e tT i nton& U ni on 109-15E . 165 S r.
AL E XA N D ER BU R C ER SC H OOL,P .5.1]9 C ON C E R N E GA D R D E N E RLA S FON TAI NE
NWC Brcok Ave. & 140th St. SWCAdhur Ave. & I78th St.
ASSUMPTION /ST,ANTHONY SOCIETY C OOP E R A TORCSOU N C ILFORA C TIO N
l l 8 4 -8 6 V i l l aAv e . 120 B enchl eyP l .,B l dS2:l
B AN AN AKE L L YC OM M U N ITY IMP R OV E ME N T CRO]ONA COMMUNITYCOALITION
ASSOC. E. l80lh St. Bet Prospect& MapesAves.
Beck5t. 8et TiffanySl. & Interual€ Ave. CROTONACOMMUNITYCOALITION
EARRETTO ST. BLOCKASSOC. C l i ntonA ve.& l 82nd 51.
650 Barctto 5t. C S I 3,1C OMMU N ITYIMP R OV TME NT
BATHCATITENANTS& BLOCKASSOC. ORCANIZATION
Washin8ton& BarhgaleBet lalsl & l82nd Sts. l3l I NWC Bristow& Freeman5ts.
BECKST, ELOCKASSOC. D A V ID S ONA V E ./]gOTHS T.E LOC KA SSO C.
661 Be.k St. 8et LeBBert & St.JohnsAves. DavidsonAve. & l90th Sr.
B ED F OR D M OSH OL UC OMMU N ITYA S S OC . D E B R ONC IV ICA sS OC .
2 9 8 4 E a i n b ri d gAv
e e .& 2 0 l n 5t. 1060C aul dw elA l ve.
B EE C H OAK N E IC H BOR H OOD A S S OC . E. r 56TH 5T. BTOCKAS5()C.
162 Beekman& 352 St. MarysAve. MWs /53 ForestAve. Bet I56th & 158rhSts.
BE EC HOAK N E IC H BOR H OOD A sS OC . E .22] C A R LIS LI P L.E LOC KA 55OC .
S W CC arl i sl eP l ace& E .2l l st 5t.
BELMONTLITTLEFARMERS EASTERONXNAACPDAYCARE
Roofof I l3 ColSateAve.
BR ON XB OR IC U A S5 POR TSL TA C U E E LB A LC ONA LE C R E
SECFox & 169thsls. S E C152W i l l A ve.& 142 S t.
ER ON XC OMMU N IT YBOA RD2 EL BATEYBORRINCANO
ManidaSt. Bel Lalayelte& SpoffordAves. 499 E . I59th S l .& B rookA ve.
BR ON XH E IGH T SN EIC H B O R H OOD FOR D H A MLU TH E R N CHURCH
C OM M U N IT YC OR P.
NelsonAve. off I74th St. N/O Presidenr FOR D H A M-B E D FOR HDOU S IN CC ORP.
BR ON XH EIC H T SN E IC H EOR H OOD 26 20 B ri ggs
COMMUNITYCORP. FOR TA P A C H EC A R D E N
1094 1100 Simpson5t. BerWestchesrer Ave. &
S R ON XH EIC H T S N E IC H BOR H OOD C OMM. l 69th 5r.
CORP, FOR TA P A C H EY OU THC E N TE R
1 6 6 06 2 N e k o n A v e a l I7 4 th 1105Fox5t.
BRONXRIVTRRESTORATION C LIEfA R MS
SWC l80th 5t. & DevoeAve. l8l5 BathgateAve.
BRONXRIVERRESTORATION CLIEFARMS
1 7 7 thS t.& B ro n t S t. NWC Third Ave. & I74th Sr.
B R ON XW OODU N IT E DE L O C KA S S OC . C LIEfA R MS
E ro n x w o o d
A v e . Be l 2 2 0 & 2 21 S ts. WS CrotonaBet l78lh & 179rhSts.
B U IL D IN G]6 C AR D E NC L U B C U ID IN C TIC H TFORTR U THC H U R CH
600 BaychenerAve.
B U IL D IN C2 2 A C A R D ENC L U B H OT A V E .D E V E LOP ME N
FUT ND
100 9 Coop Cily Blvd.
CALDWELLAVT, SLOCKA55OC. H OE A V EC A R D E NC LU B
1 0 5 6C a l d w e l l A v e - l 00l H oe A ve. & A l dl s
C E D A RAV E.BL OC KAS SOC . H OP EOF IS R A ES L E N IOR
Ffonl ot Unive6ity Palk Fordat l79lh St. C E N TE R
818 C erardA ve. B et l TZth & 158thS h.
CIINTON AVE. BLOCKASSOC.
8et Clinton & Prosp€ct& 176thSl. JACKSONAVE. BLOCKASSOC.
N 5 /5T l acksonA ve. & l 56th S t.
C OA H OU SIN CC OR P . P U TN A MC OMMU N ITYC A R D E N
4 6 0 E. 1 8 4 S t.8 e l P a rk& W ashi ngl on NWC PutnamAve. West & W. 2:l8th St.
VAN NESTCIVICASSOC. coNEY tstAND COMMUNTTYPROIECT
Cadield & Mead Sts. NeptuneAve. 8et. 23d & 24th sts.
W A Y O UTC H U R C HM IN IS T R IE S C ON E YIS TA N DC OS P E AL S S E MB IY
s l4 E . r 48 i h s r. 28r3 W . 29th S t.
YOUTH VIILACE PARKCOMMITTE C ON E YIS LA N DN E IC H B OR H OOD
BostonRd. 8et Home & l68th Sc. IMPROVEMENT
W l5th St. 8et Memaid & Neprune
COOPERBLOCKASSOC,
BROOI(LYN 251 CooperSt.
,C' COMPANY,PS290 COOPERSTREET CARDENERS
FultonSt. Bei Hendrix5t. & Van SiclinAve. 34 Coopef 5t.
] O ] 5 W A S H IN C T ON AV E-T E N A N T S CORNELLCOOP EXTENSION
101sW as h i n g i oA n ve. Floyd BennetrFieldCatewayNRA
] 054 HUL L5 T ,C A R D EN CROWN HEICHTSYOUTH COLLECTIVE
l0Z HullS t.
] ] O OB LOC KBE R C EN ST ,AS SOC . CRYSTAL WELLSBLOCKASSOC.
I 103' 09 E e rg e nS t. sWC 35 37 Wells & CrystalSts.
1100s T . MA R K SJ R .BL OC KAs SOC . C U MB E R LA N BDLOC KA S S OC .
I 123 5t . M a rk sAv e . 268 CumberlandSl.
] 2TH STRTET PRESCHOOL C U Y LE R
W A R R E NC OMMU N ITYC H U R C H
sWC l2th St. & 4th Ave. sWC Eond & Watren Sts.
5OOBLOCKASSOC. DECATUR& HOPKINSBLOCKASSOC.
512 LafayetteSt. 729 De€alurSt.
5OOELOCKASSOC. E.48TH ST, BLOCKASSOC,
526 K os . i u s k oSt. NWC Ave. D & f. 48th Sl.
5OOMACDONOUCH 5T, BLOCKASSOC. EAS] 4TH ST,CARDENASSOC.
86 Ma.ion 5t. I7t E .4th 5r.
600 MONROEST. BLOCKASSOC. EA5TERN PARKWAYASSOC.
EasternParkwayBet Franklin& ClasronAves.
64TH ST. ELOCKASSOC. ELDERTST. BLOCKASsOC.
Slock ai 64th Sl. Bet 4th & sth Aves. 95 ElderlSl.
ADELPHISTREET BLOCKASSOC. ERASMUSNEICHBORHOODFEDERATION
NWC Creene& Adelphi Sls. 1409 Tilden Ave.
A M B O YN E IC H BOR H OOD C EN T ER E R A S MUNS E IC H E OR H OODFID TR A TION
NWC ElakeAve. & Amboy St. NECTilden Ave. & 34th St.
A S T E LLA
D E VE L OPME N CTOR P. E R A S MUNS E IC H B OR H OOD
FE D E R A TION
28r 4 W . r 5 th St.
BRIDCEPLAZAACTION TWELVE EUCLIDAVE.5OOBLOCKA55OC-
NECBridge& ConcordSts.
S US HW I C K B L OC KAS SOC , E U C LIDP IN TB LOC KA S S OC .
5WC Dumonl Ave. & PineSi.
BUSHWICKCOMMUNITYPARKASSOC. FIFTHAVE.COALITION
BroadwayBel Fuman Ave. & Aberdeen5t. 640 Union St.
CAMBRIDCI PL. ELOCKAsSOC. FIFTHAVE.COALITION
Cambridg€Pl. 8et Cfeene& CatesSts. 634 U ni onS t.
CARROLLCROWN BLOCKASSOC. FIFTHAVE.COMMITTEE& ST.MARKS
346 Troy Ave. Bet Prcsideni& Cafioll Sts. Acrossfrom 6888 Warren5t.
EAST48TH ST.ELOCKASSOC. FIFTHAVE.COMMITIEE
SECTilden & S.hnectadyAves. Balti. St. Bet 4th & 5rh Aves.
CHA UNCYS T R E ET C OM M U N IT YAs SOC . FrRSTQUTNCYST. BLOCKAssOC.
l43s BurhwickAve. 403 Qui ncyS t.
crTco FtRSTQUTNCY5T. ELOCKASsOC.
M€maid Ave. Bet W. 29th and W. 30th Sts. 197' 401Qui ncyS t.
CONEYISLANDCOMMUNITY PROJECT FLA TB U S HD E V E LOP ME NCTOR P .
270? NeptuneAve. & 27th St. SECCortelyou& Argyle Rds.
CONEYISLANDCOMMUNITY PROJECT FLUSHINCLAFAYETTT BLOCKASSOC.
804 FllshingAve.
f

GAT E SA VE .C OM M U N IT YC R OU P LON G I5LA N DC OLLE GE H OS P ITA L

1 2 9 5 -1 2 9 7
C a te s .A v e . Amily Sl. Bet Henry St. & Clifton Pl.
C OOD C H E ERWE IR F IE L D MA D IS ONS T-C OMMU N ITYC A R D E N
5 0 9 -5 1 1C e n traA l ve. I74 MadisonSt.W/O NostrandAve.
GOODWIN PL. BLOCK ASSOC. MACNOLIA TREEEARTHCENTER
l 0 C o o d w i nP l . Marcy Ave. Bet LafayeiteAve. & Clifton Sl.
C R A N DAV E.EL OC KAS SOC . MARCYCARDINS ASSOC.
1 s 5 7 Ga l e s& Gra n dAv e s . 386'388 Marcy 51.
C R E T NOAK C IT IZ ENC SL U B MARION ST. BLOCKASSOC.
68 Duponl St. Marion St. Bet. Sarato8a& HowardAves.
GR EE NPOIN TMU L T I' S ER VIC E MARION 5T. PARKBLOCKA55OC.
164-66West St. 180-190Marion St.
C R EE N E EL OC KAS SOC . MARION ST. BLOCKA55OC.
BetHopkinsonAve.,Marion5t.,RockawayAve.,
L A SS OE
/CIN NLOC KA S S OC . & Chauncey5t.
GR E EN E/F R AN KL
305-109CreeneAve. MID W OODC A R D E N E R S
I292 E . rOthS l .
H AN C OC KL & T As SOC .
1 9 2 H a n c o c k5 t. MONROE5T. BLOCKAsSOC.T & T
HANCOCKST. BLOCKASSOC. 367-369MonroeSt.
509 5l I CentralAve. MU R IE LLA N C S OMC H ILDC A R EC E N TER
200r orienia Bivd.
HANCOCKST. BLOCKASSOC,
s48 CenlralAve. NOR]H ELLIOTBLOCKASSOC.
A ve.
S E CN orthE l l i otP l . & Fl ushi ng
H AN C OC KC OMMU N IT YBL OC KA S S OC .
N OR TH S IDC EOMM. D E V LP T C OU N C I L
H A N C OC KT & T BL OC KA s S OC . 599 DriggsAve.
1 2 2 -3 2 4H a n c o c kSt. N OR TH S IDC EOMMU N ITYD E V E LOPM ENT
H A PP YH OU R C A R D EN C OU N C IL
LorimerSt.W/O Marcy Ave. N. lrd St. 8el Bery St. & BedfordAve.
H A R R ISON AV E.BL OC KA SS OC . NOSTRANDAVE, BLOCKASsOC.
NWc AlbemarleRd. & Nonrnnd Ave.
AV E.BL OC KAS SOC . N U E SN IN OSD A Y C A R E C E N TE R
H A R R ISON
I5 4 L y n c h5 1 . 390-392S. 4th St.
H E R K IM ER C A R D ENAS SOC . OC E A NH ILLC OA LITION
1 1 0 1 H e rk i me5r t. BerSenSt. Bet SaratoS.r & Hopkinsn Aves.
H ER KIN C AL A C A N T ICBL OC KA S S OC . OU R LA D YOF ME R C YC H U R C H
3 9 3 H e rk i me5r 1 . SWC Mother Caston& RiverdaleAves.
H OP KIN SON C OMMU N IT YHE LP E R S OU R LA D YOF P E A C E N E IGH E OR H OO D
IMP R OV E ME N T
& D entonP l .B ell rd & 4thAves.
S E C C a(ol l S t.
H OP KIN SON R & L B L OC KA S S OC ,
802 Hopkinson& Rivedale Aves OU R LA D YOF P R E S E N TA TION C H U RCH
166l S l .Mi rks A ve.
HOYT ST.ASSOC.
SWC Hoyl St. & AtlanticAve. PALMER& COODWIN BLOCKASSOC,
479 ChristopherAve.
HUMBOLTST. NORTH BLOCKASSOC.
S ECH u m b o l t5 t. & N o rm a nAve P A LME TTO C OMMU N ITYC E N TE R
K IN GS EOR O P SY C H IAT RCE I C N TE R
681 C arksonAve. Beh Bld8 6 PALMETTO5T, BLOCKASSOC.
LAFAYETTE 9OOELOCKASSOC.
927 LalayetteAve. w/o Stuyvesani Ave PARKAVE. ELOCK,ASSOC.
LAFAYETTE IMPROVEMENT ,{5SOC.
P E N TA C OS TA CLH U R C H
166 KnickeftockerAvc.
L IN C OL NB ER KE L EY B L OC KAS S OC .
20 EerkeleyPl. 8et 5th & 6th Aves. POPLAR5T. CARDENERS
N E CH i cks& P opl arS c.
L IN D ENBU SH WIC K BL OC KA S S OC .
y L i nden51.
B e h i n d1 3 2 5B ro a d w a & P R A TTA R E AC OMMU N ITYC OU N C IL
Dek,rlb& Hall Sts.
LINWOOD ST.ELOCKASSOC.
P R A TTA R E AC OMMU N ITYC OU N C IL
Cales,Creen & Washinst.rnAve5.
 P S32] UNITEDELOCKA55OC,
180 Z t hAv e . HowardAve. Bet llancock 5r. & JeffeBonAve.
P UE RTO R IC A NC OMMU N IT YC EN T ER UNITTD BUSHWICKBLOCKASSOC,
492 Powell Sl. r4r5-1.119B roadw aY
P UE RTO R IC A NC OMMU N IT YC E N T E R U N ITE DH E R K IMEC RA R D E NC LU B
689 SackmanSt. 97 HefkimerSt.
P UE R] OR IC ANC OMMU N IT YC E N T E R U N ITE DH E R K IMIRC A R D E NC LU B
186 H e.ki merS t.
P UE RT O
R IC ANC OM M U N IT YC E N T E R U N ITE DP U E R TOR IC A NA sS OC .
472 Powell St.
PUTNAM DAYCARTCTNTER W A S H IN C TONH A LLC A R D E N E R S
857 CaresAve. 8et Dekalb,Lafayette,& WashingtonAves.
ROCKAWAYPKWY,4OOBLOCKASSOC. WEEKSVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY
9606 ChurchAve. 8et RockawayPa way & E. 1693 Eergen5t.
W E IR FIE LD
E LOC KA 55OC .
S A T E LITEN
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31, 1P en n s y l v a nAi av e .
W Y C K OFF-B ONCDA R D E NC LU B
S CHE UR H OU S ES .J E WIS HE DA Ss OC.
AC NWC wyckotf & Bond Srs.
W. 36th St. Bet Mermaid& Surf Aves.
5HI LO HC A R D ENC L U B
Monroe5t. Bet Tompkins& Mafcy Aves.
SOUTH PORTLANDBLOCKAsSOC.
SWC S. Portland& DekalbAves. QU E E N S
SOUTH SECOND5T. BLOCKASSOC. ] O4THST, BLOCKA55OC.
291 BerrySt.
t06TH ST. ELOCKAsSOC.
S O UT HER N BR OT H E R&5 SIS T ER S l06th 5t. & Nofthern8lvd.
615 Powell Sl. S/O LivoniaAve.
] ]9TH AVE, BLOCKASSOC.
S O UT HE R N ER OT H E R&S SIS T ER S I l gth Av€.& I t5rh S r.
621 SackmanSt. ]]5TH 5T. B LOC KA S S OC .
S O UT HE R N B R OT H ER&S SIS T ER 5 soul hdeadend of beacht35th S t.
Powell5t- Bet Rivedale & LivoniaAves. I42 5T. BLOCKASSOC.
S P E NCEST R .S L OC KAS SOC . sw c 142ndst. & t09th A ve.
230 sp€n€erSt. ]42N D S T.B LOC KA S S OC .
ST.EARTHALOMEWCHURCH l 04th A ve. & l 42nd S t.
l23l P ac i fi c5 t- ]95 5T, B LOC KA S S OC .
ST, MARKSAVE. BLOCKASSOC. I17th R d.8et t94l h & 195i hS rs.
201 Sl MarksAve. 207TH 5T. BLOCKASSOC.
S T .M A RY ' SH OS PI]A LME T H A D ON E C L IN IC West of ClearviewExp€ssway
NECPowell 5t. & BelmontAve. 207TH 5] BLOCKASSOC.
S T .NI CH OL AS N P & H R C OR P. sEC42nd Ave. Bel 207th & 2o8lh Sc.
NWC O/ive & PowetsSts.
4,2N D\V E P A TC HOF C R E E NE LOC I 455OC .
STUYVESANT AVE.GARDENPROCRAM 42..1A ve B etC l earv' e$E .pre$srt E C pl

5UMPTER5T. ELOCKA55OC. 91S ] S T.E LOC KA S S OC .

I 70 S um p l e5r t. B each9l st 5t. & R ockaw ay B l vd.
SUMPTER ST, BLOCKASSOC. 94TH ST. BLOCKA55OC.
l0l Slmpter St. 94 St. 8et 2ld & 24th Ave.
SUMPTER ST. BLOCKASSOC, 97TH 5T. BLOCKASsOC,
lal 5um p te S r r. l l -28 97thS l .
T & T V E R N NA VE .B L OC KA 5 5 OC . 99TH 5T. BLOCKAsSOC.
Vemn Ave. Bet Tompki.s & Throop Aves. l 2-.1199th S r.
T HI RDW O R L DC OMMU N IT YC AR D T N A D D E S LE IGH P A R KC IV ICA 55OC .
NtC Montauk& New LolsAves. MurdockA ve.,Li nden8l vd. & tZ4th S t.
T HO M A SJ E F F ER SON
H IC H S C H OOL E A Y S ID B
E E A U TIFIC A TION C OMMITTE E
444 Hendrix5t. N/O Sltter Ave. 42nd A !e. Mal l & ,l l l l h \l
TROY/RUTLANDBLOCKASSOC. B R OOK FIE LD C IV ICA S 5OC .
SWC Trcy Ave. & RutlandRd- 22l fd 51.& l 45th A ve.
CAMSRIAHEIGHTSCIVIC ASSOC' MADISON SOUTHCOURT ASSOC'
NEc 227th st. & Linden Blvd. sl ,l l manA ve. B tI4l d & 44l h S ts
CENTRATFARROCKAWAYBLOCKASSOC- MALCOLMX DAY CARECTNTER
N/O 657 Grassmere Terr. N odhemB l vd.& I12th 5t
CONCERNEDPARENTsOF JAMAICA MARCERTCOMMUNITYCORP,
1 4 3 -0 4l Ol s t Av e Beach381hSt. & RockawayBlvd
CORONA CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH MCINTOSHNEIGHBORHOODASSOC.
sEc 103rd St. & 34th Ave. 100!h & McintoshSts.
CORONA TAXPAYERS A55OC' MKLV ASsOC,
SEC10ln $. & LewisAve. Mayville St.,Mudoch & I l lth Aves
CORONA TAXPAYERS ASSOC' N E P ON S IT H OMT FORTH E A GE D
NtC LewisAve. & 101 5t 149 25 RockawayBeachBlvd
CREEDMORE PSYCHIATRIC CENTER NEWTONCIVICASSOC.
80 45 Winchester8ldg 21 86'01 Broadway(tibrary)
D OW N T O E AR T HB EA U TIFITR 5 P 5 219
Bl !d .,Ma i n 5 t a 4]5r R d
| \ i s s €n a I44-39 Craveil Yad
F R IEN D TBL Y OC KA SS O COF - S P R IN C FIE LD OU E E N 5B OTA N IC A C L A R D fN
Eackof 144_35l68th 5t QueensBoranicalCrrden al Crommelin5l
F R IEN D S HC IP!V IC OU E E N SB OTA N IC AC L ARDEN
I7 4 th Pl .& 1 2 6 1 hA v e riahlia Ave. & CrommelinSt
GOOD NEICHBORBTOCKASSOC' OU E E N SD A Y TR E A TME NCTE N TER
3 5 1 3 l O8 thSl . 8 e t 3 5 th & 36thA ves. A.ro$ kom 87-80 Merric\ Elvd
C OOD N EIC HB L OC KAS S OC ' OU E E N SD A Y TR E A TME NCTE N TER
3 7 thAv e .& l l l th Sr' Airo,s from 80-7s HillsideAve.
CREATER )AMAICADEVELOPMENT CORP' OUEENSMANOR HOME FORADULTS
j a ma i c aA v e .,P a rs o n8slvd l 60th !t 153-90 Rockaway8lvd.
R OC H D A LE I NC
U R B A NGA R D E N E RS
CREATER RIDCEWOODHISTORICAL
SECFlushing& OnderdonckAv€s. Ba6ler Blvd,. l lTth Ave , New Yorr blvd
OWNTRS ROCHDALI URBANCARDENERS INC'
HAMILTONCOURT PROPTRTY
A5SOC. BaisleyBlvd. at 137thAve.
Be tS l i l l m a n& l 9 th A v es.45th & 46l h 515 ROOSEVELT COURTASSOC.
HOLLTSSEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE BET39th Ave.,47th & 48th Sts.
SEC99lh Ave. & Famels Blvd. R OYW ILK IN SS E N IOR C ITIZE NCARDEN
S
HOLLISEEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE I lgth Ave. & Medck Blvd
NEC2o2nd St. & Hollis Ave. SANFORDARMSTENANTSASSOC.
HOLLISBEAUTIFICATION COMMITTET 149 OZ SanfordAve.
SEC196th St-& Hollis Ave S OU TH E R N QU E E N SP A R KA S S O C'
HOLLTSPARKTERRACE BLOCKASSOC' SouthernQueensPark
swc wood St-& Calway Ave. S P R IN C FTEC LDARDENS FLOW ER CLUB
HOLLISWOOD CARTCENTER 128thA ve.8E T174thP l .& l 76th 5t
195'44 Woodhull Ave ST.ALBANs LOCALDEVELOPMENT CORP'
H YL IC KC AR D E N IN 6GR OU P 188-22 LindenBivd.
2 5 ,1 69 5 th 5 t. 5T. CALIMUSCHURCH/DAYTONTOWER
IVANHOE PARKCIVIC ASSOC' 102 to 105 ShorefrcntParkway
88 Otto Rd Bet 65th & 69th Sts STEINWAYREFORMED CHURCH
IACKSONHTS.CHITDRENCENTER Ditma6 8lvd. & 415tSt.
Bet 78lh St.,41st Ave & BrcadwaY E R D E NC
S IJN N Y S IDGA S OMMU NTTY ASSO C'
CT. PROPIRTYOWNERSASSOC' 48'21 39th Ave.
IEFTERSON
B ETS k i l l m a na l 9 A v es, 48tha 45th 5l e TRIANGLETOWNHOUSf BTOCKASSOC'
BET59th & 6oth Sts.at 34th Ave.
J OH N B OWN EH IC H SC H OOL
UTOPIAJEWISHCENTER
OWNERS 64-41 Utopia Parkway
LINCOLNCOURTPROPERTY
qr' WOODSIDEON THE MOVE
iil s,."tr a sL'tt.,nA!e\.44rh& 4 'rh 33-24 60th 5t.
MADISON COURT NORTH PROPERTY
owNERS AS50C.
B t | 4 rrd & 4 4 rh\t\' , \l ,l l mdn & E arnenA vF:
STATENISTAND
AMATEURSOFTBALL ASsOC.
South& TravisAves.
CORNELLCOOPTRATIVE EXTTNfION
OalewayNRA - Millers Field
COTTACTSHILL NEICHBORHOODCORP.
Clyde Pl. & Arnold Sl.
TIBSPOND PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Manton Pl., PalmaDr. & Mos€l Ave.
SERPENTINE ART & NATURECOMMONS
Victory Blvd. & ForcslAve.
SIAIEN ISLANDBOTANICCARDEN
914 RichmondT€rrace
SfAfEN ISLANDBOTANICALGARDEN
460 BrielleAve.
SUSANT. WACNER H.S,PIA
Couftyad at 1200 Manor Rd.
AmericanCommunitv LA PUENTE
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916 321 2532
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1 4 7 1 7S. B L ri nA v e .
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9 l h A v e .& L n c o n W a y
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4 l 5 ,2 2 1 -2 0 8 1 E vanston, 11.60201
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Sa nF ra n c i s c oC,A . 9 4 1I7
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SANIOSECOMMUNITY C,\RDENs
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The Monon Arboretum
Li sl e,11.605J2
408926 5555 l l 2-968-0074
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C -4215W . P asadenaA ve.
1426 West 29th Street Fl i nl ,M| .48504
I ndiana p o l ilsN, . 4 6 2 0 8 313-712-1474
117- 924 -9 1 5 1
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KANSAS l 0l N . P l nest./B ox:10026
HUT CH IN SON C OM M U N ITCYA R D EN S
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P.O. Box 948
Hut c hin s o nK5
, .6 7 5 0 4
316- 662 -2 1 7 1 MIN N E S OTA
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2400 MinnesotnAv..
1221 T hu rs l o n D ui uth,MN .55802
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, .6 6 5 0 2 218 722 6426
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612 470,4255
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617 423 7 4 9 7 MISSOURI
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MASs.DEPT. P .O.B ox 299
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100Camb ri d g 5e t. 314 577-5100
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617- 7276 6 3 2
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U. oi Mass.Downlown
100 A r iin g l o n5 t.
B o( on,M A .0 2 1 2 5 A shevi l e,N C .28801
617 182 9258 /o4 254 A 59l

ARNOLDARBoRETUM WARREN
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22 Div in i tyA v e n u e P .O.8ox sol 4

Cam br id SeMA , .0 2 1 1 8 S w annanda,N C .287l 8
617 524 1 7 1 8 /o4 298 3325

M I CHI G AN N E WIE R S E Y
PROIECT CROWINC FRIENDS OF FRELINCHUYSEN
ARBORETUM

P.O. Box 8645 8ox 1295R

A nn A r b o r,M| .4 8 1 0 7 Mori rl ow n, N j .07960
t ] 11- 996 -3 1 6 9 201 245 6166

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919 M ott F o !n d a l l o fBl d 8 .
F lint ,M l. 4 a 5 0 2 204 Wesl StateStreer
312 219 0 l 4 l Trenton,NJ.08608
609-3937153
NEWYORK TRUST
FORPUBL]C
LAND NC
CITYOFALBANYCOMM.CARDENS
PROCRAM
25.1w en l l st S t.
C i ty H a i - 3 rd F l . N ew Y ork,N Y . 10001
A b a n y ,N Y. 1 2 2 0 7 212 563 5959
518462 8721
CAPITAL
DI5TRICT
COMMUNTY CARDENS
BRONXFRONTIER
OEVP.
CORP.
B ox 1296
Trot N Y . l 2l 8l
5t 8,274-8685
212-542-4640
CARDEN
WAY,INC
NEWYORKBOTANICAL
CARDEN
l02nd Street& 9lh Ave.
Tfoy,N Y . 12180
B fo n x ,N Y . 1 0 4 5 8 sr 8-235-6010
212-22Q-4728
NYCDEPT. OF CENERAL SERVICES WHITEPLAINS
PARKS
& RECREATIoN
OperationCfeen Thumb
W hi teP l ai nt,N Y . 10605
4 9 C h a mb e 65 t. R m. 1 0 2 0 914 682 4136
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212-23i-2926 o Ht o
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2 715 R eadi nBR d.
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212674 8124
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C i n d yOl s o n l l 0l 0 E aslB l vd.
I000 WashinstonAve.
B ro o k l y nN
, Y. 1 1 2 2 s Cleveland,OH ,14106
216 721-1604
212-622-4433

N.E.WESTCHESTER
SPECIAL
RECINC. OR E GON
A S H LA NC
OOMMU N ITY
CARDENS

Hawthofne,NY. 10532
914 347 4409 A shl and,OR .97520
501 482 0582
]THACACOMMUNITY CARDENS
ProjeclCrcwin8 Hope CITYOF BEAVERTON
David Bailey
101 N. CenevaStreet 4950 5.W . H al l B l vd.
h h a c a ,N Y. 1 4 8 5 0 B eaverton,
OR .9/005
607 271aO4A 501-6442191

CORNELL COOP.EXTENSION PENNSYLVANIA

Ulban CardeninSProgram R OD A LE
P R E 55IN C
l5 East26lh Slreer
New Yo , NY 10006
212-587-9730 215 967-5171
COI]NCILON THEENVIRONMENT
Liz Christy
5l Chanbe6 SlreelRm 22n 9414 MeadowbrookAve.
N e w Y o rk ,N Y 1 0 0 0 7 P hi l adel phi P
a,A . l 9l l 8
2 1 2 5 6 6 ,0 9 9 0 215 247-5777
NEICHBORHOOD
OPENSPACE
COALITION PENN
S TA TE
URBAN
CARDEN
72 Reade5t. 5799 N. Bro.d Street
New York, NY. 10007 P hi adel phi a,
P A . 19' 4l
r
2 1 2 ,5 1 37 5 5 s 215 276 51A 2
 PHILADELPHIA CREIN V E R MON I
Pennsylvania Hort. society C A R D E NFOR
S A LLIN C
J . B I aineB o n h a mJ r.
325 W alnu lSt.
P hiladelp h i P a ,A. 1 9 1 0 6 B url i ngton,
215-625-A 3 V T 05401
802-86J-r308
WESTERN
PENNsYLVANIA
CON5ERVANCY
COMMI]NITY
CARDENINC
PROCRAM W A S H IN C TON
CITYOF PULLMAN PARKS
AND REC
316 F our t hAv e .,tBth F l .
P nt s bur s hPA
, .1 5 2 2 2 P .O.B ox249
412- 288- 2 7 7 7 P ul l man,W A . 99163
509 314-505
CAPSASSOCIATION
ALLENMORRIS HILLSIDE
PARK
c/o 3rd and spruce c/o NeishborhoodHouse
Readins,PA. 19602
2t s 120- 61 0 8

COMMUNITY
SERVICE
FOI]NDATION 206 447-452A

INNERCITYSELF
HELPPROCRAM
S elle6v illePA
, .1 8 9 6 0
215- 25741 3 1
206-:t240500
SOUTHCAROLINA
ECONOMIC/COMMt]NITY
DEVELOPMENT
wtscoNsrN
P.O. Box 2207 DANECOUNTYCOMMUNIT}ACTION
Cr eenv ille,5 .C .2 9 6 0 2
801242- 12 5 0 1045E . D ayl onR m.t08
Madi son,W l .53703
608-2669710
SOUTH DAKOTA
CITYOF BROOKINCS
PARK5
& RECREAIION UNIVERSITY
OF !\TISCONSIN
EXTENSION
S r ook ingsS,.D .5 7 0 0 6 sHOOIS'NROOTS UREANCARDENINC
645 692,27Aa 929 N . si xthS i
Mi i w aukee,W l .51202
TENNESSTE 414-2244866
CHRIST
CHAPTL
COMMT]NITY
CARDENS
WYOMINC
K nox v ille, CHEYENNE
COMMUNITY SOLARCR'ENHOUSE
T N .3 7 9 1 2 COMMIJNIT\ACTIONOF LARAMIE
6r 5- 688, 55 3 2 CO.

TEXAS C heyenne,
W Y .82001
AUSTINCOMMUNJTY
CAROENS J07-6159J40
ll l0 Cuada l u p c

512- 472924 6
TRAVIS COUNTYFARMERS MARKET
Victor Von Zur MLrehlen
1708E . 38t hSt.
Ausltn,IX, 78722
512 45A 2009

v lx G t Nt A
RESTON HOMEOWNER\q55OCIATION
I930 lsaa. Newlon Square
Reslon,VA. 22090
70J 437 95AO
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1977
IOURNATOFCOMMUNITY GARDTNING
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1944 Crockett,lames Underyood
Time-Life8ooks,New York, Ny
GARDENINC (GARDEN
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Srockbridse, MA Teen,Alice E.,SuffolkCounryr\t€nsronService
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GROUNDCOVER PLANTS 1979
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1973 Campbell,Stu
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1977 USIFULHTRBACEOUS PLANTS
DuSdale,ChesterB.
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197A
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1973 COMPOSTINC
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GROWINCWITHCOMMUNITY GARDENINC Chrisry,Lrz,and Douqlar Datv
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CROWINCYOUROWN VEGETABLES NEXTWHOLI IARTHCAIALOC_
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U.S.Deparhen(of Aariculturc.Warhinston.DC 8rand, Stewa(, Ed-
1977 Co-EvolLrtionQuanerlr. 8o\ 428. Sausatito. CA
CUIDI TO FOODORYINC 19n2
IURSERY SOURCE 6UIDE_A HANDBOOK
Caden Way Publishing,Charlohe,VT 05440 Mccouny, frcdrick, lr., Ed_
t 9a0 ErooklynBotanicCarden
HOWTO OROWMORI VICETASIES 1000W ashi ngton A ve.,B l ookl yn,N y 11225
1977
Ien SpeedPrcss,P.O. Box 7123, Eerkeley,CA NUTSFORTHEFOODCARDENER
94707
1979 Caden Way Publirhin&Chartotte,VT 05445
INSECTS & DISfASESIN THI HOMEVECETABLE ORGANICORCHARDINC
CARD€N
She*, A.F.,& A.A. Muka RodalePrcsr,tmmaue,PA 10049
New Yorl SrareColl€8e of ASricuirurcatCohetl ORCANIC PTANT PROTECIION
RodalePres, Emmaus,PA 18049
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A l e ra n d rac h ri s ty N e w \o rl crh CharlesLolhroDPack
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1982 1977
RODALE's COLORHANDBOOK OF TREE MAINTENANCE
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Oxford Unive6ity Pre$, New York, NY
RodalePrcss,Emmaus,PA 18049 1974
1979 IREESFORAMERICAN CARDENS
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Crockell,JamesUndeMood C o., N ew Y ork,NY
Macmi l l anP ubl i shi ng
Time'Life Books,New York, NY 1974
1978 TREES HURTTOO
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RodalePiess,Emmaus,PA 18049 WORMSEATMY CARBACE
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s OME T H INFCORT H ET R EE S
... S OME TH IN C rlower Pre$. ralamazoo,Ml ac002
FORTHECITY(]4 MINUTE COLORFILM) 1982
Producedbv the tnvironmentalActionCoalilion YOUTHCARDENINC CUIDE
BOOK,A COMPLETE
Availablefr;m EACat 417 LafaYelleSl, New FORTEACHTRs, & YOUTHL€ADERs
PARENTS
Yo*, NY 10003
SOURCE BOOKFORSHADE TREE MANACEMENT Cadens For All, Burlington,VT 05401
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CoopelativeE{ension Seruice FORTEACHERs, PARENTS& YOUTHLEADERS
Universityof New Hampshirc,Durham,NH
1977 Gadens For All, 8ur ingon, VT 05401
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MAINTENANCE MANUAL
AlexandraChriry; New York City YOUTHBOOK: MODELS AND RESOURCES FOR
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PARTICIPATORY PLANNINC AND 3 W. 29lh St., New York, NY 10001 1960
NEICHBORHOOD CONTROL
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CUNY Cenlerfor Human tnvircnments A Man!al l ur C han8rnE
to!r FoodS l stem
3 l W. 4 2 n d St.,N e w Yo rk ,N Y 10016
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Dept. of CeneralSeruices,CreenThumb
COMPLE'TT
BOOKOF EDIBLE LANDSCAPINC 5l Chambe6 St.,New York, NY 10007
5iena Club Books,San Francisco,CA 94108 OUTDOOREDUCATION EqUIPMTNT PLANS
1942 FOREAsYIO MAKEITEMS
Bachert,R.E.,& E.L.Sn@ks
DESICN ELEMTNTSIN SOLAR CROWFRAMTS AND Int€6tatePrintersand Publisheu,In.-, lllinois
HORT.ADAPTATIONS FORTHEIRWINIERUsE 1974
Mathews,Flower,Cansr, Weinsteiser
OryanicCardeninsRefarch Centei,tmmaus, PA PARTICIPATORY DESICN, DEVELOPMENIAND
1981 MAINTENANCE
Trun for Public Land,The
DESICN FORPLAY 254 W . 3l n S t.,N ew Y ofk,N Y 10001
r980
MIT Press,Cambridg€,MA
1974 P€RMACUL-IURE (BOOKS ONEAND TWO)
Mol l i son,8i l l , D avi dH ol msren
EDIBLE CIry RESOURCE MANUAL IntemalionalTrceC.ops Institure,Winters,CA
Britz, Richard,et al. 1979
William Kaufman,Inc., LosAltos CA 94022
1981 PLANANOMAKEYOUROWN FENCES, CAIES,
WAIKWAYS, WALLS AND DRIVES
IL BARRIO STUDY_PHASE I
City of DallasPlanningDept. RodalePress,Emmaus,PA 18049
Cit y Hall, D a l l a sT, X 2 s 2 0 1 1942
E NV I RO N M EN PL T ALA N N INFCORC H IL D R E N ' S PLANNINC FORPLAY
LadyAllen of HLrdwood
MIT Prcss,CambridSe,Mass.
fta€ger Publirhe6, Inc., New York, NY 1974
1970
PLAYCROUNDSFORCITYCHILDREN

Associationtor Childhood
Bibliograp v- Urban
Int€rnarional,Washington,D.C.
1968
Land Useand Design
PLAYCROUNDS FORFREE
A BIOCMPHY OF FREDERICK
LAW OLMS'TED
MIT Prc$, Cambridge,Mas. (F,L,O,)
1975
SELF.RELIANILIVINCIN THTCITY Johns Hopkins UniveBily Prcs, Bahimorc, MD
1973
FarallonesInstilute,InteSralUrban House
Sier€ Club 8ook5,San Fran.isco,CA A CUIDE TO LAND USEDECISION.MAI(INC
1981 Cook, Ernen,td.
IH E OES ICOF
N NEICHSORHOODPARKS The Trustfor Public Land,254 W. Slst St.
New York, NY 10001
1980
BaltimoreCity PlanningCom m i s s i o n ,
Baltimore.MD A STANDARDMUNICIPAITREE ORDINANCE I WITH
1977 SIANDARD ARBORICULTURAL SPECIFICATIONS
TREES FORARCHITECIURE Neely,Dan, Ed.,t.B. Himelick,SpecialAdvise'
& THELANDSCAPE InternationalShadeTreeConference,Ulbana,lL
Zion, RobenL. 1972
Van Nonrand ReinholdCo., New Yo*, N.Y.
1968 ABSTRACTSOF URBAN FORESTRYRESEARCH IN
U.5,ADVENTURE PROCRESS
PLAYCROUND REPORT Rownlrce,RowanA. & Wolfe, Juditht.,
Ameican AdventurePlayAseciation
P.O.8 o x l l 6 8 5 , Sa nF ra n c isco, C ompi l euU .S .D .AForcst
.
C A 94131 ServiceCeneralTechnicalRepoft
URSANLANDSCAPE DESiCN 1980
Mccraw-Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y. C E N TR A LP A R K W OR K sOOK
A C TIV ITI ESFO RAN
1964 finkelstein,R.J.,& CentralParkTaskForceSraff
CenlralParkConseruancy, 830 5th Ave.
New York, NY 10021
1980
CHILDRTN,NATIJRE&THE URBANENVIRONMENT
PROCITDINCS OF A SYMPOsIUM
Forct setuice,U.5. Dept.of AgncL,lrure
1977
CITIZEN's
ACTIONMANUAL:A CUIDETO
RECYCLINC VACANTPROPERTY
Bolton,C. & The Trun for Public Land
U.5. Dept.of the Interior,NationalParkServi€e,
r980
CITYFARMSj USINCUrisANWA5TELAND lN
TOWNSANDCITIES
IntetsActionAdvisoryS3rvice
The Service,London,Ensland
1977
COMMUNITY LANDTRUST HANDBOOK
Institulefor CommunityEconomi€s
l 5l MontasueC i lR y oad,Crc€nfield,MAOl30l
1942
CRTA'TIVE SOLUTIONS TO LANDDEVELOPMENT
CONFLICTS
Cook, Ernesl,Ed.
Irun for P l bl i c Land,254 W . l l st S l .
New York, NY 10001
1981
DESICN WITHNAIURE
Doubleday,New Yo , NY
1971
ENVIRONMENIAL DESICN NEICHBORHOODSPACE
Dober, RichardP. (AlP) Hester, lr., Randolph T.
RobertE. Krie8erPub.Co., New York, NY Dowden, Hutchinen and Ross,stroudsburg, PA
1975 1975
EXCHANCE (A QL]ARTERLY
JOURNAL) NEW DIRECTIONS IN FARM,LAND AND FOOD
LandTrustExchange, The POLtCtES
I Joy St., BostonMA 02108 A8ricuhuralProject,The
FREDIRICK LAWOLMSTED & THEAMERICAN Conferenceon AlternativeSlateand tocal
ENVIRONMENTAL TRADITION
1980
Ceo€e Eraziller,New York, NY OPINSPACE ANDRTCREATION OPPORTUNITY IN
1972 A ME R IC A ' 5IN NCEITIE
R 5
FREDERICK LAWOLMSTED's NEWYORK D unn,D i ana
Barlow,Elizabeth Dept. of Housingand Ufian Development/
Prae8erPublkhen, New Yofk, NY WashinSton,DC
1972 1974
CRANITE CAROEN: OPEN5PACISr THELIFEOF AMERICAN CITIES
URB A N NA T U RAEN DH U M AND ES IGN Heckscher,,A., with P. Robinson
Spim,Anne Whiston Haeer & Row, New York, NY
B as icB ook s 1
, 0 E .5 l d S t.,N e $ ' Yo rk1 0 022 1977
r 984 PLANTS, PEOPLE, & ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HOWTREISHELPCLEAN'THE AIR Robinette,Gary O.
U.S. Dept.ot Interior,NationalParkSeruice
ForestService,U.S. Dept.ot Agriculturc, 1972
Washington,DC PRATT CUIDETO PLANNINC & RENEWALFOR
1977 NEWYORKERS
LANDCONSERVATION AND PRESIRVATION
TFCHNT(IUES Ti.mesS ookC o.,
Quadrangl e/N .Y

U.S.Depl.ofthe lnlerior,NalionalParkSeNice, 1973

Washinston,DC PRIVATE OPTIONS: TOOLSANDCONCTPIS FOR
1979 LANDCONSERVATION
MontanaLandReliance,LandTrustExchange
COMMUNITY OPENSPACES lslandPress,
StarRt.l, Box38, Lovelo,CA 95428
FrancisCashdan,Paxson 1942
lsland Pre$, Covelo,CA 95428
1984 PROPOSED COMPOSITINC 5TRATf CY
Lowe, Robeft,& ConradLee
NATIONAL URBANFOR€STRY CONFERENCE RecyclinS& ResourceRecoveryPrcgram,
VOL.I
Hoplins.CeorSe,Ed. 1980
S y r a( u' e,N Y C o l l e s eo f En v i fo n me n lSacl i e nce
RESPONDING TO THEURBANCHATLENGE: THT
1978 NATIONAL PAR(SERVICE IN NEWYORKCIT'f
Macki ntosh, E .,N . P l aki ns,lU
. l l man,E .w i se
NATIONAL URBANFORESTRY CONFERENCE Councilon the Environment,New York, NY
voL tl r0007
Hoplins, Ceorge.Ed. 1972
5y r a. r s e,N Y:C o l l e s eo f En v i ro n me n lSacl i e nce (KAN5AS)
SAMPLE CITYTREE OROINANCE
1974 Nighrwonger,J.J.,CooperaliveExlensionService
Kansasstate Univeuily, Manhattan,Kansas
NEICHBORHOOD LANDCONTROL TECHNIQUES l 98l
(A SERTES)
Trusttor Public Land,The THELANDTRUST MANACEMENT HANDBOOK
254 W . 3ln St.,N e w Y o rk ,N Y 1 0 0 0 1 Stone,A., The Trustfor Public Land
1980 254 W . 3l st 5t-,N ew Y ork,N Y 10001
1942
N€IGHBORHOOD LANDREVITALIZATION MANUAl
THEPOWER BROKERj ROBERT MOSES AND THE
Trustfor PubLicLand,The
NationalParkSeryice,RecreationResources
Division,WashinSlon,DC VintaSeBooks,Div'sionof RandomHo!se, New
t 98t
1975
"THERTCREENINC OF URAANAMERtCtt'(Ariicle)
Mi tc h e l l ,l .
Audubon(Magazine,March 1978, pp.27-32)
1974
THEURBANORCANISM _ IHE CITY'sNATURAL
RESOURCIS . _.
Havlick,Spens€rW.
Macmillan PublishingCo., Inc., New York, NY
1974
TRTES FORURBANPARKS _ CUIDEfOR
. -. NORTHEAST CITITS
Divisionof Nat!lal S€iencesRes€arch/Resources
Natioial Pa|t S€rvice,Philadelphia,PA
1942
TRETSIN URBANDESIGN
Van NostrandReinholdCo., N€w York, NY
1980
URBANFORESTRY: A BIBLIOCRAPHY
Albrccht,J. & P.J.Weichedins
UniveBityof Minnerota
1983
UREANLANDBANKINC (BIBTIOCRAPHY)
Michniewicz,ClaudiaM.
Councilof PlanningLibrarians,ChicaSolL
1979
URAANOPENsPACTS
Cooper-HewittMus€um
Rizzoli,712 Fifih Ave., New Yolk, NY
1981
URBANPARKS & RECREATION:
CHALLENGf OFTHE] 970'5
CommunityCouncil of CrealerNew York
225 Pa* Ave., New Yo*, NY 10003
1972
EMPIYBREADBAsKET?
The Cohucopia P'oiect
33 E-Minor 5t., Emmaus,PA 18049
1981
THENEWYORKs'TATE fOOD sYSTEM
C'owins Close'To Home
The CornucopiaPrcjecl
1981
fOOD DISTRIBUTION ANDCONSUMPTION
IN
KNOXVILLE
CraduateSchoolof PlanninE
UniveBityof Tennesse€
Knoxville,T€nnesr€€
1942
tnoex edti cati oni n, l 0-l l , 80, 101
environmentalprctectionand, l0
exampl es ot, I26-131
l ood i n, S , 47, 61, 71, 73, 10)
Ame can CommuhitycardeninS fundinStor, 25.26
immjBrationand, l-5
Appl€ComputerNetwork 55, 7l invenloryol, 65, 65, A9-127
Aslor Foundation,Th€Vincenr ?6, 8l l i sti ngof I42-149
long tem leasin8and, 3l
motivationsforl 68-59
I neiShborhood revitalizationand, 5, 41, 68, 69,
SotanicCardens 22 103
Elonx FrontierDevelopmentCorporation 19- non'profib and, 79'81
20, 5 1 , 5 7 , 5 A,5 9 . 1 2 7 , 1 3 2
own€6hipand, 109-110
peopleinvolved in, 67
rcal -esrateval uesand,
2, 7,9, 1O,22,27.11-34
recreationand, 6, 70, 71, 1O3,104
Car t hat rH, a n i e v , 2 , 1 1 ,2 2
Chas€Manhattan8ank, The 26, 54
Ciii:en's Commirteeof N€|9 \ork 25,57,126, soi lan, 17-19.)s,71,73
132 rpon$rshi pand, 107-l 08
SNAPprcBlam 25 5\4€alequi l yi n, 7l ,l l 3-115, 119
Mollie PamisDressUp YourN€ighborhood 25,
43, 1 1 7 ,1 3 0
Clinton CommunityCa.den 9, 25, 35, 39
CommunityDevelopmentBlock Cnnls 77
Con t dis o n I l , 2 6 , 3 7 zoninSand, 58
Colnell Cooperativ€Extension 16.19, 15, 59, Celeway NationaiRecrcarionArea 23, 140
97, 1 0 4 .1 1 1 ,1 2 6 ,1 3 0 Croup-Live-ln-Exp€ience (CLlt) 2l
Counc il o n th e E n v i ro n m e n lo f N e w Y ork C rcenC uei l l as,The ), 15,16,21,35,3A ,112,
Cir y 1 7 ,2 5 ,)A.5 4 ,5 7 ,5 8 ,1 2 6 ,1 3 2,140 132,140
C rcenThumb,Operal i on 6,9, 11,)3,)5,)8,
44, 51, 59, 71, 73,7A ,A 4,97, 1OA 111,
,
D 116, 127, 124,1)2. 140
Div is ionof R e a lPro p e n y 3 1 ,3 5 ,3 a ,a 7
Dome Poje€t, The, 22, 35
Sampl€ProiectPofile 126
H
H e.ksher,A uS ust 70,77,84, A 7
t HoniculruralSociety 22, 126, 127, 132
tl Sol BfillanteCommuoityCaden 33, 44, 45 Ho!sinB Cons€ruationCoodinato,s 25, 35,
132,140

(
Fed€ralworks ProjectAdministration 5
F r i €n d of
s th e Pa rk s 2 1 ,5 1 .9 0 ,9 2 Kaplanf0nd, The I.M. 25
K o.h, MayorE d 37,19,5a,86,87

Cald€nsand Pa*5, Community

t
capital i.vestmenlin/ 7l LandTru(s 9, ,4,80, l 3l
c hildr enan d , l o , I l Li odray,MayorJohn 7,21,70,71,
communityd€velopmentflndinB in, 79,A5
communiryinpul in, 10, 45, 47, 97, r05, 108

MaS nol i aTrceE anhC entet 2,22, t5, 140

du.ins deprcssion, 5 Moes, Robed 70, 71. 84
N
NalroirL v ctory GardcnProgram 5 Jnion ProspectBlock a*oc;1t on cnftl.n
d e n S p a .eC o al i l i on V l l 2 I,
N e B h b o rh o o Op
i r,8 5 -8 6 , 1 2 6 ,r J 2 U n tcdS tates
D eprnmentofA gri .ul t!re16, 61,
H i s ro ry 5 2 -5 4 71

Ne* YorkC ry Uepadmenlot HousinsPreserva z

ti o nd n dl )e v eo p me n l ) f,f9,44,51,J), Zeckendo , Anhur :l
7 7 , 9 7 ,1 0 8 ,I 1 6 , 1 1 7 , I29, 1 J2
Ne* York Citv Dcpdrtme.l oi Parksand Rec-
feation 70, 80, 86
New York Cit-vOp.n Spa(eTrsk Force 9, 58,

N e w Yo rkC tv Stre cTl .e e C o nsort

um 22, 112,
t.l 0

o
Oneonl.,L.rbofaknyior ComputerClnphi.s and
Sp a ti aAn .l l y s i s 7 1 , l l 5
open spaccsGeea so Cirdens and Pn*s, Com

fi s c a lc ri s l sn n d 2 1 , 2 i , a l , 6., 97

N €w Yo C i ty rn d 9 ,1 5 ,5 4 ,67' 47

(s e e C a rdcns.r.d P arks,

2 1 2 2 , 5 1, 70 14/)

a
QueensBolanicalSeniorCardenPruje.l

R
R c v s o nF o l n d a to f, T h eC h a rcs H .. i i i , v
R u p p e nC re e n 2 , 1 5 , 1 8 ,5 9

s
SerpentineArts and NalureCommonProiecl

S o u thE ro n x I9 2 1 , 4 4 , 5 1 , I I7
SumpterStreelGardcnProjectProfile I28

T
T rl s t to r Pu b l i cL a n d T
, h e 3 , 9,20,t9,14,57,
I4 t)
Tweltlh StrcctPreschoolP.rygroundProj-acl
P ro ti l c 1 2 9
Index Indexor I aDtes
F ig. I Si ted i s tri b u ti o n9 l S i teC ounl 9l
F iB . 2 Site Lorationsln Manhattan 94 Table 2 ExcludedSitesby Boroush 92
F iB .l site LocalionsIn the Eronx 94 Amolnt of Land 98
F iB .4 site locations in Sfooklyn 95 Numberof Silesby Projecl 99
Fi8. 5 Site Locationsin Queens 96 Percentof Vac.nGLotCarden
FiA. 6 Site Locationsin Statenlsland
97 Numberot Acresby Prcject
CitywideSite Sizes 98 Tvpe 100
F iE .8 Panicipanls/Comm!nily Board N umberoi S i tesby LandU se
106 142
F ig. 9 Sponso6hiptype/N!mber of sites Iabl e 8 Numberoi Sitesby Motivation
108 t0J
F ig. l0 Owne6hip/Numberof Sites 109 A cl ve P .ni ci panl s 105
Owne6hip/Iotal Acr€age 110 t0 Numberol Sitcsby SponsorinS
Sile/DevelopmenVCitywide beto.e Or8. 107
1 9 7 6 -1 9 8 2 1 1 2 tl Percentof Site5hy Spo.solship
F i8. 13 Ien Yearstan l-lp Rate 112 108
F i8. 14 F l o wC h a fto f C o s ts l l 4 12 N!mber oi Silesbv Ownership
F i8. l5 In i ti a lC a p i taC
l o s ts 1 1 7 Type 109
t.l Numberoi Acre5br Owne^hip
Type I l 0
Clmu ativeSiteAges(year) I I l
t5 Numberof SiteSlart'upsby Yeir
lll
Sumrnaryof ReportedCo5ts I l5
17 Ini l i a C api l al C ons I l 6
t8 H P D Inl eri mS i tel mprol emenl
P rogram C osts 116
D C SC reenThumbC ons 117
Tab e 20 A nnual C api tal l l 8
T.bl e 2l A n.ual andTotalS w ealE qui tyI l 9
l abl e 22 AverageParlicipnnlHou6
Worked Perweek 120
Tabl e 2l Annual and Total Mainrenance
121
Table 24 C ranbToral 122
Tabl e 25 S i teR al i ngA nal ysi s l 2l
l dbl e 26 Numberoi SitesRatedby
E oroush l 2 J
Percentof Sitcswith Ratingsol
" l and A bove 124
 ..r\
..1
..f,;fl.,Ju,
72 RE A DES TRE E.T NE WY O RK ,NE W Y O RK1 O O O 7