Resources
Starting a Green Space in Baltimore
If you want to start a new green space in Baltimore, here are some resources:
- How to Turn a Vacant Lot into a Garden or Pocket Park provides a quick overview of what it takes to start a green space, and a list of organizations and sources of funds and materials.
- Parks & People’s Guide to Greening Neighborhoods is a more detailed guide to all aspects of planning, creating, and maintaining a green space.
- The Community Greening Resource Network (CGRN) provides individuals and gardening groups with lots of information about gardening and a full schedule of workshops and volunteer opportunities. Gardening groups also receive seeds and plants, access to tool banks, and discounts on power tool rentals. Visit the CGRN web page, or call 410-448-5663.
Research
A picture’s worth a thousand words – and so is a research finding. Here are links to academic papers that show how or why community-managed open spaces provide a broad range of benefits to their communities:
- An article on the evidence that contact with nature improves physical and mental health, with lots of references for further reading.
- An article that shows a substantial increase in property values for the properties close to New York City's community gardens.
- A study in Lowell, Massachusetts, showed that reducing "disorder" such as vacant lots reduces crime. A newspaper write-up is available at Boston.com.
Baltimore City Policy on Preserving Community-Managed Open Spaces
Baltimore Green Space worked with Baltimore City government to develop a City policy that favors the preservation of neighborhoods' urban oases. The new policy allows for purchase by land trusts of City-owned land in use as community open space – for $1 per lot. Download a booklet that provides details on the criteria and process to preserve community-managed open spaces located on City-owned land. A flow chart provides an overview of the process.
Milton-Montford Garden
