5 Organizations Working To Make Urban Spaces Greener

Groups Helping Cities Go Green

Name	Location	Mission
Philadelphia Orchard Project	Philadelphia, PA	Plant and support community orchards in the city of Philadelphia
Sustainable Jersey City	Jersey City, NJ	Educate, empower, and activate community stakeholders, to make Jersey City a more sustainable and resilient place to live and work
Love & Carrots	Washington, DC	Expose as many people as possible to sustainable practices and smart growing, so they can use that knowledge themselves and share it with others
Roanoke Parks and Recreation	Roanoke, VA	Manage parks, plazas, greenways, and public green space in the Roanoke Valley and offer recreation programs
Louisville Grows	Louisville, KY	Foster green, just, and sustainable neighborhoods in Louisville

Tips For Starting Your Own Garden

Make sure you have all the tools you need
Keep everything organized so nothing gets lost
Use a stool to stay comfortable while you work
Or avoid crouching down altogether by having a raised garden
Light the garden so that you can enjoy it at night as well
Remember to mark your plants so you know what you're growing
If you're having trouble with pests, put up a fence
Prune your plants regularly
If you don't have a good environment outside, try growing an indoor garden

Why We Should Be Urban Farming

5 Benefits of Parks

Bring trees and other plants to urban environments
Give people a place to be physically active
Increase property values
Protect and preserve wildlife
Host community events and social programs

Reasons To Spend Time Outdoors

Sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D
In the winter, leaving the house can lessen the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Hiking is a great way to stay physically active
Walking in the fresh air can help with mental health
It's a great opportunity to learn about local plant and animal species
Going outside may be good for children's vision

The Garden Awakening

In Depth

There are numerous benefits to connecting with nature, but access can be harder for those who reside in urban areas. Some groups are making changes in their local cities to combat this issue. In no particular order, here are a few organizations that are bringing more plant life to neighborhoods across the United States.

First up, at #1, we have the Philadelphia Orchard Project. This nonprofit organization has been working with community-based groups and volunteers to plant orchards filled with edible plants since 2007. The group works in formerly vacant lots, community gardens, schoolyards, and other urban spaces to increase access to local produce.

The Philadelphia Orchard Project provides design assistance, plant materials, and training, while the community organizations they work with own and maintain the orchards. This group envisions green urban ecosystems that will provide hands-on learning experiences and grow fresh fruit for future generations.

This group envisions green urban ecosystems that will provide hands-on learning experiences and grow fresh fruit for future generations.

Next up, at #2, we have Sustainable Jersey City, a catalyst organization with a mission to educate, empower, and activate community stakeholders to make Jersey City a more resilient place. This collaborative network has multiple projects in the works with a focus on three hubs of activity: emissions reduction, green infrastructure, and waste streams.

Visitors can find support for community-based composting through informational workshops, advocacy, and local partnerships with community gardens. Sustainable Jersey City has long been a partner to the Jersey City Gardening Coalition, providing technical assistance to help maximize productivity and sustainability of different sites.

At #3, we have Love and Carrots, a company in the D.C. Metro area that offers garden design, installation, maintenance, and coaching through one-on-one lessons with an assigned Urban Farmer. Since 2011, this organization has been providing assistance in crafting organic gardens to make urban environments more conducive to healthy living.

Since 2011, this organization has been providing assistance in crafting organic gardens to make urban environments more conducive to healthy living.

Love and Carrots aims to educate as many people as possible about green practices and smart gardening and raise awareness about sustainability and biodiversity. Using a hands-on approach, it strives to get people excited about eating fresh, healthy food while showing why actions such as going organic and eating locally are important.

Coming in at #4, we have The City of Roanoke's Department of Parks and Recreation, a nationally accredited municipal agency that maintains about fourteen-thousand acres of public land. Of that, Roanoke, Virginia has more than thirteen thousand acres of tree canopy.

Roanoke has been designated a Tree City USA for its plant management program. The Urban Forestry team provides regular maintenance based on staff observations or by citizen request. This group hosts an annual Arbor Day celebration and has an Urban Forestry Plan adopted by the City Council. In addition, Roanoke has entire teams dedicated to landscape care, turf maintenance, and downtown beautification, among other efforts.

Roanoke has been designated a Tree City USA for its plant management program.

Next, at #5, is Louisville Grows, a non-profit focused on rebuilding the urban tree canopy in food-insecure neighborhoods in West Louisville, Kentucky. It aims to plant one-thousand trees each year and works with residents to start community gardens and gathering spaces.

Louisville Grows works in solidarity with each neighborhood to identify beneficial garden structures to enhance health and sustainability. Neighborhoods have installed beehives, fruit trees and bushes, greenhouses, community gathering spaces, and more. Programming, workshops, and classes are usually hosted at Healthy House, the organization's headquarters, where the community can learn about healthy eating, environmental education, and environmental equity.