Community gardeners celebrate reprise as Summer Winter Community Garden is saved from potential closure
Securing Philadelphia's Community Gardens Amid Urban Development
Philadelphia's community gardens, a vital source of green space, local food production, and community stewardship, are currently at a critical juncture. According to a 2023 city plan, fewer than half of the city's community gardens are considered secure due to incomplete land ownership. However, recent actions by the city and local organisations suggest a commitment to securing these green spaces for the long term.
One such example is the Summer Winter Community Garden, located in Philadelphia's Powelton Village section, where roughly one-third of the city's active gardens and farms are found in areas with the highest intensity of new construction, such as West Philly [1]. The garden, spanning nearly an acre, has been a source of community pride for decades, with its persimmon tree, pond full of koi fish, and a cornerstone marked with the year 1872.
However, gardeners like Joe Revlock have long worried that the garden land could be sold to a developer. Last month, City Council authorized the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to transfer the Summer Winter Community Garden's parcels to the Neighborhood Gardens Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving these lots indefinitely [2]. This transfer is seen as a model for protecting other community gardens, especially in neighbourhoods facing heavy development and displacement pressures [4].
The Neighborhood Gardens Trust has agreed to take on a 30-year mortgage to acquire the Summer Winter Community Garden's property, which automatically reduces to zero by the end of its term. The Trust is also working to acquire the land under more than two dozen active gardens in its preservation pipeline from the city or private owners [3].
District 3 City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has emphasised the need for more work to protect community gardens across the city, while hoping that the Summer Winter Community Garden can serve as a model for securing more gardens [4]. Jamie Gauthier also hopes that the garden can foster a sense of community and provide a space for people from diverse backgrounds to come together, as described by newcomer Crishana Manigan. Manigan, who joined the garden this spring with her fiancé, Luke Dougan, spoke of the garden as a place where older adults, students, and people in the medical profession gather [6].
State-level investments are also supporting urban agriculture initiatives, including Philadelphia farms involved in apprenticeship programs and fresh food access projects, which complement and reinforce community garden efforts to sustain urban green spaces and local food production [5].
In conclusion, Philadelphia is actively working through legal transfers to trusted land conservancies, city council actions, and state-supported urban agriculture programs to secure community gardens for the foreseeable future amid ongoing challenges of land ownership and urban development pressures [1][4][5].
The Neighborhood Gardens Trust's acquisition of the Summer Winter Community Garden's property aims to secure this green space for a long term, providing a model for protecting other community gardens in Philadelphia. This preserved garden, with its rich history and diverse community, is not only a source of local food production but also a place where people from various backgrounds come together, fostering a sense of unity.
In an effort to enhance the lifestyle and home-and-garden scene in the city, gardening activities in Philadelphia's community gardens, such as the Summer Winter Community Garden, play a crucial role in urban development by fostering community stewardship and promoting local produce with a touch of nature's charm.
