September 16, 2009
Parks & People’s Neighborhood Greening Grants
The Parks & People Foundation, in partnership with the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Cleaner Greener Baltimore Initiative, provides up to $1,000 as Neighborhood Greening Grants for groups interested in conducting projects such as tree plantings, community gardens, vacant lot clean-ups and restoration, neighborhood clean-ups, schoolyard greening, water quality improvement and environmental education activities. Grant funds may also be used for tools, plant material, equipment and other needed supplies.
BaltimoreCity’s Sustainability Plan includes a goal of having green space accessible within ¼ mile of every resident. This program helps move another step closer to attaining that goal.
Parks & People has found that when outdoor spaces are healthy, utilized, vibrant and green, community residents are more engaged and invested in their neighborhoods. This is the type of sustainable environment that we work to create in neighborhoods, particularly underserved neighborhoods, throughout Baltimore.
This approach to community development and watershed restoration has been validated through practical and academic evidence such as research produced by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Researchers there found that people in neighborhoods where there is public green space experience a stronger sense of community, have closer relationships with their neighbors, and report feeling safer. As the body of research around community development grows, the critical importance of greening in urban neighborhoods and of Parks & People’s work within the context of successful community building is underscored. For example, new research conducted by The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania offers solid evidence that investment in greening can stabilize and improve property values as well as quality of life.
Liz Alex, with the Southeast CDC in Baltimore’s Highlandtown provides this testimonial: “Perhaps the greatest impact of our Community Greening project was the community connections that have been realized. Several of these residents have become involved in other neighborhood association activities, including Citizens on Patrol, a community clean-up campaign and have worked with the neighborhood associations to receive funding from the Baltimore Community Foundation. Those funds were used to add carriage lights to the front of homes. In addition to being an attractive visual statement it serves as a step toward improving safety at night.”
Glenn Ross, with McElderry Park Community Association, provides another testimony: “We loved this project because of the partnerships that have been formed with organizations able to provide technical assistance and resources. This project helped bind the faith community with the residents. It involved tearing down several burned-out houses that had been used for drug trafficking and prostitution. We created a labyrinth, a garden, and tree and flower nursery. Crime has been reduced. The alleys are cleaner and the stench is gone. The restoration of the vacant lot has had a major positive impact and is spreading to neighboring communities. People are asking for street trees and more gardens.”
Since 1996, Parks & People has funded more than 500 neighborhood greening projects. Seven community grant case studies can be viewed by clicking on the links below. You can also find “lessons learned” and applications for greening grants on the Parks & People Foundation website. www.parksandpeople.org
Funding for the Neighborhood Greening Grants Program also includes generous contributions from the TKF Foundation, Roswell Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Baltimore City Department of Planning’s Critical Area Management Program.
Application details for Parks & People Foundation’s Neighborhood Greening Grants which are provided twice a year can be found at Community Greening Stewardship Program page.
