[Community_garden] 3. Re: do gardens reduce crime? (Don Boekelheide)

Mon Mar 10 11:53:31 EDT 2008

Hi Don, Ellen, Miriam and all,

I googled Felton Earls and you can find a summary of his "collective efficacy" (that's a mouthful!) work at:

http://crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/CollectiveEfficacyEarls.html

Well worth the read!!In solidarity,Diane Dodgelistserv administratorGrowing Food and Justice for All Initiativeemail: dianefaydodge at hotmail.comcell:   (651)278-6748"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable ... It comes only through the tireless efforts and passionate concern of dedicated individuals ... This is no time for apathy nor complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action."— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1958)

 > > Hi, Miriam,> > To the valuable points raised by Ellen and everyone, let me add:> > The Whitmire Study in St. Louis, by Mark Tranel and others, (http://pprc.umsl.edu) is specifically looking at this question. I believe the study has found some positive indicators of improved neighborhood quality of life, as indicated in the excerpt below from a report by the Trust for Public Land (http://www.tpl.org/tier2_cl.cfm?folder_id=725), though I think the jury is still out on crime stats per se. This may have changed - I have not seen any new data or analysis from the study since 2004.> > Our new urban agriculture person for North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Lucy Bradley (lucy_bradley at ncsu.edu) did excellent work with gang prevention in Phoenix before moving here to NC, as have some others around the country, such as SEEDS in Durham, NC.> > Community gardens also act as a cultural bridge linking people with different languages, backgrounds and nations of origin. This provides "common ground" that lays the groundwork for non-violent conflict resolution in divers urban settings.> > Equally important is the work of Mark Francis at UC Davis, especially his work in the early 1980s on the contrast between community gardens and traditional "keep off the grass" parks (lda.ucdavis.edu/people/websites/francis/publist.pdf).> > For the big picture, you may find it interesting to explore E.O. Wilson's idea of 'biophylia', and Charles A. Lewis's work on horticultural therapy and human pycho-social benefits from growing plants. While you're at it, read Wendell Berry and Barbara Kingsolver, too...> > I'd caution you in Baltimore to be careful about "green space" equaling "community garden". Philadelphia went down that road with a very poorly done study, in my opinion, that lead to the absurdity of volunteers coming into neighborhoods to plant lawns and put up fences on vacant lots - growing food took "too much work". I'm not sure how that strategy has played out, and of course the proponents are as convinced they are correct as I am that they goofed (in a sister study, they also panned urban agriculture, again using highly flawed research methodology and reasoning). I digress. To be fair, the agency involved (Philadelphia Green, I think) was dealing with the reality that community gardens are not low maintenance, especially when they start - somebody (ultimately the gardeners themselves, and the community they are part of) needs to actively engage in managing the garden, which requires resources, time, commitment and ideally know-how. At a time of> shrinking budgets for social service and environmental agencies, it raises the question of "who" will cultivate the gardens.> > Another risk comes from the opposite direction, gentrification. The best person to read for understanding this is the late Karl Linn (http://www.karllinn.org).> > A good reference is ACGA's special 25th anniversary edition of their magazine, The Community Greening Review. The special edition, titled "25 Years of Community Gardening", is available from ACGA, and contains articles Francis and Lewis, a good article on Linn, and more. It is ISBN-13: 978-1-59975-411-6.> > Here's the section from the TPL (I have to meet with the head of Park and Rec here next week to make a case for community gardens, so I have a lot of this stuff in my computer right now):> > Good luck!> > Don Boekelheide> Charlotte, NC> http://urbanministrygarden.wordpress.com> > >>Creating Stable Neighborhoods with Strong Community> > Green spaces build community. Research shows that residents of neighborhoods with greenery in common spaces are more likely to enjoy stronger social ties than those who live surrounded by barren concrete.> > A study by the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago found that for urban public housing residents, levels of vegetation in common spaces predicted the formation of neighborhood social ties. ?In inner-city neighborhoods where common spaces are often barren no-man?s lands, the presence of trees and grass supports common space use and informal> social contact among neighbors,? the study found. > > ?In addition, vegetation and [neighborhood social ties] were significantly related to residents? senses of safety and adjustment.?> > These benefits often arise in the context of community gardens. A 2003 study conducted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis for the community development organization Gateway Greening found that St. Louis neighborhoods with community gardens were more stable than other neighborhoods. In a city that lost nearly 50,000 residents between 1990 and> 2000, neighborhoods with gardens did relatively better, losing 6 percent of their population over the decade compared with 13 percent for the city as a whole. The study also found that between 1990 and 2000, monthly rents for apartments immediately around the gardens rose a median of $91, compared with no change in the larger U.S. Census areas surrounding the gardens and a $4 drop for St. Louis as a whole.> > Advocates of community gardens say they increase residents? sense of community ownership and stewardship, provide a focus for neighborhood activities, expose inner-city youth to nature, connect people from diverse cultures, reduce crime by cleaning up vacant lots, and build community leaders.> > ?The garden can take credit for bringing the neighborhood together,? says Annie Thompson in Park Slope, Brooklyn, speaking about the Garden of Union. This is an area where more research is needed; the evidence of these social benefits is often anecdotal. It is also difficult to isolate the benefits of a community garden from the effects of economic, demographic, and other changes on a neighborhood.> > TPL has been heavily involved in preserving community gardens in New York City. In 1998, the city announced a plan to auction off 114 of its more than 700 community gardens. TPL, working with other conservation groups, open space and garden coalitions, and individual gardeners, opposed the auction. Lawsuits, public pressure, and media attention brought the city to the negotiating table. The day before the auction, the city agreed to sell 63 gardens to TPL and the remainder to the nonprofit New York Restoration Project. All 114 gardens were spared.<<> > > > > -----Original Message-----> From: community_garden-bounces at list.communitygarden.org> [mailto:community_garden-bounces at list.communitygarden.org] On Behalf Of> Miriam Avins> Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 3:10 PM> To: community_garden at list.communitygarden.org> Subject: [Community_garden] do gardens reduce crime?> > Hi, everyone,> > I'm working on a paper about Baltimore's need for a land trust for > community-managed open space. Can any of you help me find academic > studies of how community gardens (and other open spaces managed by > communities) reduce crime and other social ills? I've seen plenty of > studies on the general topic of greening and a reduction in social > ills, but nothing specific to community gardens. Can any of you wise > folks give me a reference?> > Thank you so much!> > regards,> > Miriam> > Miriam Avins> Homestead Harvest Community Garden> and Baltimore Green Space
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