DRAFT
The Philadelphia Garden Data Collaborative (PGDC) database identifies more than 400 active gardens and farms across more than 900 parcels, or pieces of land in Philadelphia.23 Sometimes a garden consists of just one parcel, while other gardens are made up of multiple parcels. In many cases, the parcels on which gardens are located are owned by multiple entities, public and private. Before they were gardens, these parcels were often vacant and disinvested over decades through deindustrialization, acts of landlord abandonment, and structural racism. Through the efforts of Philadelphia’s gardeners and farmers, this land now cultivates not just plants, but also soil quality, water quality, wildlife habitats, stormwater management, physical space, and community relationships. FIGURE 14. Diagram
of a Typical Garden with Multiple Parcels and Owners
Source: Philadelphia Land Bank Strategic Plan
WHAT IS LAND SECURITY? WHAT IS LAND ACCESS? Land Security > A garden has land security when all of its parcels are owned by the gardeners or a trusted organization or entity that will protect the garden over time. > Fewer than half (44%) of gardens in the Philadelphia Garden Data Collaborative database are secure, meaning that the whole garden is owned by the gardeners, farmers, or a supportive organization (e.g., Parks & Recreation, schools, or land trusts). > A garden lacks land security when one or more of its parcels are owned by an individual or entity that does not intend to preserve the garden over time. Land Access > Gardeners and farmers have land access when they have a legal ability to use land for agriculture, provided through a lease, license, other arrangement, or permanent ownership.
LAND
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