I think that New York City has much potential for being a city that incorporates community gardens well. Unfortunately, there are several obstacles that hinder that progress, the main one being funding. Although there are many projects that attempt to bring as much greenery to the city as possible, these projects are overlooked by the public and not much action is taken. This also correlates to the lack of public interest in these projects – for example, there is an urban farm in Battery Park, which I haven’t even known about until I walked through the park.
Furthermore, there are green areas in the city that are not open to the public such as the private park on Lexington, a block away from Baruch. In terms of community gardens serving a purpose to help the environment, they not only prevent stormwater runoff but contribute to mitigating air pollution. The academic paper states that in New York City the community gardens are known for their “role in food production, environmental education, and youth employment” however, there is not much knowledge beyond that sphere. It is important to stress community efforts in these projects because they are long-term and only through everyone’s participation would they be well-maintained.
