OP-ED: Embracing an urban oasis
This summer, heat waves with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees were recorded at various times in New York City during the month of July. Currently, New York City remains in a drought watch. Cases of extreme weather are projected to become more frequent with data indicating an upwards of eight extreme heat events per summer by the year 2050. Extreme heat events are particularly dangerous as New York City is affected by the urban heat island effect, which is caused by an abundance of heat-absorbent surfaces found in cities. Low-income neighborhoods that are disproportionately affected by New York City will continue to be more built up, and thus will have more absorbent and impervious surfaces. Trees and green spaces are effective at combating the urban heat island effect. Community gardens are a particular green space in neighborhoods that positively impact both cooling, and can also provide food security and accessible public space, yet these spaces are at risk.
There are over 550 community gardens in New York City, with approximately 26 located in Central Harlem. These gardens provide critical resources, serving as urban farming hubs and community gathering spaces. Community gardens are a resource often neglected by city funding leading to less green space access, hotter environments, and food insecurity. The current administration has continuously attempted to slash budgets to our parks and community gardens. The most recent budget did not meet the 1% commitment that Mayor Eric Adams promised to dedicate to parks in his campaign. He said, “The goal is to get to that 1%. We’re getting there. I’m confident that we are.” Community gardens can help spread intergenerational knowledge of dealing with land and the climate crisis. In order for these gardens to succeed, their stewards need to be well supported.
Stewardship, defined as the care and management of resources for the public good, plays a crucial role in community gardens which rely on individuals who contribute their time in a volunteer position with upkeep and maintenance. Without the proper funding, these gardens are unable to properly staff and keep gardens open long term. As funding cuts continue to increase, stewards are struggling to keep their gardens operating. In the last year, community composting groups faced $7.1 million in budget cuts. Despite the restoration of these funds earlier this year, some community groups still suffered. In an article about these budget cuts, Anneliese Zausner-Mannes of Big Reuse said, “They’ve broken down infrastructure…We had to let go of people at the end of the calendar year. Then there was another wave … You can’t just expect someone to sit and wait for six months, not have a job and then jump back without reservation. I mean, it’s terrifying.” We interviewed a few stewards of community gardens in Harlem who expressed similar sentiments. Many stewards likened running a community garden to a second full-time job. One steward recounted that stewards and volunteers “have to chase every opportunity for bundling funds… and it takes a lot of work.” These limited funds result in competition as some “become very attached to their gardens.” Our community gardens cannot operate efficiently without dedicated efforts of stewards who invest significant time and energy to sustain these gardens. Here’s what more can be done to support community gardens:
- More community awareness and involvement in environmental initiatives – there is power in numbers! A lesson can be learned from the Seattle-based project, Measuring Urban Agriculture, which helps bring agency to community gardens helping them measure the tools and means necessary to run a community garden.
- Reaching out to the local government to advocate for dedicated funding for community gardens, and to preserve them. Critical Environmental Area designations are an important step for community gardens protection against the threat of development.
- Much like requirements in Local Law 94, new construction in neighborhoods of a certain density should include space for community gardens. This could be an incentive for producing and preserving community gardens.
Recently, the Elizabeth St. Garden Nolita has been the subject of closure by the city to build affordable housing. However, there is a large outcry coming from the people across the city, calling for hands off of this cherished community garden. Valuable public space is a need that should not be easily eliminated. Executive Order 43, recently put in place by Mayor Eric Adams, puts pressure on community garden sites as potential for housing development. The need for housing is imminent and pressing, but it does not mean that valuable community spaces should not be preserved. Our local government must continue to support our public green amenities. The climate crisis is bearing down on us, and the ones who are most impacted are the ones we leave behind in our most vulnerable neighborhoods. There is an obligation to support these people for a future that is more environmentally just. Understanding the necessity for affordable, social and just housing as a core of our city’s present need is important; understanding the need of green spaces that help us reduce urban heat island effect is a pressing need for the survival of our city.
Mouhamadou Dieng is a designer with a focus on impactful and community-oriented architecture. He is currently a fifth-year bachelor of architecture candidate at the Spitzer School of Architecture.
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