This project tells the story of how Philadelphia is transforming thousands of vacant lots into green community spaces. Once symbols of disinvestment and crime, these parcels are being renewed through the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s LandCare Program, which targets high-need areas and partners with residents to create safe, welcoming places. The webpage uses maps, data, and community voices to show how greening vacant land can spark neighborhood renewal and resilience.
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- Circular Philadelphia. Temporary Vacant Land Activation in Philadelphia: A Policy Guide. February 2024. PDF.
Available at: https://circularphiladelphia.org/staging/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Temporary-Vacant-Land-Activation-in-Philadelphia-FINAL.pdf
- Circular Philadelphia. Temporary Vacant Land Activation in Philadelphia: A Policy Guide. February 2024. PDF.
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Men & Women for Human Excellence. The Philadelphia LandCare Program.
Available at: https://mwfhe.org/what-we-do/the-philadelphia-landcare-program/. -
Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative. Wharton Research Shows Revitalizing Vacant Lots Pays Dividends.
Available at: https://ai-analytics.wharton.upenn.edu/impact-analytics/landcare-pays-dividends/. -
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Changing Places: How Philadelphia Is Turning Vacant Lots Into Green Community Spaces. April 29, 2025.
Available at: https://phsonline.org/for-gardeners/gardeners-blog/philadelphia-vacant-lots-green-community-spaces. -
City of Philadelphia. Vacant Property Indicators. OpenDataPhilly, created November 14, 2016.
Available at: https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/vacant-property-indicators/. -
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. PA Community Alliance Summit — PA Horticultural Society (PowerPoint).
Available at: https://www.harrisburgu.edu/wp-content/uploads/Day-1-Track-2-1015-PA-Hort-Society.pdf. -
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Nicetown and Tioga Greening Plan.
Available at: https://phsonline.org/programs/nicetown-tioga-greening-plan. -
OpenDataPhilly. OpenDataPhilly: A catalog of open data in the Philadelphia region.
Available at: https://opendataphilly.org.