One issue in the urban environment is the vacant lot. That is because vacant lots seem to have a love affair with trash. However, some people are proposing innovative solutions to these unintentional dump sites. Many cities around the country (including Boston) have begun to convert these vacant lots to public gardens and in some bolder projects urban farms (with the obvious soil safety tests). In fact, Revision Urban Farm has been doing this for years and more farms are in the works for city-owned vacant lots.
We think that people should not only support these community gardens and urban farms, but encourage this to be taken a step further. Many of the empty lots in Dorchester are owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (for example, below are known dumping areas on top of the Shawmut Tunnel and next to Ashmont station). We would love to see these areas also opened to community gardening (much like those in the Fenway area) and urban farming. This would prevent dumping and create a way for neighbors to work together to grown good food, flowers, and plants.
Do you think this is a good idea? Rate below.
(Top photo courtesy of Gown 2 Earth Boston.)
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