Gardening in Reclaimed Spaces

By Kymisha Montgomery, CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator

Sometimes we don’t understand how disconnected we can be from our land, our communities, and ourselves. If we allow that connection to resurface, what would that look like, and what impact would that have on our social or environmental surroundings? Would we be more connected to nature and to each other—and how would that make us feel?

Cincinnati’s urban spaces are known to be full of life and city landscapes, but we definitely could use more green spaces. By reclaiming some of our urban settings and transforming them into sustainable urban gardens, we are able to connect with nature and steer urban areas towards becoming vibrant, eco-friendly sanctuaries that provide food, shelter and comfort.

Reclaiming urban spaces must involve cultivating healthy soil, increasing biodiversity and equity in our local food production to reduce the many miles our food has to travel from seed to spoon, and increasing community involvement if these spaces are to thrive.  Our personal well-being is impacted when we engage the spirit of community and provide an escape from the pressures of city living. We can weave in the regeneration of biodiversity and culture while growing access to an array of fresh produce, herbs and edible flowers for our communities.

Creating a vibrant community calls for us to reclaim the function of our land and pivot sometimes. It can include reimagining, then transforming our concrete jungles into sustainable, resilient greenspaces with the potential to revitalize once-unproductive, non-functional cityscapes.

Gardening can help us heal, evoke kindness or make us feel accomplished and empowered. Altering once-blighted or daunting places builds the community spirit and our investment in our neighborhoods as we care for and preserve our reclaimed spaces.

For more on this topic, join me for Gardening in Reclaimed Spaces on August 22 at the St. Bernard Community Garden!