Land Use and Planning Policies to Support Community and Urban Gardening

NAME OF
RESPONSIBLE
CITY STATE POLICY / ACTION TYPE OF POLICY PROGRAM / SOURCE LINKS
AGENCY
POLICY
Expand community garden opportunities throughout the City, encouraging
San Francisco San Francisco General Plan
San Francisco CA a minimum of 100 community gardens to be established in the City by General Plan Board of Supervisors
General Plan Policy 2.12
1996.
Community Resolution 28610. Resolution
Community Gardens are part of Seattle Comprehensive Plan, within the General / City of Seattle, Dept Gardening 30194, City of Seattle Legislative http://www.preventioninstitute.org/sa/policies/pdfte
Seattle WA
"Open Space" goals Comprehensive Plan of Neighborhoods Resolution, P-Patch Information Service, (Information xt/Seattle_p-patch.pdf
Strategic Plan updated as of June 6, 2008)
General promotion of community gardens

Food Production and

Food and Drugs
Washington DC Built into Washington DC Comprehensive Plan Comprehensive Plan Urban Gardens
Code
Program
Oakland General http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/ceda/revis
Oakland General Plan, Open
Oakland CA Community Gardening policy within Oakland General Plan General Plan City of Oakland Plan OSCAR ed/planningzoning/StrategicPlanningSection/opens
Space
element pace.html
Department of
Planning Open
Space and
City of Berkeley, Planning & http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/contentdisplay.aspx?i
Berkeley CA Community Gardens are part of city's General Plan policies and actions General Plan City of Berkeley Recreation Policy
Development, General Plan d=494
OS-8 (Also see
Environmental Policy
EM-34)
Department of
Planning Open
Recognize and encourage community gardens as a high priority use of Planning & Space and
City of Berkeley, Planning & http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/contentdisplay.aspx?i
Berkeley CA open spaces resources, particularly in higher density residential areas. General Plan Development Recreation Policy
Development, General Plan d=494
Actions include Land purchases, long-term leases, other agreements Department OS-8 (Also see
Environmental Policy
EM-34)
Program - City of Portland Departments,
Dedicated Sustainable Foods program in City of Portland Office of Office of Food Policy and http://www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?c=41
Portland OR Management, Portland Office of Sustainability,
Sustainability Sustainability Programs 480
Acquisition Sustainable Foods web page

Sacramento Strategic Plan explicitly recognizes the value of community Sacramento Strategic Plan http://www.cityofsacramento.org/parksandrecreatio
Sacramento CA Strategic Plan City of Sacramento Partnerships Policy
gardens and supports municipal-nonprofit partnerships for implementation. Policy Statement 12.4 n/masterplan/pdf/policy-revised.pdf
Specific promotion of community gardens

"Urban Garden District" established as part of Zoning Code to ensure that

urban garden areas are appropriately located and protected to meet needs
Zoning Code 336.01
for local food production, community health, community education, garden- City of Cleveland Zoning Codes http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/clevelandcodes/cco_
Cleveland OH Zoning City of Cleveland Urban Garden
related job training, environmental enhancement, preservation of green and Ordinances part3_336.html
District
space, and community enjoyment on sites for which urban gardens
represent the highest and best use for the community.
Front Yard Sacramento City Code Title 17
Reduce restrictive residential landscaping requirements. Allow diversified http://www.qcode.us/codes/sacramento/view.php?t
Sacramento CA Zoning City of Sacramento Landscape Zoning, 17.68.010-Landscaping
urban landscapes (annuals/perrenials/ food gardens) in front yards. opic=17-iii-17_68-17_68_010&frames=on
Ordinance Requirements
http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/ceda/revis
Support street closures for open space use in high-density residential Oakland General Oakland General Plan, Open
Oakland CA General Plan City of Oakland ed/planningzoning/StrategicPlanningSection/opens
areas Plan OS-2-6 Space
pace.html
Zoning Code - Interim Land Use Jerry H. Van Leeuwen, City of
Interim Land Use Policy to make vacant land available for community http://www.preventioninstitute.org/sa/policies/pdfte
Escondido CA interim use City of Escondido Policy and "Adopt-a- Escondido, City Council Interim
benefit xt/InterimLandUsePolicy.pdf
amendment Lot" Land Use Policy, Sept. 2, 1998

As of 2008, plans to build urban agriculture into city comprehensive plan, Comprehensive City of Providence, http://www.farmfreshri.org/learn/urbanagriculture_p
Providence RI Comprehensive Plan Farm Fresh Rhode Island Websit
with focus on supporting economic development in addition to heatlh. Plan, Zoning RI rovidence.php#approach

Last Updated: Updated 7/31/2008

 Land Use and Planning Policies to Support Community and Urban Gardening

NAME OF
RESPONSIBLE
CITY STATE POLICY / ACTION TYPE OF POLICY PROGRAM / SOURCE LINKS
AGENCY
POLICY

District of Saanich, Municipal

BC, Saanich Municipal Council Policy on Bylaws and Policies: Council http://www.gov.saanich.bc.ca/municipal/clerks/byla
Saanish Include community gardens in park acquisition and development Municipal Bylaws
Canada Government Community Gardens Policy on Community Gardens, ws/gardens.pdf
March 2003 Ref: 03/CW
Zoning Code - Boston Community Garden City of Boston, BRA Zoning
Zoning category within open space codes to preserve open space for http://www.cityofboston.gov/bra/pdf/ZoningCode/Ar
Boston MA special zoning Redevelopment Open Space Code, Article 33:
community gardens ticle33.pdf
districts Authority Subdistricts Open Space Subdistricts
City Council created nonprofit entity, funded jointly with municipal and From info compiled by Lenny
private funds. Intergovernmental entity (municipal and private funds) "to Program - City of Chicago Park Librizi, ACGA Member, "Lessons
Land acquisition

Chicago IL own, lease, manage, or hold easements to small open spaces for Management and District and Forest NeighborSpace from Community Gardening http://neighbor-space.org/main.htm
development and maintenance by neighborhood groups. Power to Aquisition Preserve District Programs in Other Cities"
acquire tax delinquent parcels. Workshop, March 20,1999
Community Action Community Action
City Support for Community Gardening Program. (City supports CAC with Program - Community Action Coalition
Madison WI Coalition Garden Coalition Garden http://www.cacscw.org/gardens/
Funding from CDBG, help with land acquisition/tenure) Management Website
Program (CAC) Program (CAC)
City of Madison Comprehensive
City of Madison
Comprehensive Plan includes "protect existing community gardens in the Committee on Plan January 2006, Natural and http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/planning/comp/dplan/v
Madison WI Comprehensive Plan Comprehensive Plan
City and establish additional areas for new community gardens" Community Gardens Agricultural Resources Section 6-1/chapter6/v1c6.pdf
2006, Objective 14
14: Community Gardening
Commitment to zero net loss of open space in the city. Retain land-trust Oakland General http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/ceda/revis
Oakland General Plan, Open
Oakland CA properties for open space, support open space acquisition and use of General Plan City of Oakland Plan OS 2-3 through ed/planningzoning/StrategicPlanningSection/opens
Space
city-owned sites. 2-5 pace.html
http://www.gov.saanich.bc.ca/m
BC, Re-zone existing community garden sites to Recreation and Open Space Saanich Municipal Saanich Zoning http://www.gov.saanich.bc.ca/municipal/clerks/byla
Saanich Zoning unicipal/clerks/bylaws/zone8200.
Canada Zone Government Bylaw 8200 ws/pdfs/zone8200.pdf
pdf#page=18

http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-
Community Resolution 28610. Resolution
brs.exe?s1=&s2=&s3=30194&s4=&Sect4=AND&l
Community Gardens are protected from development within the "Open General / City of Seattle, Dept Gardening 30194, City of Seattle Legislative
Seattle WA =20&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESON&Sect3=PLU
Space" goals Comprehensive Plan of Neighborhoods Resolution, P-Patch Information Service, (Information
RON&Sect5=RESN1&Sect6=HITOFF&d=RESN&
Strategic Plan updated as of June 6, 2008)
Land Tenure

p=1&u=/~public/resn1.htm&r=1&f=G
Policy to assist in the development of user agreements with the owners of Vancouver Park
BC, Community Gardens Community Gardens Policy, http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/comgardnpolicy.ht
Vancouver sites (public or private) chosen fo rcommunity gardens. Bylaws Board: Parks &
Canada Policy revised Sept 19, 2005 m
Gardens
City of Victoria
City of Victoria Community
BC, Policy to provide state lands and municipal supports (funding, water) to Parks, Recreation Community Gardens http://www.victoria.ca/cityhall/departments_compar
Victoria Bylaws Gardens Policy, September
Canada maintaining and developing new community gardens and Community Policy .shtml
2005
Development Dept
Community Gardening protected in CityZoning Codes Parks and Open Portland Parks & Code of the City of Code of the City of Portland, http://www.portlandonline.com/planning/index.cfm?
Portland OR Zoning
Areas Recreation Portland, Oregon. Oregon. Title 33.920.460 c=31612

Last Updated: Updated 7/31/2008

 Land Use and Planning Policies to Support Community and Urban Gardening

NAME OF
RESPONSIBLE
CITY STATE POLICY / ACTION TYPE OF POLICY PROGRAM / SOURCE LINKS
AGENCY
POLICY
Program -
Community Gardens management by Friends of P-Patch and acquisition
Seattle WA Management, Friends of P-Patch P-Patch P-Patch website http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/ppatch/
by the P-Patch Trust
Acquisition
Management

City of New York Green Thumb Website, ACGA

Program within City of New York Parks and Recreation Department for Program -
New York NY Parks and Green Thumb website links to drafted http://www.greenthumbnyc.org/
centralized management of community gardens and technical assistance Management
Recreation comprehensive plan policy

Program - Friends of Portland Friends of Portland Friends of Portland Community

Portland OR City partners with organizations to jointly manage community gardening http://www.friendspdxgardens.org/index.htm
Acquisition Community Gardens Community Gardens Gardens Website
Program - Portland Parks & Parks and Recreation Website, http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=
Portland OR Community Gardening managed by City within Open Space requirements Parks 2020 Vision
Management Recreation 2020 Vision Plan 40182

http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/ceda/revis
City to fund Community Garden Program and school gardens program Program - Community Garden Oakland General Oakland General Plan, Open
Oakland CA ed/planningzoning/StrategicPlanningSection/opens
within General Plan, supported by Office of Parks and Recreation management Program Plan OS 2-3 Space
pace.html
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-
Community Resolution 28610. Resolution
Include community gardens in evaluation of priority use of city surplus brs.exe?s1=&s2=&s3=30194&s4=&Sect4=AND&l
City of Seattle, Dept Gardening 30194, City of Seattle Legislative
Seattle WA property. Co-locate community gardens with other City priority projects Comprehensive Plan =20&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESON&Sect3=PLU
of Neighborhoods Resolution, P-Patch Information Service, (Information
such as affordable housing and public transit RON&Sect5=RESN1&Sect6=HITOFF&d=RESN&
Strategic Plan updated as of June 6, 2008)
Quotas / Location

p=1&u=/~public/resn1.htm&r=1&f=G
City of Madison Community Action Coalition
Goal for Comprehensive Plan: 1 community garden for every 2000 Community Garden http://www.cacscw.org/gardens/committee_reports
Madison WI Comprehensive Plan Comprehensive Plan Website, Committee Reports
households Committee .htm
2006, Objective 14 and Proposals

District of Saanich, Municipal

BC, Saanich Municipal Council Policy on Bylaws and Policies: Council http://www.gov.saanich.bc.ca/municipal/clerks/byla
Saanich Establish one garden per "neighborhood" Municipal Bylaws
Canada Government Community Gardens Policy on Community Gardens, ws/gardens.pdf
March 2003 Ref: 03/CW
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-
Community Resolution 28610. Resolution
brs.exe?s1=&s2=&s3=30194&s4=&Sect4=AND&l
City of Seattle, Dept Gardening 30194, City of Seattle Legislative
Seattle WA Goal: 1 community garden for every 2500 houses Comprehensive Plan =20&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESON&Sect3=PLU
of Neighborhoods Resolution, P-Patch Information Service, (Information
RON&Sect5=RESN1&Sect6=HITOFF&d=RESN&
Strategic Plan updated as of June 6, 2008)
p=1&u=/~public/resn1.htm&r=1&f=G

Department of
Planning Open
Equitable Access

Planning & Space and

Expansion/outreach to emphasise low-income families or individuals, City of Berkeley, Planning & http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/contentdisplay.aspx?i
Berkeley CA General Plan Development Recreation Policy
youth, elderly, physically challenged, other special populations Development, General Plan d=494
Department OS-8 (Also see
Environmental Policy
EM-34)
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-
Community Resolution 28610. Resolution
brs.exe?s1=&s2=&s3=30194&s4=&Sect4=AND&l
Expansion/outreach to emphasise low-income families or individuals, City of Seattle, Dept Gardening 30194, City of Seattle Legislative
Seattle WA Comprehensive Plan =20&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESON&Sect3=PLU
youth, elderly, physically challenged, other special populations of Neighborhoods Resolution, P-Patch Information Service, (Information
RON&Sect5=RESN1&Sect6=HITOFF&d=RESN&
Strategic Plan updated as of June 6, 2008)
p=1&u=/~public/resn1.htm&r=1&f=G

Last Updated: Updated 7/31/2008