Guerrilla Gardening

Issue: Public Spaces (Or Lack Thereof)

Public green spaces are increasingly uncommon in American cities. As our neoliberal, market-driven society continues to commodify and privatize spaces both inside and outside of urban areas, access to green spaces becomes disproportionately inaccessible for working-class Americans. In 2020, the Trust for Public Land (TPL), which publishes an annual Parks Score Index, determined that roughly 100 million Americans, or nearly 1/3 of the total US population, are without access to decent green spaces in their immediate area. So what is there to do when your neighborhood is all busted chain link fences and crumbling asphalt, vacant dirt lots, and barren hell strips? To some, the answer is simple: start planting.

The Scale of Unused Land Space

Local

Nowhere on the local scale will you encounter such a perfect example of unused land space as the vacant land situation in Detriot. The city has had an issue with empty lots ever since its population had a major decline, and with it came the uptick in large, unoccupied spaces of property.

National

The issue of vacant land is a large problem all over the United States as well. In places such as Chicago and New York there are constantly actions to try and combat the lack of green space and empty lots.

Global

Many other urbanized places across the globe face this issue as well. London, for example, even have Guerrilla Gardening organizations that specialize in turning dead space around the city into community gardens as well as protesting against the lack of policies regarding climate change.

What is Guerrilla Gardening?

Guerrilla Gardening is the act of gardening on land to which one does not possess the legal rights. It represents a direct-action approach to urban gardening, calling into question our understanding of what it means to own land.

History

The history of guerrilla gardening is difficult to track because of its clandestine nature. Though the ethos of guerrilla gardening is present in tales of early Modern folk heroes such as John "Appleseed" Chapman, the first recorded use of the term "guerrilla gardening" dates to 1973, when Liz Christy and her group, called the Green Guerrillas, converted a vacant lot in New York City into a not-quite-legal community garden (Lamborn, Weinberg). The Liz Christy Bowery Houston Garden is still active in NYC today, though now under the protection of the city's Parks Department.

Etymology

The term "guerrilla" is a Spanish word that can be translated literally as "little war." The term is traditionally used to describe a form of warfare fought by a small army against a much larger and more technologically advanced invading or occupying force. Over time, it has evolved into an adjective in English-speaking countries to describe actions that are extralegal, grassroots, community-based, proletarian, etc.

Methods

Guerrilla gardening methods vary. Some guerrilla gardening is the work of groups of people who seek to establish a community garden space, typically on vacant lots in urban areas and without legal permission to do so. Other examples of guerrilla gardening are more secretive, often the quick hit-and-run work of single individuals. The motive for these gardeners is often little more than a desire to make their neighborhood a little prettier, covering cracked asphalt and broken glass with vibrant wildflowers and lush shrubbery. In order to expedite this process, an attractive prospect for one who wishes to remain anonymous, such a gardener may make use of seed bombs, which we will demonstrate how to make on this page.

Triple Bottom Line

The triple bottom line, also known as the 3P's , combines three concepts to create optimal sustainability. The three P's are People, Profit, and Planet.

People

Guerrilla Gardens encourage community engagement. Mutual ownership of a project can bring people together. They also add beauty to an otherwise desolate space. If the garden planted contains food crops, it can also feed the community.

Profit

Beautifying an empty space can increase the value of a property. This can result in increased housing values. There is also potential for profit in selling the planted food crops.

Planet

Taking a space from empty to growing is a regenerative act. Plants provide homes for insects. Cultivating land will improve the soil, decrease chances of land flooding, and prevent erosion.

Implementation Plan

Given that the Sustainable Agriculture Project is a legitimate farm, one can't exactly guerrilla garden on the premises. The SAP is, however, a great venue for events, such as the Harvest Party that was hosted there by the Farm Club in October. We believe that the SAP could implement some elements of guerrilla gardening as part of an educational event, perhaps organized by a student group, such as a hypothetical Guerrilla Gardening Club. Such a club could organize an event at the SAP similar to the Farm Club's Harvest Party, in which guests can learn about guerrilla gardening resources and take part in making seed bombs, in addition to the typical draws to such events, like free food and games. Organizing such an event would be fairly inexpensive, and would mainly depend on the efforts of enthusiastic students.

How to Make Seed Bombs

Seed bombs are a common tool of the guerrilla gardener. These consist of seeds encased in a ball of soil and organic material. Making them is easy! Just follow these steps...