Chico Mendez Mural Garden
New York, United States · Operator: Community (founded by sculptor Ken Hiratsuka and muralist 'Chico')
Overview
A garden that anchored a neighborhood scarred by drugs and violence, lost to development.
Citizen participation
In the early 1990s artists reclaimed a vacant lot with trees, plants and art; widely used by residents.
Operating model
Informal use of a city-owned lot, defenseless against the city's decision to sell.
Impact
In 1996 the city claimed the land and Mayor Giuliani sold it to developers; it was bulldozed for condos on New Year's Eve 1997. A textbook case of a city-land garden lost to political decision.
Crops
- trees
- plants
Scale
East 11th St。1997年大晦日に撤去 (bulldozed New Year's Eve 1997)。1990年代初頭に開設
Sources(2)
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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