Urban Farm DB
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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)

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Chico Mendez Mural Garden — Urban Farm DB