By Iya Bakare
In the midst of Chicago's growing season, city officials continue to support Mayor Richard M. Daley's efforts to turn this metropolis into a greener city. That effort includes the encouragement of residents to convert vacant lots in Chicago into vegetable gardens that can feed people living in those neighborhoods.
Karen Bates, media officer of Chicago's Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning, says individuals and groups throughout the city are seeking to manage vacant areas in their communities for growing crops and developing gardens for beautification as well.
Residents can contact the Real Estate Division of the City of Chicago's Department of Community Development to verify ownership of the land in question. If the vacant lot is not city-owned, Bates says the city still participates in the process, but more information is required for property that's privately owned. Bates adds if the empty lot is not owned by the city, residents can provide the Cook County's Assessor's Office with an address and they will assist in tracking down the owner's name.
Once the lot's ownership has been identified as city property, the request is transferred to the city's Sustainable Development Unit, which works with green roofs and other food production projects, says Bates. At this stage, residents must submit a standard profile that includes who is involved in the project, whether or not they are experienced gardeners or farmers and the intended use of the vacant space, she says.
After the purpose is stated, those involved are partnered in a three-year program with Chicago's Green Core Environment Program, which is linked to the city's Department of the Environment, adds Bates.
If organizers of the project intend to grow produce in a specific lot for more than three years, Bates says the city refers it to NeighborSpace, a non-profit that specializes in the management of community gardens and parks in Chicago.
NeighborSpace also refers garden managers to other organizations that can contribute funding, supply materials and provide any other assistance or training for the open spaces used for gardening purposes.
The amount and type of resources needed for the garden, whether or not it only needs beautification elements and other goals for it are all factors used to define the timeline for the project. Those elements help determine how long the application process will take and how quickly the planting can begin, notes Bates.
"We encourage people to take the first step immediately, which is to determine whether or not the lot is city-owned, so they can progress to the next phase," Bates says.
