Preview of the Bed-Stuy Eco-mapping Project:

Welcome to the Bed-Stuy Community Eco-Mapping Project-a grassroots initiative to highlight green activities in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. In November 2009, Ajamu was awarded a grant by TogetherGreen, a conservation leadership program cofunded by Toyota and the Audubon, to develop a community toolkit that would assist local residents in discovering their communities green assets. With the help of DIVAS for Social Justice, a local community-based program that trains youth in media skills, they have recorded several interviews with residents about gardening in Bed-Stuy.

In Bedford-Stuyvesant, many residents grow food for personal use, and many more are interested in increasing access to healthy food and outdoor activities in the community. Community gardens offer rich resources towards both objectives, providing sources of food and creating public green spaces which reduce air and noise pollution and provide beautification opportunities in urban areas where public parks are scarce.

Despite the environmental, aesthetic, and social value which community gardens provide to urban areas, the constant threat of development and weak legislation do not preserve nor promise community gardens will exist in the future. Without adequate and targeted policies, community gardens in New York City, including those located on city-owned land and privately owned vacant properties, may be subsumed by commercial development. To illuminate these issues, this community-mapping project has worked with those most affected by interviewing community members involved in grassroots efforts focused on sustainable urban food systems.

In many ways, the Bed-Stuy Community Eco-Mapping Project provides a snapshot of the work of many people involved in the greening of Bedford-Stuyvesant. In this difficult and challenging economy, many individuals and organizations are working to re-frame the debate around economic development, food justice and environmental sustainability, issues which are often pitted against each other. By connecting contemporary issues with the long history of conservation in Brooklyn, I hope to ensure that this is more than an opportunity for a few community members to examine conversion of empty lots; but a chance to engage in a wider inter-generational dialogue about the positive role which individuals can play in transforming their community into a vibrant and verdant neighborhood.

In addition to researching green assets this summer, community volunteers conducted interviews with local gardeners that can be accessed on our maps section of our website. Community gardens are alimentary to Bed-Stuy because they provide vital access to green space and an opportunity for low-income residents to grow food locally. The filming of community gardeners and outreach for this project brought about unique intergenerational partnerships between new and old residents, media savvy young people and mostly older community gardeners who want to improve Bedford Stuyvesant in a holistic way.