Shared Paradise: Transforming Backyards into Community Gardens

Green Space, Park Access, and Trees

Central LA

Applying a proven model or solution to a new issue or sector (e.g., using a job recruiting software or strategy to match clients to supportive housing sites, applying demonstrated strategies from advocating for college affordability to advocating for housing affordability and homelessness, etc.)

The lack of greenspace in Central LA, a predominantly low-income, Latino & Black community, is a critical problem. Research shows 2/3 of LA County's Black & Latino populations live in areas with disproportionately less greenspace. Central LA is a severely disadvantaged park area (LA County Park Needs Assessment), which is a result of redlining, inequitable planning, and systemic racism, with gated communities overshadowing barren areas. As a consequence, our community is deprived of the benefits that greenspace provides, including mitigating the heat island effect, mental-wellbeing & lack of outdoor spaces. Our community stated lack of parks leads to less neighborhood cohesion and isolation, as parks are important gathering spaces. Despite efforts by Teapot to secure land for a neighborhood garden, rapid gentrification and high costs of land acquisition have posed challenges. As no accessible land remains, the only viable option is to transform private yards into community gardens.

To address the lack of green space access, Teapot Gardens will build three public paradise gardens for low-income BIPOC homeowners in the park-deprived neighborhoods of Central LA. Paradise gardens are designed to promote mental well-being and foster community. A combination of beauty and function uniquely suited for California's changing climate, creating shade, food, and refuge from the heat. The construction phase will engage locals with hands-on workshops, sharing the traditions of building paradise gardens. Co-creating spaces cultivate a village-like atmosphere within the city. Once established, the gardens will be activated with bi-monthly art programs led by local emerging artists, providing opportunities for career growth and community engagement. Accessible to nearby residents for free, and available to rent for gatherings, generating income for homeowners. This project provides timely access to resources for a community that would otherwise be displaced before a traditional park could be established. We recognize the importance of reaching these individuals now, fostering their growth and well-being through experiences centered around creation over consumption. Our approach offers an immediate solution to greenspace access by bypassing bureaucratic hurdles and lengthy timelines with park development. By building autonomous communities that support and rely on each other, we cultivate civic leadership, empowering residents to voice their needs and find solutions.

Within the year, three paradise gardens will provide immediate greenspace access for 5,000 residents in Central LA within a 10-minute walk. Mental Health is a big concern, and our initiative aims to foster a sense of belonging and support. Our art events will have a home in these gardens, offering a unique educational environment. By enabling families to rent their spaces, we can foster economic equality. Providing access to fresh food while promoting healthier lifestyles. In the long term, we envision greenspace access as the ultimate form of equity. Scaling our model, we plan to create a map of these gardens throughout LA. Our ultimate goal is to create a public botanical garden, a cultural arena for artists, funded by the city but cultivated by the people. Shared Paradise will create microclimates and build resilience. Our work will transform our city into vibrant, interconnected villages where green space is accessible to all and community engagement is at the heart of it all.

Teapot's backyard garden, a proven success for three years, opened to the public in 2020 in response to teachers' concerns about crowded apartment conditions during the pandemic. With open hours, we provided a safe space for over 20 artists, 434 residents, and 30 volunteers. This began our City Sprouts program where we bridged access to gardens around LA and hired local artists to lead workshops. Utilizing Healing Gardens, an online platform, we've been able to host tea tastings and events to generate revenue, proving a high demand for our space. Our surveys show that garden events decrease anxiety and families can connect with one another. Further, families found our open-air programs to reduce anxiety and be beneficial to their mental health. Another measurable impact is the microclimate in the garden, which is approximately 8 degrees cooler than the surrounding area due to plants and shade structures. We now use a quarter of the water and attract an array of insects and wildlife.

Healing Gardens is known as the Airbnb of gardens, it's a new company that helps facilitate income for gardens to sustain their families and properties. This company takes a small fee and provides liability insurance for every rental. Their mission is simple: provide healing through gardens. Simply visiting healthy ecosystems gives immediate relief, as if anxiety is being drained from your body. Their hope is that in the next 5-10 years the platform will accelerate tree planting and ecosystem creation all over the world. Healing Gardens will provide an adept interface for garden mapping, free bookings for Central LA, as well as venue rental for greater Los Angeles. An online tool to streamline and automate the accessibility of these gardens.