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NEWS & EVENTS
Oct / 29 / 2008 - MPP Student, Ben Nathanson participates in Baltimore Alley Gating and Greening Program
For the last four years, Community Greens has worked with a number of Baltimore stakeholders to pass a community-friendly alley gating and greening ordinance. Mayor Shelia Dixon, Deputy Mayor Andrew Frank, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods,Representative Pete Hammen, Councilman Jim Kraft, the Patterson Park CDC, the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association, Hogan & Hartson law firm, and University of Maryland Law School were instrumental to the success of this ordinance.
The ordinance allows for residents to legally gate and green their alley ways, thus making Baltimore one of the first cities in the country to allow the creation of new “commons” via citizen action. Residents across the city are now empowered to reclaim alleys –traditionally blighted urban spaces -- and thus stabilize their blocks by reducing crime, increasing property values, and encouraging civic engagement. Furthermore, these alley greens create a cozy sense of place, give children safe areas in which to play,and offer adults much needed respite. The Baltimore alley gating and greening ordinance is an important component of Baltimore community development.
