The Bottom-Up Revolution How Community Gardens Can Make Cities Stronger
Jul 17, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Linda Appel Lipsius, Executive Director of Denver Urban Gardens, shares insights from her journey in urban gardening. She discusses how community gardens can enhance urban resilience, offering access to healthy food while fostering community bonds and improving mental health. Linda highlights Denver's gardening model and the impact of permaculture design, emphasizing the importance of diverse crops and neighborly connections. She also addresses challenges cities face in adopting gardening practices, advocating for a shift in mindset around urban food systems.
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Transformative Visit To An Organic Tea Garden
- Linda visited an organic tea garden in Bangladesh and felt a 15-degree temperature drop and richer biodiversity immediately.
- That experience convinced her of regenerative practices' profound effects on climate and wellbeing.
Use Attendance Rules To Build Stewardship
- Require gardeners to show up and remove automated watering to build stewardship and neighbor care.
- Use mandatory give-back hours so members maintain common areas and strengthen social bonds.
Organization Is The Key To Lasting Gardens
- Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) acts as a backbone organization that secures land, builds gardens, and trains volunteer leaders.
- DUG emphasizes legal land tenure, insurance, and human infrastructure to sustain 200+ sites and 20,000 participants.