Cities were at one time a place nicknamed the concrete jungle. Now, they are grey and bleak with little color aside from the murals of graffiti and the bombardment of advertisements. Graffiti was once the only art of cities aside from the adverts. And it evokes a curious divide between the art world. Is graffiti art or just vandalism? Art is the form of expression. So yes, it is defined as art. But more to the point. Cities are bare of color including green spaces and greenery in general. Aside from the wealthiest of neighborhoods or places like Central Park, cities do not offer much in terms of landscaping, gardening, or agriculture. You wouldn’t imagine a lush veggie garden in the middle of one of the largest cities in the United States. However, that is becoming a thing of the past with the innovations of Philadelphia. The Philly parks and recs department is leading the development of a multi city collaboration to create green spaces with a focus on urban agriculture. The use of community gardens for food can significantly improve the community connections and impact of food availability within these communities. (Farm Philly)
Now, we are in the beginning stages of thriving in trends of urban gardening. I, myself, had an urban garden of some sort too. I (Italian) cannot simply be in a space without a plant. I must have some kind of life grow in my home. It is my nature and it how I was raised. You make due with what you have. Sometimes that means a garden on a fire escape (like myself) or a balcony. It can be the front yard or the local vacant lot. These changes might seem small, but they are having a huge effect on mental health and the environment. “The correlation between urban tree cover and income is well documented in cities around the world…provide a variety of benefits to people…in health, wealth and overall well-being.” (World Resources Institute)
Many people use their limited spaces to create these lush gardens challenging the concept of the grey and dull city life. Not only that, but with the level of poverty in the united states, this can help alleviate some of the issues with the food shortages. Especially now given the current state of affairs. With so much financial insecurity like the food stamps crisis in 2025. Places like Philadelphia are creating community gardening programs that allow residents to participate in agriculture networks across the city. “The Department of Agriculture posted a notice on its website that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will not be issues on Nov. 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown.” (Abrams, S. & Gomez, J., 2025) This means that in addition to the already problematic issues with access to food, now there will no longer be assistance for the people who need it the most. It also means that urban agriculture and gardening is more important than ever as we can no longer rely on government entities to do their jobs and support those who need it the most. Which, correct me if I am wrong, is the entire point of a government according to the founding fathers.
Sources:
Farm Philly. (n.d.). Urban Agriculture Plan – Growing from the Root: Creating a comprehensive plan to support the continued collective growth and self-determination of urban agriculture in the City of Philadelphia. Retrieved November 1, 2025, from https://farmphilly.org/urban-agricultural-plan/
World Resources Institute. (n.d.). Urban parks can increase social equity. Retrieved from https://www.wri.org/insights/green-space-underestimated-tool-create-more-equal-cities
Abrams, S. & Gomez, J. (2025, October 27). Could halt in SNAP benefits, paychecks pressure lawmakers to strike shutdown deal? ABC News. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/halt-snap-benefits-paychecks-pressure-lawmakers-strike-shutdown/story?id=126898929
BethAshlei 
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