Healthy People 2020: Empowering communities through greening

Background: Blighted abandoned land has an incredibly negative impact in Philadelphia and in many other cities, leading to increasing drug use and violence. The Philadelphia LandCare Program (PLP) has transformed over five thousand trash-strewn, idle parcels of land into neighborhood assets by greening vacant lots. As a strategic interim precursor to development, PLP has catalyzed public and private investment and resulted in new livable communities in Philadelphia. Objectives/Purpose: This presentation will explain how the Philadelphia LandCare Program used the determinants of health approach to address the leading health indicator topic area of injury and violence. Methods: Through community engagement and partnerships, the Philadelphia LandCare Program (PLP) "greens" vacant lots by converting the spaces into areas with high visual impact, by clearing trash, planting grass and trees, and encircling the site with a low wooden fence. Results: From 1999 to 2008, 4,436 vacant lots (7.8 million square feet) were greened in Philadelphia. A recent study demonstrated that greening was associated with a significant reduction in gun assaults during this time period. This study also showed that vacant lot greening was associated with residents reporting less stress and more exercise in select sections of the city, indicating that greening may improve resident health and quality of life. Discussion/Conclusions: This determinants of health approach has addressed underlying factors that contribute to injury and violence in these neighborhoods and can be used as a model to improve neighborhood livability, public health, and safety.