North Siders reclaiming vacant lots with designs for community

Fourteen North Siders are turning nine vacant lots into gardens and community spaces through the ReClaim Northside program of GTECH Strategies.

They presented their designs for projects planned for this spring and summer at a recent gathering at the Pittsburgh Project.

This is the third vacant lot go-round that GTECH, or Growth Through Energy and Community Health, has supported on the North Side, training residents whom they call ambassadors to plan, design and pitch projects to get additional funding and volunteers. It offers each project $3,000 and technical support.