ReClaim Northside Ambassadors ’15

GTECH initiated the ReClaim Northside program after working with Northside residents to survey each and every one of the Northside’s 5405 vacant lots. This survey helped us to understand the state of blight in the Northside and to learn what work is already being done. You can check out the data by clicking this link.

Ultimately, GTECH learned that Northside residents have a need for more outdoor community spaces and have thousands of vacant lots in need of some love. Put two and two together, and we’ve found our solution. Vacant lots are a wasted resource if left to become overgrown with weeds and strewn with litter. However, if we take a minute to imagine what could be, we see neighbors working together to create flower gardens, gathering spaces, trails and food gardens.

In the fall of 2014, GTECH recruited 14 Northside residents to lead the movement for reclaiming vacant lots. We call these residents “Ambassadors”. They are people who care deeply about their community and are motivated to make change. For eight months, the Ambassadors participated in classes to learn about the process of reclaiming vacant land. Throughout the classes they designed their own vacant lot projects and rallied their communities to bring the project to life. In the spring of 2015, the Ambassadors began to go to work on vacant lots around the Northside. After several months of digging, planting, building, collaborating, and creating, the Ambassadors have 8 new community lot projects to share with you. We invite you to learn more about the Ambassadors and look through the projects below to see what has been accomplished so far.