Philadelphia often wears its grit like a badge of honor. However, two weeks after the city’s municipal workers strike, which was punctuated by overflowing trash dumpsters, the need for clean, green community spaces – especially in the summer heat – feels more urgent than ever.

That’s where community gardens come in.

Garden spaces in Philadelphia are usually neighborhood driven and often start on one of the city’s 40,000 empty and forgotten lots .

“Philadelphia has a lot of vacant, abandoned land, some of which is privately owned, some of which is owned by the city,” explained Mimi McKenzie , legal director of the Public Interest Law Center . “It’s collecting debris and trash and rodents. And the neighbors roll up their sleeves and put in their own blood, sweat and tears to clear t

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