596 Acres

Website

596acres.org

Overview of Idea

We are labeling vacant public lots in Brooklyn (and aiming to expand to the other boroughs this summer). Our signs tell neighbors that the warehoused land near them is our commons -- they give directions for contacting city agencies and organizing with the people who live nearby to start projects.

The Specifics: What will the $2,000 fund?

Through signage, an accurate and interactive online map, and diligent hands-on advocacy, we have seen results. Four projects have started in the last 8 months on vacant land that used to sit behind fences.

We know our tactics work and we want to keep going — to keep being able to respond to questions from neighbors working with their communities, to keep our map up-to-date as city real estate holdings change and to continue producing educational materials to explain the process of getting community control of municipal land in terms that make it seem approachable. $2,000 will let us do that by providing a stipend over the next six months to our lead facilitator and allowing us to hire data experts when we need to.

Discussion

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