The Green Oasis Community Garden in New York City's East Village neighborhood began in 1981 when Normand Valle and Reynaldo Arenas decided to clean up a blighted vacant lot. They created a large community garden that allows neighborhood residents to grow food and interact with each other. The garden has plots for vegetables, fruit trees, beehives, and hosts events like workshops. It aims to provide a safe green space for community members. The neighborhood had experienced significant arson and destruction in prior decades. The garden helps foster social connections and provides environmental benefits to the area.
3. 1.1 Description
What do they do? (Description of service idea, e.g. a community garden,
a food coop, etc). What are the demands/problems this initiative responds
to? What is the aim of the initiative? What happens and how it happens?
What benefits does it bring to the neighborhood?
Large community garden that allows for communication between
community members who may never have spoken before (ex. Tim
and Pam knew each other before both joining the garden. Pam
worked at a book store that Tim frequented. However, the two never
spoke beyond that. Once joining the garden they began to find
common interests. Tim also made friends with a neighbor who lived
close but never spoke to before.) The garden is sometimes used by
mothers who will meet in the garden and one mother will watch
children for a short amount of time while the other runs errands.
To become a member: Interested people will fill out a contract and
then are given keys to the garden to have 24 hour access. Member
are required to work at least 8 hours a month. That garden is run
democratically, they have open meetings where every one can
contribute.
The garden has many bird feeders, plots to grow vegetables and
fruit trees. There are also beehives. This summer the group
extracted wax from the hives and made lip gloss, hand balms etc.
With products from the garden.
Members of the garden can also hold small parties free of charger in
the garden. Non-members are also welcome to have parties as well
however are asked a small donation.
1.2 Context
What is this neighborhood like? How was it before this new solution took
place?
The New York City neighborhood known as the East Village
experienced massive arson and destruction during the 1960s and
1970s. The area had been compared to Dresden, Germany after
World War II. Rubble from bulldozed buildings lay in mounds, and
garbage accumulated. Cars were abandoned. Rats were rampant.
Drug use reached epidemic proportions. Drugs and crime made the
neighborhood unsafe, but few areas were worse than the
neighborhood east of Avenue B.
4. 1.3 History of the initiative
How did the project/initiative start? Who had the initiative? Why? Can you
describe a timeline of events, highlighting success and failure aspects, major
milestones? How did this initiative mature? How did it turn to be a real
enterprise? Did it receive public or private support of any kind? Did it help
change the public or policy structure?
Normand Valle moved to East Seventh Street between Avenues C and D.
From his window, he looked down upon one of these blighted lots, and
decided to do something about it. In 1981, Valle, an ex-Marine, and a friend,
Reynaldo Arenas, began to undo the mess one brick and one piece of
garbage at a time. Thus were Green Oasis and Gilbert's Sculpture Gardens
born.
From the beginning, the sister gardens' mission has been to provide a
safe, green haven for all people, but especially for the children who lived in
that inhospitable environment. Mr. Arenas was particularly interested in the
theatre, so theatrical events abounded. Plays for children were written and
performed. The first generation of Nuyorican poets read poetry; music was
performed; the well-known Butterfly Release ceremony was held here
during the all-garden pageant The Rites of Spring until its unfortunate
demise in 2006.
1.4 Main actors
Who are the users? Is there a difference between users and promoters or
are they basically the same? Describe users and promoters lifestyles? Is
there a network of related organizations and/or individuals? Do have any
form of connection or exchange with other similar initiatives? Was the
group inspired by other examples? Do you know counter examples, cases
that went wrong?
There is no “typical user”. The user group has changed a lot over
the years. With changing ethnicities in the are, community
interaction with the garden has changed. From what they noticed the
area has changed to mostly bengali, latino and asian. The new group
of people seem a little less engaged with the garden. Tim mentioned
that he would notice people peeking into the garden but would often
not enter.
Typically every year there may be about 20 people interested in
participating, maybe 15 sign up, 5 participate a little and then only 1
or 2 become contributing members.
There is about 60 members total and only about 15% participate in
collective work. (Sweep main path ways, pick up trash etc.) Others
just care for a small plot.
5. 1.5. Technologies
What are the technologies that the group uses? How are they used in
system?
List serve, Blog, Web Page, Mailing List, Phone List, Emailing.
1.6. Communication
What communication materials does the group have? (e.g. website,
brochures, postcards, etc). What is the main purpose of these materials?
e.g. to keep participants updated about activities (internal communication)
or to get more participants (external communication)? Does the group
want to have more participants?
Garden uses flyers to recruit new members and advertise
workshops. Flyers put in: health food stores, laundromats, schools
and libraries.
6. 1.7. Perspective for the future
What are the perspective/objectives of the group for the next 3-5 years?
What are some of the success factors and possible risks in the short
medium and long term?
More kids workshops, Acquire water and electric for the garden.
1.8. Problems and opportunities
Are there any specific issues/problems/barriers that pose threats to the
initiative? Are there any main areas of concern among the participants
(leaders and users alike)? Are there any opportunities that could be
explored (that are currently not explored)?
7. 1.9. Indications of other social innovation
Do members of the organization also partake in other entrepreneurial
endeavors? Do they form small initiatives on their own? Are members of
your organization part of a “creative community”? Are members involved
in other “sustainable” services within the community? (Ex. Food Co-op,
carpooling, community gardens, etc)
Tim lives in a Co-op building next to the garden. It is mostly filled
with low income residents. He often cook a little extra food for
people in the building, or makes coffee. He has a few sets of keys he
will lend to people in the building, for example if some one is locked
out of their apartment he will let them stay in his. Tim also
mentioned that he often leaves for the summer, he will let people in
the building stay in his apartment while the people visiting will have
their guests stay in their apartment.
1.10. References
Website of the initiative
Interviewee name and contact information (email, address, phone
number)
Other references (websites, articles, other people we should talk to)
Tim
Pam
http://www.greenoasis.org
Need to speak more to: Tim
8th St between Ave. C & D
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Photos MUST be at least 600 resolution
Photos may ONLY be taken with a high
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low resolution photos)
Always ASK permission before taking photos
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See Release Form on the final page of this
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18. 2. Participant
Could you show key participants in the service/organization? Who
are the leaders, gatekeepers, organizers, connectors, innovators,
etc.?
20. 3. Material Artifacts
Could you show essential objects that users interact with, or that
provide key moments in the service?
21. 3. Material Artifacts
Could you show evidence of entrepreneurial work by users or
providers? Show intangible/tangible innovations created by users or
providers.
22. 4. Could you show
Could you show participant benefits? organiser benefits? collective
benefits? environmental benefits? economical benefits?
23. 4. Could you show
Could you show the future perspectives of the solution?
24. Film
Please take footage of the following:
The person/people you are interviewing. Ask them to introduce
themselves, their role in the organization, and a brief description of
the organization (30 sec)
A brief history of the organization (15-30 sec)
A typical activity taking place in the space including participants of
the organization (30 sec-1 min)
Participants of the organization interacting with each other (30 sec)
Participants of the organization interacting with the space/props/
objects (30 sec)
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