Community greens are shared green spaces tucked away on the inside of residential blocks. They are collectively owned and managed by the neighbors whose homes and backyards, decks, patios, porches, and balconies enclose the green. They are neither private spaces nor public spaces, but rather are shared spaces.

When they are well-designed and well-managed, community greens have remarkable benefits including development of a strong sense of community, provision of a safe and easily accessible play space for children, higher property values, cooling of surrounding homes, and a reduction in stormwater runoff.

Interested in the Community Greens model?

Ashoka Community Greens is looking for developers, public officials, and other community leaders who are interested in piloting the Community Greens approach in their cities and neighborhoods. If you are interested, then please contact us.

Community Greens is a partnership between Ashoka: Innovators for the Public and The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Our work is supported by the Fannie Mae Foundation, Graham Foundation, and the Kodak American Greenways Awards. We received initial seed funding from HUD.