Did I get the name of that song wrong? Just ask my husband, I'm always butchering songs. But this time, it was intentional. Think about it: pull up a parking lot to plant something green.
Crazy? Maybe.
But it's happening. We just watched a clip on our local news tonight where community members rallied to depave a local parking lot that wasn't being used anymore. They plan to use some of the land for community garden space and the rest will be green space to gather in and enjoy.
Why? Lots of reasons, but a few include:
- Asphalt heats up the environment on hot days
- Run off water from the parking lot often clogs our drains (and we get a lot of rain here), while native plants,trees and grass soak it up
- Trees, grass, flowers and vegetables are good for our earth, clean air and clean streams
- Every neighborhood could use more green space
And wouldn't you rather look at a park or lovely garden than a parking lot?
Believe it or not, some landowners of old, unused space would rather see it get put to good use for the community but sometimes don't have the resources or know-how to get it down. If you have this type of place in your community, you might be surprised at the answer if you just ask. Find a win-win situation and you've just improved your neighborhood! Maybe even raised your home value. And given local kids more outdoor space to play in.
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