Gardens in the Growth Machine

Community gardens have a complex relationship with urban growth and gentrification. This chapter draws on the history of Seattle’s P-Patch community gardens, which are well insulated from development pressure today, because dedicated resident-activists advocated for the gardens at critical times and won their preservation. Even while recognizing urban growth as a threat to their gardens, the P-Patch advocates opted for a pro-growth strategy, framing the gardens as good for a growing city. Indeed, the P-Patch gardens have fed Seattle’s image as a green and livable city, which has helped to attract high-income residents and increase property values. While the gardens are secure, and provide tangible benefits to many residents, low-income and other vulnerable residents face displacement from this green gentrification.