Bedrohte Oasen

摘要

Die Wohlfahrtswirkungen der Community Gardens in New York sind mittlerweile weltberühmt. Nach einem zwischenzeitlichen Aufschwung sind sie nun durch städtisches Renditedenken und sozialen Wohnungsbau bedroht.%New York possesses 1,000 community gardens, many of which were created in the sixties and seventies, at a time when the city tried to close its growing budget gap by drastically increasing property taxes. Since realty values fell around this time due to a mass exodus to the suburbs, it became cheaper for many owners to neglect their buildings, quit paying taxes and thus forfeit their property to the city. The city in turn was unable to repair the buildings for cost reasons and eventually demolished them. The resulting gaps became favourite haunts for drug dealers and gangs, and neighbourhood life deteriorated even further. In order to break the cycle, committed residents began to turn the derelict plots into gardens. Due to the involvement of locals, the gardens seldom experience vandalism, and help invoke civic pride. Although they cost the city little in upkeep and improve neighbourhoods, New York is eager to sell off as many of its empty plots as possible. The sad result: a large number of community gardens may soon be disappearing.