Postindustrial Futures partners with communities to improve and activate underused green space through planning, workshops, and community-led action.
Auchentoroly Terrace
Partners: Baltimore Green Space | Greater Mondawmin Coordinating Council | The Neighborhood Design Center | The New Auchentoroly Terrace Association
Overview: A community-led green space planning project that identified priority vacant lots and created a roadmap for residents to care for and permanently protect them.
- Surveyed 60 residents and facilitated a community workshop to identify which of six groupings of vacant lots should be transformed into community green space.
- Identified community priorities, including safety, activities/events, cleanliness, and neighborhood beautification, to shape the design and programming of the site.
- Developed a pathway to community ownership by recommending Judicial In-Rem, transfer to GMCC, and a two-year community stewardship period.
Status: The selected seven-lot site has entered the Judicial In-Rem process and is progressing toward community ownership.
Central West Baltimore
Partners: Druid Heights CDC | No Boundaries Coalition | Sajeeda Urban Farm
Overview: A three-part youth workshop series focused on vacant land, neighborhood ecology, and community-led green space transformation in Central West Baltimore.
- Engaged 15 youth through the No Boundaries Youth Organizers (NbYO) program using an interactive model that combined presentations with site visits to successful vacant land transformation projects.
- Connected participants with local leaders from Druid Heights CDC and Sajeeda Urban Farm, to showcase examples of community-led revitalization efforts.
- Increased youth understanding of vacant land, neighborhood ecology, and community green spaces while inspiring future community involvement and environmental stewardship.
Status: The workshop model is now being delivered through No Boundaries programming and has expanded to additional youth partnerships.
Lower Gwynns Falls Park
Partners: Baltimore City Recreation & Parks | Gwynns Falls Community Association | Mill Hill Community Association | Mt. Olivet Community Association
Overview: A community-led effort to activate an underused neighborhood park by identifying practical improvements and building a shared implementation plan with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks.
- Surveyed residents, facilitated community meetings, and led a design charrette to identify priorities for improving Lower Gwynns Falls Park.
- Coordinated with BCRP to distinguish improvements that could be implemented immediately from those requiring future capital investment.
- Advanced a phased improvement strategy that included near-term amenities such as a picnic table, dog waste station, and trash/recycling receptacles, while establishing a roadmap for future enhancements including soccer goals, fruit trees, bat boxes, rainwater harvesting, and stream restoration.
Status: Initial park improvements have been installed, community use has increased, and a roadmap is in place for future enhancements.
Oliver Community
Partners: The 6th Branch | Baltimore Green Space | BMORE Beautiful | Civic Works | Clean Corps | The Community Group Inc | Historic Oliver Community Association | Knox Presbyterian Church | The People’s Association of Oliver | Wildside Nursery
Overview: A five-part youth workshop series designed to educate youth on the value of community green space while building long-term stewardship skills in the Oliver community.
- Engaged youth through an interactive workshop model combining presentations with guided site visits to community-managed green spaces.
- Introduced youth to local examples of vacant land transformation, demonstrating how resident leadership can create lasting community assets.
- Built youth stewardship skills through hands-on learning by designing and installing rain gardens at Oliver Community Farm.
Status: Permanent rain gardens were installed at Oliver Community Farm, and the workshop model is continuing through partner-led programming.
