Residents of affordable housing communities, many of them long-term community members, may care deeply about where they live but not have the ability to influence decisions that impact their home. We partnered with the Brook Gardens community in Brooklyn Park to center resident priorities. Brook Gardens is a townhome/apartment complex that is home to many families with children. Together we redesigned the landscape for more sustainable practices and to meet residents’ priorities for their outdoor spaces. Now there are more than 10 rain gardens with native plantings. The rain gardens help prevent pollution by diverting rainwater from entering Shingle Creek, which flows next to Brook Gardens, and the plantings provide habitat for pollinators. Resident priorities included more play space for children, and the project included a nature play area and more playground equipment. In addition, there are more shade trees, accessible walking paths and picnic tables. We worked with resident project stewards, who were paid, to engage neighbors and help organize community events. We also trained and hired residents to work alongside us during installation and for long-term maintenance. We continue to work with residents, alongside our landcare crew, to care for the native plantings. This project received a 2022 Environmental Initiative Award for its local sustainability impacts.

Partners: Residents, African Career, Education and Resource, Inc. (ACER), Boisclair Corporation, The City of Brooklyn Park, Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission, MN Board of Water and Soil Resources (Lawns to Legumes program), Center for Prevention at Blue Cross Blue Shield MN, JL Theis.

Timeline: 2019–2023

Read our blog post about this project.