title: Community gardens: lessons learned from California Healthy Cities and Communities.
abstract: Community gardens enhance nutrition and physical activity and promote the role of public health in improving quality of life. Opportunities to organize around other issues and build social capital also emerge through community gardens. California Healthy Cities and Communities (CHCC) promotes an inclusionary and systems approach to improving community health. CHCC has funded community-based nutrition and physical activity programs in several cities. Successful community gardens were developed by many cities incorporating local leadership and resources, volunteers and community partners, and skills-building opportunities for participants. Through community garden initiatives, cities have enacted policies for interim land and complimentary water use, improved access to produce, elevated public consciousness about public health, created culturally appropriate educational and training materials, and strengthened community building skills.
authors.affiliation: Center for Civic Partnerships, 1851 Heritage Lane, Suite 250, Sacramento, CA 95815, USA. jtwiss@civicpartnerships.org
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Twiss
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duma
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kleinman
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paulsen
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rilveria
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D002958:City Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D040361:Healthy People Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D007899:Leisure Activities; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010944:Plants; D016730:Program Development; D011634:Public Health; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014838:Volunteers / Q000193:education