Last updated: September 2024
Spaces of Opportunity is an initiative created by several organizations in Phoenix, that aims to bring food security and sustainability to the south Phoenix community. The initiative aims to reach its goals through its community garden that incorporates 19 acres of barren land (dessert) that can be used by locals for growing food and earning an income while providing the community organically grown produce. The mission is to enable all South Phoenix families to have affordable access to healthy food, active living and healthy roots of their cultures (1, 2, 4, 6, 8). The initiative started in 2011 when several local actors formed a coalition with a shared vision of improving well-being by addressing the natural, built, and social environments. Spaces of Opportunity is the only local food system of its kind in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and unique in the country for the diverse strengths of the committed partner organizations and their shared vision to bring food security, build sustainability, and cultivate community. (8)
Spaces of Opportunity4
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/05/12/spaces-of-opportunity-farm-south-phoenix-food-desert/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Improving mental health
- Improving physical health
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Sense of community and community engagement
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
- Food scarcity / security
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Desertification
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Agriculture/ crop production
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Resource Scarcity and Competition
- Food insecurity due to disruptions in food production and distribution
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security (eg. community- based wildlife or forest management)
Project objectives
To transform "a food desert to a food oasis through the coordination of a 10-acre incubator farm, family gardens and an on-site farmers market." (3)
To create health equity in South Phoenix (6)
To give residents of south Phoenix access to nutritious food and foster community building (including to marginalized communities and indigenous groups) (2, 3, 5, 6)
To provide entrepreneurial opportunities (3, 5, 6)
To help residents grow healthy roots with their culture (2, 3, 6)
To promote active living (3, 6)
Implementation activities
1. In 2011, a coalition of organizations called Cultivate South Phoenix was formed.
2. Feedback collected through community canvassing identified an opportunity to create a food movement in South Phoenix, where people could build ties to the land, reap economic benefits, and practice healthy eating and active living.
3. In 2015, the coalition began transforming a barren field into a vibrant food oasis and community gathering space.
4. The land was divided into incubator farms, community gardens, healing spaces, and a farmers market (Refs. 5, 8).
5. Community residents can engage in farming to nourish themselves, become more self-sufficient, learn something new, or connect with their cultural roots.
6. Regular events are held at the community gardens to celebrate food, diverse cultures, and communities.
7. Currently, there are 55 gardeners and 205 plots, each measuring 5' x 50' (Ref. 8).
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Urban heat islands, Minority or marginalized ethnic groups
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
- Young people and children
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), Indigenous communities, Disadvantaged ethnic or racial groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
-Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) / Civil Society: Desert Botanical Garden, TigerMountain Foundation, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation formed a collaborative model that included public sector institutions (e.g. school or hospital): Orchard Community Learning Center, Roosevelt Elementary School District
- Several private and financial actors were involved in funding the initiative
-Citizens or community groups: The community garden is run by members of the community who participate in workshop and oversee activities
(3,5,8)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- Private Foundation/Trust
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Achieved increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Achieved restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Stimulate development in deprived areas
- Achieved stimulate development in deprived areas
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Attraction of business and investment
- Expected attraction of business and investment
- Generation of income from NBS
- Expected generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Expected increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Preserved spiritual and religious values
- Expected preserved spiritual and religious values
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Spaces of Opportunity (n.d.). Spaces of Opportunity. [Source link];
2.
Desert Botanical Garden (n.d.). Spaces of Opportunity . [Source link];
3.
City of Phoenix (n.d.). South Phoenix Food Directory- Spaces of Opportunity. Phoenix: [Source link];
4.
TigerMountain Foundation (n.d.). Spaces of Opportunity Garden. TigerMountain Foundation, [Source link];
5.
Spaces of Opportunity (n.d.). Spaces of Opportunity Theory of Change. [Source link];
6.
Sustained Collaboration Network. (n.d.). Spaces of Opportunity: Empowerment Through Land Cultivation. [Source link];
7.
Spaces of Opportunity (n.d.). Farmers Market. [Source link];
8.
Arizona Gives (n.d.). Spaces of Opportunity. [Source link];
9.
Spaces of Opportunity (n.d.). Farmers Market. [Source link];
10.
Spaces of Opportunity (n.d.). Incubator Farms . [Source link];
11.
Spaces of Opportunity (n.d.). Community Gardens . [Source link];
12.
Spaces of Opportunity (n.d.). Events. [Source link];
Spaces of Opportunity3
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/05/12/spaces-of-opportunity-farm-south-phoenix-food-desert/
Spaces of Opportunity1
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/05/12/spaces-of-opportunity-farm-south-phoenix-food-desert/
Spaces of Opportunity2
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/05/12/spaces-of-opportunity-farm-south-phoenix-food-desert/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.