This website is an outgrowth of Public Gardens and Livable Cities: Partnerships Connecting People, Plants, and Place. Both the book and the website provide a roadmap for how public gardens, regardless of size or budget, can jump start collaborative initiatives that address community needs. The key is to seek out and form partnerships with like-minded local governmental units, community associations, and for-profit organizations. Collaborative initiatives that draw on the strengths of each partner have had remarkable success in addressing critical urban challenges and supporting positive local agendas.
While multiple case studies are described in the book, this website includes new programs that the authors were unaware of during the book’s creation or have been created since its publication in 2020. This website also highlights public gardens that have developed exemplary community engagement partnerships through the Excellence in Engagement, Outreach, and Education recognition sponsored by the American Public Gardens Association.
Like the book, the website is designed to inspire and motivate public garden staff and board members to seek willing partners to initiate their own community outreach programs. Through such efforts, we hope that every municipality will become a truly livable city.