Nature was missing from these neighborhoods. Residents are changing that.

The Academy for Global Citizenship in Chicago is installing a 3-acre urban farm, rain gardens, native plants, solar panels, and geothermal energy; school leaders expect to yield 10,000 pounds of produce in the first full year. A $2.6 million GreenLatinos initiative funded by the Bezos Earth Fund is also improving Canal Origins Park across three U.S. cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, Albuquerque).

Farm and park improvements directly benefit participating communities; broader neighborhood transformation depends on sustained funding and community buy-in.