(Not) in my backyard: Access to community gardens, neighborhood characteristics, and food deserts

Community gardens have gained popularity worldwide not only as an alternative source of fresh food but also as a platform to promote sustainable urban living. In this study, we compile a unique dataset that consists of 1874 documented community gardens in 24 cities or metropolitan areas in the U.S. to examine the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and access to community gardens. We further investigate the spatial distribution of community gardens in the context of food deserts that are used to describe low-income neighborhoods with a lack of fresh food access. Our results show that several neighborhood characteristics, such as the share of Black populations, poverty rate, and housing unit vacancy rate, can systematically explain whether a neighborhood has community gardens. Notably, we find that community gardens may have limited capacity to address the issue of food deserts, given that the vast majority of current community gardens are in neighborhoods not identified as food deserts. Our findings provide new insights into the need for strategic urban planning and community-led initiatives to facilitate the construction of community gardens for a sustainable urban food environment.