Urban Soil Safety Study

In 2012 the Center for a Livable Future partnered with the Community Greening Resource Network, Baltimore's gardening support network, to assess what gardeners know (and don't know) about soil contaminants, and what their concerns are. We used our findings to help inform city agencies, garden leaders, local nonprofits and other groups working to promote safer gardening practices. A research article based on this study is available online.

In tandem with our research, we developed a soil safety resource guide for urban gardeners, farmers, and anyone interested in learning more about soil contaminant issues. It covers some of the basics, and provides a directory of online resources.

For residents of Baltimore City, CLF's Maryland Food System Mapping Project also developed an interactive map showing the locations of community gardens, school gardens, and urban farms in Baltimore City along with current and prior hazardous waste sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Support for this project was provided by a grant from the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute and a gift from the GRACE Communications Foundation.