NeighborSpace
Founded in 1996, NeighborSpace is a nonprofit urban land trust that protects community gardens and green spaces throughout Chicago.
By taking responsibility for land ownership, insurance, water access, and other essential infrastructure, NeighborSpace allows neighborhood groups to focus on what they do best: growing food, caring for shared spaces, and building community.
The land trust provides long-term protection against development while local gardeners retain responsibility for managing and stewarding their spaces.
NeighborSpace offers a practical example of the urban commons in action. Rather than choosing between private ownership and government management, it creates a framework in which land is protected for community benefit and the people who use it share responsibility for its future.