On Friday, Aug. 22, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will celebrate community, connection, and greening progress at the Love Where You Live Unity Day event in North Philadelphia’s Tioga Hope Garden. The day marks the conclusion of PHS’s original Love Where You Live Greening Plan and looks ahead at the program’s next phase.
Celebrating green progress
The Love Where You Live pilot program launched in 2022, transforming the Nicetown and Tioga neighborhoods through a community-driven greening plan focused on reducing trash and litter, increasing access to fresh food, reducing crime, and creating job opportunities. Over the past few years, PHS and neighborhood partners have cleaned and greened more than 1.2 million square feet of vacant land across 643 vacant lots (which are maintained year-round), planted over 400 trees, supported 12 community gardens, and created 3,615 daily green jobs. Over 200 residents in the neighborhood have been engaged in beautification efforts like the Curb Appeal Challenge. Additionally, PHS offered 60 free gardening workshops and over $100,000 in garden infrastructure improvements.
Unity Day looks forward to bringing together over 200 residents and community partners to celebrate these achievements with food, local music, family-friendly activities, and a mini resource fair to highlight PHS’s Healthy Neighborhood programs.
“Love Where You Live is about building pride, connection, and stewardship in the community. Seeing neighbors transform their blocks through gardening and green jobs is inspiring,” said Adam Hill, Director of Community Gardens at PHS. “Unity Day highlights the impact of residents’ participation and partnership with PHS and sets the stage for the next phase of this successful pilot program.”
Community impact
The program’s success is evident, as seen in the physical transformation of the Nicetown and Tioga neighborhoods, as well as in how it strengthened the social fabric of the community. Love Where You Live has empowered residents in these neighborhoods to actively shape their environment and improve quality of life in lasting ways. The program provided job training, encouraged neighbor-led beautification projects, and fostered ongoing stewardship of green spaces.
“This program exemplifies how gardening and green spaces are vital tools for community resilience and well-being,” said Matt Rader, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “Love Where You Live is a testament to the power of community-led change and our mission to use horticulture to improve lives and neighborhoods across the Philadelphia region.”
The next phase, supported by an 18-month planning grant from the William Penn Foundation, will focus on sustaining green jobs, enhancing tree stewardship, expanding access to fresh food, and growing neighborhood-led initiatives. This process will map the program’s future while deepening connections with community leaders.
Love Where You Live Unity Day takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, with a rain date of Saturday, Aug. 23. For more information about PHS or to support the Love Where You Live program, visit PHSonline.org
