Grounded

STATE OF THE LAND REPORT! Did you catch the changes Pittsburgh City Planning made to encourage more streamlined stewardship of vacant lots and greenways earlier this summer? We are excited about:

* Updates to the Adopt-A-Lot program that allow it to support, "a broader range of uses beyond gardening, including public art, community signage, commercial vending, lot maintenance, and special events."

* A new City Farms Garden Program, established in partnership with CitiParks, which provides five-year leases for urban agriculture, compared to Adopt-A-Lot’s one- to three-year lease terms.

* "Updates to the City’s Removal of Natural Resources code, which now formally permits urban agriculture, foraging, dead tree removal, and archaeological activity on City-owned property with approval."

* A new Greenways Stewardship Program that establishes, "clear pathways for residents, community groups, and non-profit partners to care for," 3,000 vacant parcels that the city identified should be permanently conserved as 21 new greenways, "through stewardship activities, such as: trail building, invasive species removal, community clean-ups, tree planting, and more."

We witnessed city staff as they created these updates after extensive engagement with residents across more than 40 neighborhoods as well as partner organizations. Way to go Pgh City Planning! Learn more or submit an intake form at:

Stewardship & Gardening Stewardship & Gardening homepage where you will find the Adopt-A-Lot, City Farms Garden, City Farms Garden Program, Greenways Stewardship, and Help-A-Lot Programs.

STATE OF THE LAND REPORT! Pittsburgh Food Policy Council said it best below. Pittsburgh City Planning is hosting a few more public meetings on the first ever Pittsburgh Comprehensive Plan this week. Make sure you show up and give feedback on the draft plan to help shape the future of land in our city.

Another gorgeous day for site maintenance! Last week, BNY Environmental Sustainability Ambassador (ESA) volunteers returned to help us with knotweed mitigation for their fourth year in a row. Thank you BNY for your continued support of the Central Hub parklet in the Hill District. For more information on Grounded maintained sites in the Hill District, visit https://ow.ly/UrpJ50ZjteX

A huge thank you to Duquesne Light Company for their continued volunteering and partnership! Working with past Hill District CommunityCare Stewards, we spent a day at the Gathering Place weeding, mulching, and replanting beds with native perennial pollinator plants. We can't wait to see how this site continues to flourish through the 2026 CommunityCare maintenance season!

STATE OF THE LAND REPORT! Vacant land, housing affordability, code enforcement, land banking, and neighborhood revitalization are all shaped by public policy.

That’s why we’re encouraging folks to check out the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group Legislation Tracker, which follows housing and community development legislation at both the state and federal level.

From Whole Home Repairs to land bank expansion to anti-displacement protections, these policies have real impacts on communities across Pennsylvania — including the neighborhoods where Grounded Strategies works every day.

Stay informed. Stay engaged. Find the PCRG Legislation Tracker here: https://ow.ly/RJs350Z5FFB

Grounded had a great day taking the Mobile Toolbox out to a workday with California- Kirkbride Neighbors and Charles Street Area Council. Thanks to a large group of volunteers from Hico America Sales & Technology Inc, we got 3 different plots of land at a five-way intersection cleaned up in no time. Want to request the mobile toolbox? More info here: https://ow.ly/J45050Z7Cz7

STATE OF THE LAND REPORT! Land values shape neighborhood futures. A county-wide reassessment is about creating a more accurate and equitable understanding of property values across communities. At Grounded , we believe transparent land systems matter...especially in neighborhoods impacted by vacancy and long-term disinvestment.

We encourage residents to stay informed, engaged, and involved in conversations about reassessment and neighborhood equity.

The remaining hearings on the County Council reassessment bill are scheduled for:
*June 3, 5:30 p.m., CCAC Boyce Campus Auditorium, 595 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA 15146
*June 16, 5:30 p.m., CCAC West Hills Center, Room S1308, 1000 McKee Road, Oakdale, PA 15071
*July 1, 5:30 p.m., CCAC North Campus, Room 3002, 8701 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Hope to see you there! More info on the reassessment bill from WESA here: https://ow.ly/Lvhc50Z5Cw6

STATE OF THE LAND REPORT! There’s one more city budget hearing, coming up June 3 in Lincoln Lemington. This is your chance to ask for more funding to address vacancy and community transformation, including but not limited to increasing the budget for the Pittsburgh Land Bank. Hope to see you there!

Budget Season Is Upon Us!

We know 2027 is the last thing on your mind, but it's never too late to plan for the future. And this year, it's more important than ever.

With a tightened city budget, it's up to residents to help us identify where, and what, to prioritize. Attending a budget engagement session is the first step.

All sessions are FREE to attend and will give you the chance to interact with the Mayor's Community Affairs team.

Excited to be at the A+ Schools Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative Summit today where, in a conversation about chronic absenteeism and safe walking routes to schools…

—> PA State Rep. Powell spoke about the importance of increasing funding to the Pittsburgh Land Bank

—> Mayor O’Connor spoke about his administration’s current work to get funding to prep as many of the 11,000 city owned vacant lots for building affordable housing and “using vacant lots for the greater good and lowering housing prices”

—> Wasi Mohammed from Congresswoman Summer Lee’s office is celebrating the money she brought to North Braddock to address vacancy

Addressing vacancy has systemic impacts!

We're hiring a Youth Engagement Coordinator! Want to work directly with high school age youth? Want to make sure that youth voice is included in and driving community transformation efforts? Want to collaborate with some awesome partners like The Citizen Science Lab, Kingsley Association, Wilkinsburg Sanctuary Project? Apply by June 3rd at: https://ow.ly/NHCo50Z3rg6