Over 7000 vacant lots in numerous regions throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area are owned by the City of Pittsburgh. Through the Adopt-A-Lot program, they’re available to community residents for Edible, Flower, or Rain Gardens, providing the opportunity to beautify and utilize outdoor space.

The program’s goals are threefold- Social, to foster neighborhood interaction by bringing people together to collectively transform an underused space; Financial, improving the value of a neighborhood by re-imagining a neglected area; and Ecological, encouraging environmental awareness while reviving soil, creating wildlife habitat, and eliminating invasive species.

The process has been as streamlined as possible, and includes soil testing to determine viability. To learn more, visit the City of Pittsburgh’s Adopt-A-Lot page.