A community garden can draw people together around two common focal points: beauty and good food. Positive garden activity creates safer communities.The criminal element can be driven out of a neighborhood by turning a trash-strewn vacant lot that is home base for illegal activity, into a place of beauty filled with positive activities.
When neighbors walk by a community garden and see their neighbors gardening, they have common interests to talk to each other about. This can lead to the formation of relationships, connectedness, safer and more positive feelings about where they live and to the development of a community where people look out for each other.