Land Use Innovation Initiative

The Groundwork Land Use Innovation Initiative expands access to healthy outdoor spaces that promotes efforts to transform brownfield sites into community assets like parks, trails, and community gardens. This program aims to spark innovation, resident leadership, and long-term investment in land revitalization across the Groundwork Network.

Land Use Innovation project use innovative community engagement strategies to deepen resident participation in land reuse projects and build lasting connections to outdoor spaces. For example, we’ve helped set up community advisory groups, hosted engagement events, developed interactive web dashboards, and created leadership development programs for residents of all ages. Our goal is to support projects that provide multiple social, health, and economic benefits to the whole community. This means bringing together new partners to work toward shared goals and preparing the next generation of leaders to drive positive change in their communities.

Read our 2024 LUI announcement here! 

  • Meet Our 2024 Grantees
  • Meet Our 2022 Grantees
Groundwork Atlanta

Groundwork Atlanta

Groundwork Atlanta has been awarded $80,000 to engage and empower residents in zip code 30318, located on the western side of Atlanta, as they navigate the significant land redevelopment occurring in their neighborhood.

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Groundwork Denver

Groundwork Denver

Groundwork Denver received $80,000 to engage residents in the creation of a brownfield reuse strategy for a site in Sheridan, Colorado. Through the project, GWD will partner with the City of Sheridan to address the environmental toll of brownfields and create a plan for a new trailhead with access to Bear Creek and Bear Creek Trail. Resident input is critical for ensuring the project responds to the environmental needs of the community and that residents are aware of the benefits of the site. Funding will be used to facilitate community engagement through initiatives like organizing multiple community events, project update events, and participating in existing community events, youth events, school events, and additional in-person community engagement opportunities.

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Groundwork New Orleans

Groundwork New Orleans

Groundwork New Orleans was awarded $80,000 to engage their Green Team in the creation of a brownfield inventory and completion of  small improvement projects.

 

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Groundwork Ohio River Valley

Groundwork Ohio River Valley

Groundwork San Diego

Groundwork San Diego

Groundwork San Diego was awarded $80,000 to develop a concept plan for the transformation of a 17-acre brownfield site in the Chollas Creek Watershed into a vibrant, multifunctional outdoor space that addresses pressing environmental and social challenges. This site was identified as a prime opportunity for mitigating environmental harm while building community resilience by the community during prior community engagement initiatives organized by Groundwork San Diego.

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Groundwork Bridgeport

Groundwork Bridgeport

Groundwork Bridgeport was awarded a $20,075 Land Use Innovation Grant to collect community input on a waterfront activation plan to help guide the restoration of a large, coastal, publicly-owned brownfields site known as Sliver by the River.

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Groundwork Hudson Valley

Groundwork Hudson Valley

Groundwork Hudson Valley received a $50,000 LUI grant to engage community members in the design of the future of Ludlow Park – a new public park along the Hudson River in Southwest Yonkers!

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Groundwork Jacksonville

Groundwork Jacksonville

Groundwork Jacksonville’s Emerald Trail Stewards (ETS) program, funded by the Land Use Innovation Initiative, is a green workforce training and brownfield education program, focused on providing economic opportunities to residents from Emerald Trail neighborhoods. This program trains stewards to install and maintain the native landscapes and green infrastructure along the Emerald Trail through a combination of classroom and on-the-job training.

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Groundwork Lawrence

Groundwork Lawrence

Groundwork Lawrence received a $25,731 LUI grant to help engage residents in the transformation of the former Cyr Oil property into an accessible greenspace .

 

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Groundwork Milwaukee

Groundwork Milwaukee

Through the Land Use Innovation Initiative, Groundwork Milwaukee aims to educate residents of Metcalfe Park about brownfields and extreme weather in their neighborhoods. This includes identifying local brownfield sites, understanding associated health risks, and exploring land reuse options.

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Groundwork Ohio River Valley

Groundwork
Ohio River Valley

Multi-use recreational spaces fulfill the needs of transportation, green spaces, and community connection. Yet, often these spaces are not accessible to all. Groundwork ORV received a $49,982 LUI grant for their trailblazing proposal to  develop a plan for improving five brownfield sites and lay the foundation for a future Mill Creek Greenway Trail extension into South Cumminsville.

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Groundwork Rhode Island

Groundwork Rhode Island

We discard around 80 million pounds of food waste a year in the US! Groundwork Rhode Island is working to combat food waste and received a $49,051.75 LUI grant for the planning efforts needed to support the development of educational programming at their new West End Compost Hub.

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