A new community garden on the Intel corporate campus in Hillsboro, Oregon is just one of many such plots that have been added to corporate sites across the country.
Company officials are increasingly adding gardening plots to their sprawling sites and headquarters as a perk for employees.
"The 32,000-square-foot employee community garden, its 81 beds planted for the first time this spring, joins a handful of plots nationwide outside such companies as PepsiCo, Toyota and Aveda. Employees plant, weed and putter before work and after, during lunch breaks and on weekends.
Think of company gardens as perks with a purpose.
'Happy employees are productive employees,' says Dave Karlson, site manager at Google's data center in The Dalles, where workers have tilled, seeded and harvested a small communal plot for several years. 'Gardening is a great way people can get away from their desk for a few minutes and check on their tomatoes.'"
FULL STORY: At Hillsboro's Intel, the community garden is a company perk with a purpose
Guerilla Urbanism: Small Interventions, Big Impact
Citizen-led projects can lead to broader changes — if cities will listen.
How Nonprofits Are Shaping Sustainable Cities
Learn about nonprofits' pivotal role in urban sustainability, from policy advocacy to launching eco-initiatives that are transforming cityscapes for the better.
State Bill Protects New York’s Community Gardens
The legislation recognizes community gardens as vital urban spaces and an effective weapon against the impacts of climate change on cities.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service