Cracked sidewalks give way to swaying stalks of goldenrod and milkweed, their blossoms alive with fluttering butterflies and the soft hum of bees. Behind a weathered picket fence, rows of ripening tomatoes and leafy greens reach toward the sun.
In Wilkinsburg, scenes like this are sprouting from places once left to decay. According to 2023 data from the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, nearly 20% of the borough’s houses and commercial buildings — over 1,000 parcels — were vacant or derelict, alongside another 600 empty lots.
Residents are reclaiming abandoned spaces, turning them into thriving community gardens, nine of which are documented across the borough…