Community garden with mural
Policy Database
Local Policy
Boston, Massachusetts

Describing land that is appropriate for the city's "Community Garden Open Space Subdistrict" designation

Boston, Mass., Zoning Code § 33-8

Last Visited 4/9/26
Policy Summary

This provision describes land that is appropriate for the City’s “Community Garden Open Space Subdistricts.” (Community gardens are one of nine possible open space subdistricts–open space districts are designed to protect and preserve open spaces through land use regulations). Specifically, it provides that “Community Garden open space (OS-G) sub districts shall consist of land appropriate for and limited to the cultivation of herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables, including the cultivation and tillage of soil and the production, cultivation, growing, and harvesting of any agricultural, floricultural, or horticultural commodity; such land may include Vacant Public Land.” Note that Boston’s Zoning Code includes a separate chapter devoted to “Urban Agriculture.”

State Massachusetts
Jurisdiction Name Boston
Jurisdiction Type city
Population Size 200k-800k
Legal Strategies
  • Requires something and sets standards
  • Expressly allows something
Food System Topics
  • Urban Agriculture
  • Agricultural Production
  • Zoning, Planning & Land Use
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