By Eve Polek

Walking down the street, you pass by a vacant lot. At first glance, it looks like dirt, weeds, and windmilling trash. But to neighbors who live beside it, the meaning is different: uncertainty, missed opportunity, and years of seeing the same challenging conditions without change.  

Then something shifts. The lot gets cleaned, maintained, and cared for. Grass takes root. Trees are planted. What once signaled neglect begins to signal possibility. The transformation isn't the result of a one-time cleanup. It's the result of consistency, care, and attention over time. 

That transformation is at the heart of PHS's LandCare program, which works with communities to stabilize and maintain vacant land through regular cleaning, mowing, landscaping, and maintenance, LandCare helps turn neglected lots into clean, green spaces that support neighborhood health, safety, and well-being. 

For decades, the program has demonstrated how sustained investment in vacant land can positively impact communities. As PHS President Matt Rader explains, "PHS's belief is that every neighborhood deserves safe, healthy, and welcoming green spaces." He notes that LandCare's success in Philadelphia has shown that caring for vacant land isn't just about improving a space; it's about strengthening the communities that surround it. 

Now, for the first time, that proven model is expanding beyond Philadelphia into Chester, Pennsylvania. 

The Idea Behind Landcare:
Simple Work, Long-Term Impact 

At its core, LandCare transforms vacant lots into clean, safe, and welcoming green spaces through a simple but consistent approach. The process begins when vacant parcels are identified by community members, neighborhood organizations, or elected officials. PHS then works with the City to gain access to the property before stabilization can begin. 

Once a site is approved, crews remove trash, abandoned vehicles, and other debris, grade the land, install a post and rail fence, seed the lot with grass, and plant trees when appropriate. After the initial transformation, the work continues with regular mowing, litter removal, and ongoing maintenance to ensure the space remains clean and cared for. 

These are not one-time clean-up efforts, but a sustained presence in communities. That consistency is what makes the program effective. Today, PHS LandCare maintains more than 12,000 vacant lots across Philadelphia, demonstrating the scale and stability of a system built around ongoing care.  

The model is also designed to create local impact. In Philadelphia, the program works alongside community organizations, workforce development initiatives, and small businesses. Eighty-seven percent of PHS LandCare contractors are minority- and/or women-owned businesses, creating economic opportunities alongside neighborhood improvement. 

Why This Work Matters: When Environment Shapes Outcomes 

The impact of greening vacant land extends far beyond appearance. Research linked to the PHS LandCare model has shown measurable improvements in neighborhood well-being, including reductions in depression, decreases in gun violence in high-poverty neighborhoods, and increases in nearby property values. 

Residents living near greened lots reported more than a 40% reduction in feelings of depression, while neighborhoods below the poverty line experienced reductions in gun violence of up to 29%. Additional research found that homes within 1,000 feet of a PHS greened lot experienced an average increase in value of 4.3% within the first year.  

But the numbers tell only part of the story. 

The more immediate change is how people experience the block they live on. What once felt abandoned begins to feel cared for. What once felt neglected begins to feel invested in. These spaces become places of opportunity, connection, and community pride.  

Chester: A City Meets a Proven Model 

Chester represents a significant milestone for PHS: the first time the LandCare model will be implemented outside of Philadelphia. 

In partnership with the Delaware County District Attorney's Office, its Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods, the City of Chester, and local community stakeholders, PHS LandCare will transform and maintain approximately 100,000 square feet of vacant land (nearly two football fields!).

The Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods plays an important role in supporting this work as part of its broader efforts to strengthen neighborhoods and improve quality of life throughout the city. The initiative is funded in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of the Budget, and by the Green Family Foundation. 

District Attorney Tanner Rouse described the effort as a meaningful investment in Chester's future. 

"Every cleaned and maintained lot sends a message that these neighborhoods matter," he said. "This will help create environments where families feel safer, children have healthier surroundings, and communities can thrive." 

Mayor Stefan Roots emphasized the broader significance of the work, describing initiatives like LandCare as part of strengthening "the foundation for lasting change and progress." 

"By transforming vacant lots into clean, green spaces, we are not only improving the appearance of our neighborhoods, but also investing in public safety, public health, and the quality of life for our residents," he said.

What Greening Changes on the Ground 

For residents, the most visible difference is immediate: cleaner blocks, fewer dumping sites, fewer illegally parked vehicles, and vacant lots that are actively maintained instead of abandoned.  

One of the most recognizable features of a LandCare site is its low, open fence. Rather than keeping people out, these fences are intentionally designed to invite neighbors in while discouraging illegal dumping and vehicle access. They signal that the space is cared for and belongs to the community. 

Beyond those open fences, the vision for these lots comes to life. Children have room to play after school, neighbors walk their dogs, families gather on warm summer evenings, and residents connect with one another in a shared green space. Over time, these once-vacant parcels become neighborhood assets; not because PHS simply maintains them, but because communities begin to activate them, care for them, and make them their own. 

Greening efforts also support environmental health. In Chester, planting trees and expanding tree canopy will help improve air quality, increase shade, and make neighborhoods more resilient to the impacts of climate change. These efforts build on work already underway by local leaders and organizations, including the Chester Shade and Tree Commission, which has long advocated for  greener neighborhoods. 

For PHS LandCare Field Specialist and Chester native Barron Lacy, the value of the program extends beyond the physical improvements. "Beautification will help lower crimes and give people a purpose. People will want to take ownership of the area," he said. "I think bringing LandCare into Chester will have a very positive effect on the city." 

What Care Communicates 

Walking through a neighborhood, it's easy to notice what is neglected. It takes more attention to notice what is being consistently cared for. But that difference is the foundation of LandCare. 

A vacant lot becomes a green space not through a one-time transformation but the continued care that communicates something larger than landscaping: that the neighborhood itself is worth investing in. 

In Chester, that work is just beginning. But the model behind it has already been tested: block by block, across thousands of properties throughout Philadelphia. 

Now, it's taking root in a new city, helping create cleaner, greener, and healthier neighborhoods for the future.