El Paseo Garden is located in Pilsen, a historically working class Latinx community in Chicago– and also a neighborhood known for its rich Mexican culture, activism, and strong sense of place. Since 2009, El Paseo Community Garden has been fostering community and wellness for Pilsen residents through land stewardship, conservation, community-design, education, programming, gardening, and more. This one acre of community-managed and NeighborSpace protected land is maintained by volunteers and donations and celebrates Pilsen’s diversity, history and culture while connecting residents with nature and each other. El Paseo’s mission is to empower through nature. 

The garden is a converted brownfield site and sits along the first phase of a larger green corridor that the city plans to expand along an old railroad line. There are garden rows, a quail coop, and open space for wellness programming embraced by a native prairie, permaculture food forest, and vibrant murals along the east side of the path. Along the other side sits an apiary, senior allotment raised beds, gathering spaces, and a half acre lot of open space offering fitness equipment, a dog run, and a nature play area for kids with picnic tables and benches throughout. All this has been totally created by volunteers.

The garden has naturally become an incubator, offering community members a platform to explore, share, create, and become leaders. In addition to stewardship, initiatives include the Community Harvest U-Pick Market, collective gardening, senior gardening, beekeeping, quails, in-residency wellness programming, family programming, educational workshops, and more. El Paseo is more than just a garden. It is an integral resource providing social infrastructure that empowers Pilsen residents through nature.