Our project, titled “El Convivio” or “The Gathering” in English, improves food security and accessibility for our aging population and those with limited capacity while strengthening intergenerational relationships by improving public space.
While visiting the garden you will likely see our senior members tending to their garden beds or hosting potlucks with music and dancing. Over the years we have strived to accommodate our senior members by providing seating, ergonomic tools, and other safety measures. We now have the resources to improve overall accessibility and to continue serving our senior members.
The project will consist of an 8-foot by 40-foot ADA planting station; a 20-foot by 20-foot outdoor kitchen area with brick paver patio and brick enclosed grill; a 12-foot by 14-foot ADA accessible seating area with planters; 300 feet of ADA accessible, crushed stone pathways to provide access to the ADA planting station, outdoor kitchen area, existing permaculture site, and seating areas; and the installation of solar panels and solar power equipment on our existing shed to power lighting, outdoor speakers, and charge cellphones for the new outdoor kitchen area.
The project is being designed and constructed by Human Scale, a non-profit of young architects. Human Scale and the garden leaders engaged the senior gardeners and neighbors through a series of community meetings during the winter (pre-COVID) to gather input on how the garden space can better accommodate them. Construction will begin in September.
Project funded by AARP
El Paseo Community Garden 