Family launches bold project on empty lot next to home: 'Do it and then ask for forgiveness'

A family from Chicago is taking direct action in their neighborhood by turning a bare plot of land into a beautiful community garden for their neighbors to enjoy, Block Club Chicago reported.

Yousef Dana had lived in the Logan Square area for five years before he decided to give an unused plot of land under the Blue Line "L" train tracks a makeover. He researched and discovered that the land had been bare since 2006, with nothing but compacted soil full of gravel and trash filling the space.

"As civil engineers, we are so excited to build things, but it takes five years for it to be built, so building something yourself is exciting," Dana said, per Block Club Chicago.

With the help of fundraising via GoFundMe, Reddit, and flyers posted in the community, Yousef and his father, Mohamad Dana, got to work.

They rented a tilling machine to loosen the soil, added topsoil to ensure there were enough nutrients to grow plants, created a brick border for the garden, added fences to discourage dogs and littering, and solicited donations of flowers from neighbors. They also arranged for other volunteers to plant those flowers.

Throughout the project, they ensured that their modifications would not get in the way of any necessary maintenance to the train tracks.

"It's guerrilla gardening," Yousef said. "It's very much, 'Do it and then ask for forgiveness.'"

Once the project was complete, Yousef contacted local aldermen Daniel La Spata and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa to get the seal of approval.

"They were happy with it. There was no pushback," Yousef said. "If you communicate your intentions and show your work, people are going to want to join."

Like many other examples of guerrilla gardening, this story shows what a difference just a handful of people can make by taking direct action in their neighborhoods. They have made a clear, visible improvement that benefits everyone around them, and all it took was a little bit of time and a small group effort.