Lucie Lee Lanoux

Barren Land is Transformed into Welcoming Park

Lucie Lee Lanoux lives across the street from a triangular piece of land sandwiched between busy streets. She has watched with pleasure as the little-used parkland has been transformed into an inviting play space shaded and bordered by trees. It is now “a huge part of our quality of life,” says Lucie Lee.

With grant dollars from the Alabama Forestry Commission to purchase trees and with help from residents and other supporters, declining cedars have been replaced with a diverse assortment of shade and ornamental trees. “These trees are growing into a great noise and visual buffer for the neighborhood,” says Lucie Lee. She adds, “It’s a great entrance to the neighborhood.” Montgomery’s city forestry program has demonstrated commitment not only to planting trees in the park, but also for their care. Lucie Lee is among those who recognize this as an important component of success. “The key is having someone like a qualified forester or arborist and the support of the city,” she says. With such support, hot, unusable spaces can be made into places that raise the quality of life for urban residents of all ages.

Read More Stories