Although there are thousands of community gardens across North America, only Seattle and a few other cities, include them in their urban development plans. While the conditions and experiences in Seattle may be unique, the city's programs offer insights and lessons for other cities and communities. "Greening Cities, Growing Communities" examines: planning and design strategies that support the development of urban community gardens as sustainable places for education and recreation; approaches to design process, construction, and stewardship that use volunteer and community participation and create a sense of community; programs that enable gardens to serve as a resource for social justice for low-income and minority communities, immigrants, and seniors; and, opportunities to develop active-living frameworks through the location of community gardens and linkages with other forms of recreation and open space as part of pedestrian-accessible networks. "Greening Cities, Growing Communities" focuses on cases of community gardens in Seattle where there has been a strong network of knowledge and resources.These case studies reveal the capacity of community gardens to serve larger community issues, such as community food security; urban ecosystem health; demonstration of sustainable gardening and building practices; active living and pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods; and equity concerns. The authors also examine how landscape architecture, planning, and allied design professionals can better interact in the making of these unique urban open spaces, and how urban community gardens offer opportunities for professionals to have a more prominent role in community activism and urban sustainability. "The Landscape Architecture Foundation's Land and Community Design Case Study Series" consists of analytical publications by contemporary scholars and practitioners about topical issues and actual places in which design offers holistic solutions to economic, social, and environmental challenges. The series provides a legacy of rigorous, in-depth research and critical thinking to advance enlightened planning and development in the classroom, in practice, and in policy. Jeffrey Hou and Julie M. Johnson are associate professors of landscape architecture at the University of Washington. Laura J.Lawson is associate professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.