Jefferson Parish is a primarily urban environment which borders Lake Pontchartrain. Stormwater enters the parish's collection system and is ultimately pumped to Lake Pontchartrain. While Jefferson Parish is in full compliance with its MS4 permit for stormwater quality, further actions can be taken to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff generated by the parish and improve the quality of stormwater runoff. As an urban environment, Jefferson Parish has under-utilized properties, such as paved areas, lawns and empty lots that foster no commercial, residential or industrial uses. The parish needs to develop an urban gardening program to educate residents and businesses how they can better utilize their under-utilized properties for urban gardening and agriculture practices that will increase green space, reduce stormwater runoff, and improve the quality of storm water runoff. Jefferson Parish received a grant from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program to promote and cultivate a community urban gardening initiative within Jefferson Parish. Local industry leaders will be engaged for participation in an educational program, which will educate residents on how they can safely utilize existing spaces within the urban environment for successful urban gardening practices. Residents will be educated on the use of space, soil, stormwater and regulations for urban gardening and agriculture. The objective is that more residents and businesses will adopt urban gardening practices, resulting in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and organic food sources, the use of under-utilized urban land and the protection and preservation of the quality of stormwater that enters the waterways. Ultimately, the project will improve stormwater quality within the Lake Pontchartrain Basin by reducing stormwater runoff and increasing the quality of water that does runoff.