Urban gardening has been widely promoted as a strategy for improving the food security of people in inner cities, particularly in low income areas. This study evaluates the nutritional, social and economic contributions of the Philadelphia Urban Gardening Project, one of the country's largest urban gardens. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension and the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, the project involves 560 sites and nearly 5,000 families, including the urban poor, the elderly and diverse ethnic groups.