The initial vision and development of The Urban Oasis began in 2015 as a concerted effort by residents of the Panway community to address issues of blight, drug dealing, dumping and depravity that had affected both the physical environment as well as the social and emotional culture of the neighborhood. The thought behind the creation of the organization was that the cultural climate of the community could be made to match the standards and expectations of its residents through the implementation of programming centered around the arts, education, health and technology, while also providing a safe community space to facilitate these programs. To date, The Urban Oasis has been successful in removing blight that has plagued the Panway community for over 20 years, has successfully entered into a lease agreement with the City of Baltimore to gate the four entrances to their alley (one of the largest successful undertakings of the Department of Transportation's Alley Gating and Greening Office), has served as a standard and model for active and engaged minority neighborhoods in Baltimore City, and has begun the process of uniting and giving a voice to their community through community events and fundraising initiatives. This has all been accomplished with the support of city officials, prominent city agencies, surrounding community organizations, and successful local partnerships. But, what has made the efforts of The Urban Oasis truly come to fruition has been the tremendous support of the residents of its community who, in spite of the hardships they had seen unfolding around them, made the decision to fashion their environment and quality of life to match the strength and beauty of their vision.