Vacant space model

The Willowbank Community Garden is a council-maintained recreational area consisting of both turfed and concreted areas and waist raised beds, edged by some shrubs and trees. It is a small space (460 sqm.) but offers a variety of growing environments. The site is located within the residential community of Willowbank Crescent, easily accessible from Woodlands Road and a five-minute walk away from the Glasgow University main buildings. Local schools are also in close proximity. The place offers locally grown foods with aesthetics and contributes to urban green space. In 2012, it won "Keep Scotland Beautiful" Award (Ref 2).

"The garden was created in 2012 with the Parenthesis Association. The association closed in 2015. In January 2016 a group of gardeners decided to create a new association to continue their garden, that is when the gardens of Fontgiève were born. In the garden one discusses, one shares, one exchanges, one helps one, one gives oneself advice. The garden produces much more than vegetables and fruits; Ideas germinate there, sharing them is collective intelligence" (Ref.1).

This is a project of regeneration of an abandoned small garden in the centre of Napoli, with the plantation of plants typical of the Mediterranean area. The new 400 sqm garden was developed by the Servizio Arredo Urbano of the city of Napoli. The regeneration process was persistently asked by the citizens of the surrounding area which were looking for an improvement of the area. In addition, the garden hosts a new playground for kids, and by consequence, it is considered a new spot for recreational activities. (Ref.1.)

In Frankfurt, the "Gallus Garden" is a community garden built in 2016, which not only impresses with its 1000 m2 size but also reflects the cultural diversity in the district (4). The garden was initiated by the Kinder im Zentrum Gallus association in collaboration with the Gallus neighbourhood management with the help of many sponsors and donors such as the Open Space Office and Deutsche Bank (4). The garden consists of two areas with raised bed for families, kindergarten groups and individuals to cultivate their food there, while a third area is for community events with fruit trees. The aim of the Gallus Garden is to create a community place where old and new residents of the area get together, can share knowledge and spend time in nature (4,8).

A part refurbishment of a classic 1930’s building, the design of the Leeds Greenhouse embraces the history of the building. Along with rooftop wind turbines, solar panels, ground source heating, there are NBS advantages to the property, including central rain and greywater management facilities that support everyday living and working. It also installs nearby allotments as well as on-site shared gardens to help strengthen both the sense of community and sustainable consumption. (1, 2, 3, 6) The building comprises 172 flats and 15,000 sq ft of office space. (7) Even though the project was completed in 2010, the residents came together in 2018 to add 250 hedge-plants to the complex. (13)

With the decline in industrial use, the grey harbour landscape of Frankfurt am Main became a habitat for rare plants. In 1986, the city council ordered transformation of the former industrial area into a public green space between the Main and the new residential area in the Ostend. The bright, spacious park with 2.1 ha surface was finished in 2000 (1) now welcoming locals for recreation and exercise while it also hosts a cultural summer festival and gives a home for local wall and fence lizards (1).

The aim of the project was to plant many varieties of vines on flood embankments of the southern tip of Ostrow Tumski on a stretch of 1 km. Grapes would be free of charge, as the idea of the project was to set up a community garden where the effects of the citizens’ work would be available long-term and publicly accessible [1]. In 2014 the project was in a pilot stage which resulted in a successful application for funds from the participatory budget in 2016. Despite the awarded money, the project has never been implemented, hence the applicants (Foundation “Vineyards of Poznan”) pressed charges against City Hall. Today, the project is still in the initial form from its pilot phase [9].

The project created a green recreational park in the family housing area, where there had been a lack of such facilities. The park contains a multifunctional sports pitch, open-air gym and a playground. Additionally, as the park is located next to the nature reserve ‘Żurawiniec’ it serves as a buffer zone for the reserve and mitigates the pressure caused by the proximity of the city [1].

The ‘100 trees’ project replanted empty spots where trees had grown but later were cut down in the Grunwald district of Poznan. It involved planting trees resistant to urban conditions and salinity in the places indicated by the project proposal – empty squares in a sidewalk, where trees were cut or withered. By re-planting the greenery the project enhanced the aesthetics of the district and the quality of life for its inhabitants [1].

The project revitalized beaches around three lakes near Poznan: Kierskie, Strzeszynskie, and Rusalka. Over 1000-ha of forest and three lakes located within the city borders make this a unique recreational area for the inhabitants of Poznan and its surroundings. The project aims to modernize the neglected beaches and build basic infrastructure and communication paths. The plans involved cleaning of the area, planting greenery, regulation of the lake beachline, introducing environmentally friendly solutions (e.g. solar lamps), open-air playgrounds and gyms, and renovation/installation of the new bridges over the lakes [1].