1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Belgrade (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Baštalište Short description of the intervention Baštalište is an organic community garden initiative located in the town of Slanci, some 20 minutes from the city centre of Belgrade (Ref. 3). It is one of the first initiatives of its kind in Serbia, emerging after organizations such as WWOOF Serbia and the Belgrade Flower Festival, along with activists and citizens, united with the goal of growing vegetables for their own needs. Additionally, they aimed to highlight the numerous neglected and abandoned urban spaces in the city that could be repurposed in this manner (Ref.1). Even though more and more people would like to join Baštalište, the community has been struggling to grow beyond their original plot of 1800 m2, shared between some 30 people of mixed demographics (Ref. 3). They have turned to the municipality to provide more such spaces for urban community gardening but their appeals bear little success (Ref. 2,3). Despite their spatial constraints, the initiative remains open to anyone who would like to visit and help while being financed by membership fees (Ref. 1,2,3). The initiative hopes to eventually scale this type of activity, drawing inspiration from the example of Zagreb, where over 2,000 garden communities were established within 2.5 years after the city decided to repurpose its neglected areas (Ref. 2). Website of the intervention https://www.agromedia.rs/agro-teme/organska-proizvodnja/bastaliste-svi-urbani-p… Principal problems Land use and Socio-economic change Unequal availability and access to public green spaces Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Disconnection from nature Other Please specify other principal problem Land Abandonment and Neglected Space Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Agricultural Address Slanci Serbia Location Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place Area boundary (map-based) Total area 1800.00m² NBS area 1800.00m² Area description Periurban (both urban and rural environments are present) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Vacant or abandoned land Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) unknown Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2013 End date of the intervention 2014 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention Goal 1: Turning neglected (urban) spaces into community gardens (Ref. 1,2,3) Goal 2: Creating closer human-human and human-nature relationships (Ref 2,4) Goal 3: Spread awareness and educate on community gardening (Ref. 2,3) Goal 4: Taking steps towards food autonomy/self-sufficiency to improve food security (Ref. 1,3,4) Goal 5: Promote community and urban gardening towards municipal authorities to provide more spaces for such projects and officially recognize their activities (Ref. 1,2,3) Goal 6: Being open to anyone who likes to visit or participate (Ref. 1,2,3) Goal 7: Improve physical health by provding organic and nutrious food and activities around gardening (Ref. 2,4) Key Priorities Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Health and well-being (SDG 3) Enabling opportunities for physical activity Improving physical health Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social interaction Environmental education Sense of community and community engagement Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12) Sustainable production Food scarcity / security Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities - Clear the plot for planting over a two-month period and plant the first seeds to prepare the garden for cultivation (Ref. 2). - Divide the garden into smaller units of approximately 40 square meters, allowing each member to have their own individual plot. (Ref. 2) - Launch a public call for members at the beginning of each season, inviting anyone interested to apply for a garden plot. (Ref. 3) - Establish a waiting list to manage demand. (Ref. 3) - Provide members with access to garden plots, tools, water, an irrigation system, and a selection of seeds and seedlings to support their gardening efforts. (Ref. 3) - Participate in festivals such as the Belgrade Flower Festival to raise awareness and share insights and experiences from the community (Ref. 1, 2). - Organize workshops on-site that are open to the public, regardless of membership in the gardening community, to promote knowledge sharing. (Ref. 3) - Advocate to municipal authorities for the creation of additional urban gardening spaces (Ref. 3). - Organize annual calls to action in the garden, welcoming new members and fostering community engagement each year (Ref. 1). Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments) Transformation of previously derelict areas Transformation of vacant land into green spaces Knowledge creation and awareness raising Sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security (eg. community- based wildlife or forest management) Educational and awareness raising programs 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Community gardens and allotments Community gardens Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables) Medicinal resources Regulating services Pollination Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area unknown Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches Citizens or community groups Primary Beneficiaries Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital) Citizens or community groups Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners) Young people and children Specify primary beneficiaries "Volunteers from the city, WWOOFers , students of the local elementary school "Ivan Milutinović" and the residents of Slanac" (Ref. 5) "Now we finally have a wave of young people who recognize the importance of bringing food production to cities. In this way, they not only have quality and healthy vegetables for their own needs [...]" Marginalized groups Children, young people or youth groups Elderly people Women Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups "It is really difficult to make a profile of the average member of 'Baštalista', because we gather people who are from 7 to 77 years old. We have young, educated members, young moms and dads, children who come with them, middle-aged people, retirees... there really are no rules" (Ref. 3) Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Led by non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative "The garden was founded last winter by the organizations WWOOF Serbia and the Belgrade Flower Festival, eco-activists and enthusiasts with the desire that its members grow vegetables for their own needs" Key actors - initiating organization Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Unknown Stages of citizen and community engagement Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities) Development of project proposal Decision-making among different alternative plans On-the-ground implementation Feedback during project implementation (e.g. review sessions) Monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes Reporting and dissemination of project results Level of citizen and community engagement High Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Dissemination of information and education Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Co-management/Joint management Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Community & Social Groups Women or Women's groups Activist groups (e.g. climate, environment, justice, etc) Elderly population or elderly rights associations Public Services Schools Land owners No information found Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy No NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan No NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan No Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation Governace and decison-making instruments Unknown Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers The initiative has been struggling to expand and accept new members since it has grown in popularity; as such, they have been looking to receive more plots from the city with little success so far. The municipality's general lack of recognition of community gardens is a mayor bottleneck to scale the activities. (Ref. 2-3) Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) unknown What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? unknown Source(s) of funding Private funding by citizens Type of fund(s) used Membership or entrance fees Other funding types are unknown Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of goods Provision of labour Provision of expertise Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Local stewardship model Vacant space model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) Citizens / local communities 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Restoration of derelict areas Achieved restoration of derelict areas Please specify other economic impact Reduced cost in household spending, especially vegetables Description of environmental benefits - Green space and habitat: "Only 9 km from the center of Belgrade, on a plot of 1800 m2 around 30 men and women from Belgrade grow vegetables for their own needs" (Ref. 3) - Increased number of species present: "Until now, the members of this garden community have harvested onions, potatoes, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, corn, chicory, melons, watermelons, various herbs and medicinal plants from their plots" (Ref.1) - Restoration of derelict areas: "turning weedy fields into garden communities." (Ref. 2) Environmental impact indicators Green space area created (in ha) 0,18 Economic impacts Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not) Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not) Other Description of economic benefits - Generation of another type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation): "For this we receive help from volunteers from the city, WWOOFers , students of the local elementary school "Ivan Milutinović" and the residents of Slanac." (Ref. 5) - Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not): "It is about a group of urban people from the city environment who want to produce food for their own needs" (Ref. 3) -Other: " [...] and even such a small, micro-business contributes to the household budget" (Ref. 2) Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved social cohesion Achieved improved social cohesion Improved liveability Achieved improved liveability Improved access to urban green space Achieved improved access to urban green space Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples Achieved increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples Increased opportunities for social interaction Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Increased access to healthy/affordable food Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food Increased sustainability of agriculture practices Achieved increased sustainability of agriculture practices Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise Cultural heritage and sense of place Improvement in people’s connection to nature Achieved improvement in people’s connection to nature Education Increased knowledge of locals about local nature Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits Achieved increased awareness of NBS and their benefits Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) 0,18 Area allocated for sustainable food production (ha) 0,18 Description of social and cultural benefits -Improved social cohesion: [...] group of people in which they help each other, we also grew some seeds that we can now share. That life in the shared garden is something priceless [...]. (Ref. 1) -Improved liveability: " I think it raised the quality of life for all of us" (Ref. 1) -Improved access to urban green space: "That's why everyone who is interested can come to the 'Garden' and spend an afternoon with us, learn something, help with garden work [...]" (Ref.3) -Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples: "It is really difficult to make a profile of the average member of 'Baštalista', because we gather people who are from 7 to 77 years old . We have young, educated members, young moms and dads, children who come with them, middle-aged people, retirees... there really are no rules" (Ref. 3) -Increased opportunities for social interaction: " Baštaliste also means a change in the way of life, closer human connections and contact with nature that is missing in the city" (Ref. 2), "At the same time, all generations of the city's population get the opportunity [...] to socialize during that time" -Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: "We currently have a plot of land that is divided into 22 smaller gardens and we gather around 30 members." (Ref. 3) -Increased access to healthy/affordable food: "It is easier to bear the costs of food production and they get healthy foods that are not easily available in the city." (Ref. 3) -Improvement in people’s connection to nature: " Baštaliste also means a change in the way of life, closer human connections and contact with nature that is missing in the city" (Ref.2) -Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: At the same time, all generations of the city's population get the opportunity to engage in physical activity [...]. (Ref. 1) -Increased knowledge of locals about local nature: "In addition to the members of the colony, experts in organic production participate in the maintenance of the garden through mentoring and advisory work [...]" (Ref. 1) "For this we receive help from volunteers from the city, WWOOFers , students of the local elementary school "Ivan Milutinović" and the residents of Slanac." (Ref. 5) -Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits: "How to popularize food growing and urban gardening in Belgrade is the topic discussed at the fourth Belgrade Flower Festival [...].On that occasion, the results of the "Baštalište" project [...], were presented." (Ref. 1) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned The NBS has informed policy and regulatory processes Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Nezavisno Domacinstvo (n.d.). Baštalište – Beogradska Bašta - Organska Oaza . Accessed on August 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Al Jazeera (2014). Baštalište – poljoprivreda u srcu Beograda. Accessed on August 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Organska Proizvodnja (2016). Baštalište – svi urbani poljoprivrednici na jednom mestu!. Accessed on August 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Ama - Centar za negu čoveka i prirode · (n.d.). Baštalište. Accessed on August 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Prvi Prvi Na Skali (2014). Baštalište - Slanci, Beograd. Accessed on August 14, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Garden View with Plots https://www.agromedia.rs/agro-teme/organska-proizvodnja/bastaliste-svi-urbani-poljoprivrednici-na-jednom-mestu/ Image Bastaliste sign https://www.agromedia.rs/agro-teme/organska-proizvodnja/bastaliste-svi-urbani-poljoprivrednici-na-jednom-mestu/
Image Garden View with Plots https://www.agromedia.rs/agro-teme/organska-proizvodnja/bastaliste-svi-urbani-poljoprivrednici-na-jednom-mestu/
Image Bastaliste sign https://www.agromedia.rs/agro-teme/organska-proizvodnja/bastaliste-svi-urbani-poljoprivrednici-na-jednom-mestu/
