Provision of land

An urban garden on a private citizen's terrace in the city of Aix en Provence, has been created with the help of the organization "Pays d'Aix en Transition" working towards permaculture and urban gardening. The main objective of this urban garden is to produce vegetables and fruit for personal consumption, to install plants in a very urban environment, and use permaculture techniques. Another objective is to grow climbing plants to decorate the walls. (Ref.1 )

In order to improve the Indian Neighourhood, a 'ribbon' of multiple pocket parks was created that improves social cohesion and environmental quality. The area lacked social cohesion previous to the creation of the pocket parks and was faced with nuisance from addicts and drug dealers as they were involved in disturbing behaviour, vandalism and criminality (1,10). This created an unsafe environment for the inhabitants of the neighbourhood (1,5) In the stamp parks, social activities are organized and the green spaces are completely managed by citizens themselves. (1)

In 2014, a high school in the center of Craiova decided to transform a part of its space into a vegetable garden, National Pedagogical College "Stefan Velovan". The initiative is the only one implemented in the region and aims not only at teaching children about the benefits of bio food but also aims to save consumption costs (1, 3).

The Garden Janine (formerly called Jardin Nouveau) group is participating in the "Aix en Transition" initiative, which wants to increase food and energy resilience in order to better prepare for the future. This group initiated and supported the establishment of a vegetable garden benefiting homeless people, hosted in the Humanitarian Division of the "Jas de Bouffan" district (Ref. 1). A garden was previously cultivated on the area, but had become dilapidated. In 2019, much of the area was repurposed as an orchard as the vegetable garden was deemed to require too much continual presence/labour (Ref. 6).

The Gar'den is a Provencal garden and a vegetable garden of permaculture, both a relaxing space and a participatory garden. Indeed, everyone will be invited to participate in the life of this Gar'den, common good to protect. Young and older will be able to discover the Provencal vegetable treasures and relax in a space devoted to the sharing of goods and knowledge. (Ref. 11)

Derelict flats are replaced by an oasis (including flowers and fine art) on the Aysgarth estate, creating a "long-waited community haven". A community garden was officially opened to "create an area of much-needed green space". (Ref. 1) The project aimed to create a garden that the whole community could enjoy. (Ref. 1)

Community Garden Trompenburg was initiated by one citizen who mobilized his neighbours to create a garden in which organic crops can grow. The garden promotes social cohesion and equity within the neighbourhood because citizens, as well as disadvantaged groups and children, work together on the maintenance of the garden. Furthermore, sustainable food production is promoted and taught to interested parties in the form of workshops. (1,3,7)

After its abandonment by the British military in 2012, the development of a new utilization concept and plan for the former military base in Gremmendorf was encouraged by the city’s planning department. Intensive citizen participation efforts were identified and ideas conceptualized, followed by an architectural competition based on which the spatial development plan was elaborated. The plan, which is currently being developed further by the winning architecture bureaus in coordination with the spatial development authority, intends the development of an attractive living quarter as a "garden town" with several green and sustainable drainage elements (Ref. 1 and 5).

Wakefield Council is "responsible for managing over 2650 acres of grass in parks and countryside areas across the Wakefield district (this includes cutting the grass)". Since 2015, there are small areas where "the grass is being left to grow" naturally for environmental benefits. (Ref. 1) The objective of the project by leaving derelict some grass areas are that "the environmental benefits of leaving some grass to grow naturally include encouraging wild flowers to grow which will support bees and other insects, and aiding drainage to reduce flood risk" (Ref 1).

Urban gardening or gardening in the city is a form of agriculture that is about more than just producing food: community gardens involves also social, cultural and political components. It's about actively participating in urban development, creating new living spaces or making a contribution to biological diversity (ref. 3). The campus garden on a surface area of 1,200 sqm provided by the university was created by a group of students in 2013. It is open every day to everyone interested in gardening and serves as a place for recreation and exchange for students of different disciplines and citizens. Apart from herbs, vegetables and fruits, also flowers are planted. Seeds and materials used as plant beds, such as tires or rice bags are often donated from the city or local businesses (ref. 3 and 4).