Social interaction

The Street Office (Gatukontoret) and VA Syd rebuilt Fjärilsparken (The butterfly park) in Bunkeflostrand (Malmö). For the shallow stream that runs through the park the slopes of the dikes have been made flat, meadow vegetation and wetland-plants planted in the wetlands. An area east of the park was built with houses and stormwater was managed in new ways (ref. 1). Opening the park up to the sea, flower beds were planted for richer plant and wildlife, butterfly-attracting plants were planted, lighting for safety was installed and areas with benches and bridges were created (ref. 1).

"Micro-flowering are participative urban gardening projects that allow the vegetation of streets by small plantations of annuals and perennials, vegetable and ornamental, in the municipal public space. Generally, it is a matter of developing a mineral surface on the municipal surface of the city by planting pockets. These are then maintained by the inhabitants who requested micro-flowering. Micro-flowering is a place of sharing and conviviality that allows the inhabitants to be actors of their neighborhood" (Ref. 1). In 2018, formalized 'greening permits' were launched. In this system, micro-flowering permits are requested by residents and "The municipal agents come to drill the concrete of the sidewalks and the City provides the plants" (Ref. 9 and 11).

The program aims to change gray urban courtyards into friendly places - the green oasis for neighborhood meetings and resting areas. Small project proposals developed by the housing associations for the revitalization/transformation of courtyards from all over the city compete for co-funding (up to 75%) from the city council. Many projects (over 86 by the year 2015) have been funded and implemented since the beginning of the initiative in 2008.(1)(2)

The Anfield Regeneration project was founded in 2013 with the aim to improve the area and its neglected housing stocks. It was set up by the Liverpool council and the Liverpool Foot Club, along with developers Your Housing Group and Keepmoat. The activities include the development of new and refurbished housing, the development of a new public square including commercial and retail premises, a revitalised high street and the expansion of Anfield Stadium (Reference 6) . It also includes the creation of public spaces and selective garden extensions in the area following the demolition of a number of derelict homes (Reference 1).
The partnership has stated that more than 600 new homes have been built, with 600 existing properties refurbished. The project aims to create 1000 new homes and is scheduled to be completed in 2020 (Reference 6, 8).

‘Odla i stan’ aims to spread and develop urban farming in a long-term and sustainable manner with residents, associations, property owners and city administrations. The company also works with educational farming at schools and in Malmö Museums (Malmö Museer). Furthermore, “urban farming is an excellent method for increasing social community while providing self-produced food. ‘Odla i stan’ works to organize and coordinate organic farming in the urban environment.” This is done by only working with organic methods and trying to use only local resources.
(ref. 1, 3)

"Since August 2004, the city of Montpellier has allowed residents to rent plots of garden, called "Les jardins Familiaux"(family gardens). The first plots were located in the Mosson district, but in view of the success of this operation, the city decided to open additional gardens at the Grands Grès site in the Port Marianne district, then at the Rieucoulon in the Croix- Money. The enthusiasts of green spaces can thus indulge in the pleasure of gardening in family thanks to these brackets of greenery. They grow vegetables and fruit as they please"(Ref. 1). Seventeen gardens (as of August 3, 2020) are located in different areas across the city (Ref. 6). "These gardens are urban planning tools favoring the social bond and the preservation of biodiversity and the urban landscape, for the gardeners interviewed these are essentially places of nature and well-being in the city"(Ref. 4)

Organic Without Borders (OWB) is an NGO (ideell förening) that works to develop and support methods for a sustainable future anywhere in the world. The NGO develops methods through socio-ecological city farming and working pedagogically with children and adults and their relationship to food and farming in Sweden and other countries (ref.1).

The rooftop garden of Nádor 15 was implemented as part of the sustainable campus development strategy of the Central European University. It contains a community garden that is managed by the CEU community, intensive green roofs and green walls as well. The rooftop garden also collects water for it's automatic irrigation system and supports biodiversity with bat shelters, bee hotels and birdhouses. (Reference 1)

The project refers to the development of a vacant plot to create a social garden. Activities and plans implemented included: planting greenery, creating flower meadows and flowerbeds, common flowers planting by citizens, common vegetable growing area and a greenhouse, recreational area (hammock, trampolines, field games, sun loungers and sofas for recreation), cultural zone (outdoor cinema, exhibition space), workshop area (for artistic, ecological and sports workshops), canteen area (open-air kitchen, outdoor bar, communal dining space). The garden was open for the public between 2016 and 2018.(1)(4)

The Nature Island Pennenfeld-Bonn ("Naturinsel Pennenfeld") is a community garden project of the Lebensqualität im Alter - LeA (Quality of Life in Old Age) Association, the District Management (QM) of Pennenfeld and the municipal housing company VEBOWAG (9). The project started in 2012 and its aim was the transformation of a 1,800 sqm large tree-lined lawn area (9). The lawn was to be transformed into a park-like natural community garden for recreation where elderly residents have more opportunity to experience nature, while at the same time it is a place of encounter that promotes social stability by encouraging all other residents to get engaged in the planning, implementation and maintenance processes (1,3,9). Besides enhancing the quality of life for residents and elderly people living with dementia, other project objectives were to foster and increase the local biodiversity as well as to strengthen community building and mutual support in the neighbourhood (2).