PER.KA (Peri-urban Cultivators, Thessaloniki)
Thessaloniki, Greece · Operator: PER.KA（市民ボランティアによる自主管理の耕作者集団）
Overview
A self-managed peri-urban cultivation project begun by citizens reclaiming an abandoned former military camp in post-crisis Thessaloniki. Regarded as one of Greece's most active citizen-led urban-farming initiatives, it demonstrates community agency against the privatisation of land.
Citizen participation
Started in 2011 when about 30 families settled on an abandoned former military camp, protesting its privatisation and break-up, to grow their own food. Run on principles of collegiality, self-management and equality, volunteers tend plots individually or collectively under a shared charter of organic (in places biodynamic) cultivation.
Operating model
A non-commercial, volunteer-run and self-managed form of urban farming, sustained by member contributions and shared labour, with harvests used by the cultivators themselves.
Impact
Turned abandoned land into a shared space of food and greenery through citizen effort, modelling self-managed, organic urban farming and drawing scholarly attention as a case that challenges planning culture toward more democratic urban development.
Land tenure
Informal, provisional use: citizens occupy and cultivate an abandoned former military site without formal title.
Crops
- 野菜
- 豆類
- ハーブ
- 果樹
Scale
テッサロニキ・パヴロス・メラス地区の旧カラタソウ軍用地（約70ha）の一部、約16haを市民が再生。7つの自主運営菜園に130区画超が広がる
Sources（2）
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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