Collective urban gardens: growing, learning and fostering social engagement

Urban Farm DB summary

Case studies of collective gardens in Québec City, Canada, and Madrid, Spain, operating for approximately ten years, showed that urban gardening practices offer learning opportunities extending beyond gardening itself into collective decision-making and social engagement. These gardens are sites of social processes where gardeners develop a strong identity related to alternative lifestyles and a sense of belonging that connects them to nature beyond the garden's boundaries. Gardeners learn that neighborhood-oriented actions have political implications that can help change the city.