Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2026·Hungary (Budapest)

Community gardens as locally embedded nature-based solutions: a comparative study of Budapest and Turin

Luca Battisti, Adrienne Csizmady, Federico Cuomo, Luca Kristóf, Boldizsár Megyesi

Sustainability Science Practice and Policy

Urban Farm DB summary

This study examined how community gardens in Budapest and Turin function as locally embedded nature-based solutions (NbS) through the everyday practices of urban residents. Based on a qualitative analysis of 47 semi-structured interviews conducted in five gardens in Budapest and two in Turin, findings showed that gardeners practice NbS-aligned approaches. Socially, they foster well-being, inclusion, and community cohesion; technically, they adapt to resource constraints through low-tech experimentation and collaborative problem-solving; and ecologically, they support biodiversity, soil regeneration, and microclimate regulation through organic cultivation and composting.