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.