Enhancing urban nature and place-making in social housing through community gardening

Urban Farm DB summary

A study examining the Community Greening program run by the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australia, for the past two decades, at six new community gardens built in social housing communities in New South Wales. It used focus group interviews with residents and questionnaires with program staff. Participant narratives showed the gardens function as sites for knowledge generation and connection to nature, for building a sense of community, and for improving residents' sense of pride and public perceptions of public housing. The findings suggest community gardens enhance green infrastructure and support place-making in social housing estates and their surrounding areas, and the study concludes with recommendations for policies and practices addressing social and environmental sustainability priorities in social housing.