Eviction from paradise: Lived experience, psycho-social and health effects of allotment garden loss

Urban Farm DB summary

This mixed-methods study examined the experience and effects of allotment garden loss among gardeners in Zurich, Switzerland, using field conversations with gardeners from an area slated for clearance and a natural experiment surveying the same gardener population before (2018) and after (2019) the clearance to measure effects on social networks, social support, and general and mental health. Qualitative analysis showed the (imminent) loss of the garden was a distressing experience for most participants, corroborated by descriptive survey results; ANCOVA models of the quantitative data supported a negative effect of garden loss on the number of social contacts and on emotional well-being, but not on other factors measured.