Food as a public service for people and pollinators: evidence-based insights from regenerative placemaking in New Zealand—the Waharoa living lab
Bárbara Ribeiro, David E. Pattemore, A. B. Morris, Leo Baldwin-Ramult, Daniel Exeter
Journal of Urbanism International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability
Urban Farm DB summary
An action research project in Waharoa, New Zealand, transformed a former bowling green into a public, edible landscape. This 400 m2 Living Lab (LL) involved multi-stakeholder cooperation (government, community, and academia), and participants perceived benefits as transition pathways to more nutritious dietary choices, health education, and reduced criminality in a socially deprived region. Analyses of interviews, observations, and pollinator surveys conducted at the LL confirmed that 14 visiting species were drawn to the site, leading to an approach to regenerative placemaking that combines human health and biodiversity benefits.