The role of community gardens in achieving UNSDG 11, Target 7: safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces

Urban Farm DB summary

Drawing on interviews with participants across several types of community gardens in Australia, this paper examines how community gardens can contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 Target 7, providing universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces. Applying a broader definition of "inclusive" than the target currently suggests, it finds that community gardens improve the inclusivity and activation of public spaces through their design features, governance, and community involvement, contributing to Target 11.7. Community involvement in design and governance, secure land tenure, well-chosen locations, and sufficient resourcing were identified as factors improving gardens' ability to meet the target. Developing additional indicators to measure progress toward the target is identified as an area for further research.