A place of exchange (community building)
People connect across generations and walks of life
Farms are nodes where people connect across generations and circumstances. The everyday exchange through plots and events helps dissolve isolation and build community.
555 related cases
Cases where this shows up
Community Gardens of Israel (Tel Aviv-Yafo)
ILTel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
A network of community gardens spreading across Tel Aviv and Israel where residents grow organic vegetables together, reviving a lost sense of neighbourly sharing and fostering more sustainable living. Gardens in poorer neighbourhoods are supported by several civic organisations and serve as places of social inclusion.
communitygardensisrael.org+1
Seseragi Community Garden (Machi no Namagomi Ikashi-tai)
JPHino, Japan
A community garden in Hino City, Tokyo, started by citizens who believe 'kitchen waste is a treasure.' It collects and composts the kitchen waste of around 200 households and grows vegetables and flowers pesticide-free as a food-cycle garden. Naomi Shimpo studied its management and governance in detail in her 2021 and 2024 papers.
acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com+3
Minna no Uen PARK Minatogawa
JPKobe, Hyogo, Japan
A social-experiment site (opened 2022) on about 1,540 sqm of idle UR land in Minatogawa, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, regenerated as a rental farm plus open park space, with about one third as farm and the rest as park.
minnanouen.jp+2
Ortoalto Le Fonderie Ozanam (OrtiAlti Rooftop Garden)
ITTurin, Italy
A 150 m² community roof garden created on a former factory building in Turin, directly linked to the restaurant below. As the first 'ortoalto' (elevated garden), it demonstrates a model for regenerating unused urban rooftops as places of food production, employment and neighbourhood exchange, and is referenced in Italy and abroad as an approach to rooftop-led urban regeneration.
torinosocialimpact.it+2
KOKOZA – Community Gardens & Composting, Prague
CZPrague, Czechia
A Prague social enterprise turning unused urban land into community gardens and composting hubs, spreading composting and gardening among citizens, businesses and government while offering work and inclusion to people with mental illness.
inherit.eu+2
Sydenham Garden
GBLondon, United Kingdom
A community resource in the London Borough of Lewisham for better mental health. In its green spaces people grow and cook food and make art together, a leading social-prescribing site supporting recovery and empowerment.
centreformentalhealth.org.uk+1
Supporting research
“My little piece of the planet”: the multiplicity of well-being benefits from allotment gardening
This study investigated the well-being benefits of urban horticulture in allotments in the United Kingdom. 163 volunteers in England and Wales kept a year-long allotment diary, and unprompted comments from 96 of these gardeners were analyzed. Participants recorded high levels of social and community activities, including sharing surplus food, knowledge exchange, interaction with wildlife, emotional connection to their allotment, appreciation of time spent outdoors, and aesthetic delight in the natural world.
Miriam C. Dobson, Christian Reynolds, Philip H. Warren et al. · 2020 · British Food Journal
Community gardens as local learning environments in social housing contexts: participant perceptions of enhanced wellbeing and community connection
A mixed-methods study of 42 social-housing residents across six new community garden sites in Sydney. Participants reported greater health and wellbeing awareness, new interest in growing fresh food, shared produce and recipes, happiness, and frequent socialization and community connectedness.
Gray T., Tracey D., Truong S. et al. · 2022 · Local Environment, 27(5):570-585
Urban agriculture, civil interfaces and moving beyond difference: the experiences of plot holders in Dublin and Belfast
This comparative study of plot holders in Dublin and Belfast shows that allotment gardens can act as 'spaces of potential' where shared gardening dissolves social differences and fosters intergenerational knowledge exchange. The authors argue that urban agriculture sites function as civic interfaces bridging community divides.
Corcoran M.P., Kettle P.C. · 2015 · Local Environment
Role of Creative Classes in Community Restructuring through Urban Agriculture:Case Study from Shanghai, China
Rapid urbanization in China has weakened urban communities, making community restructuring an important issue. In Shanghai, urban agriculture initiatives like community gardens and rooftop farms are increasing, emphasizing social functions such as resident exchanges. While these new types of urban agriculture are promoted by social entrepreneurs, few studies have focused on the relationships between the creative class and communities in urban agriculture.
Yingjie Ge, Lily Kiminam, Shinichi Furuzawa · 2023 · Studies in Regional Science