Initiative for community gardens

Due to various pollution factors, the upcoming climate crisis and uncontrolled investor urbanism that threaten the green infrastructure and public space of Belgrade, the quality of life in the city is declining and the need for new solutions is emerging. The trend of increasing traffic and areas of construction land, while reducing and neglecting green areas, is a long-term threat to the health of children and citizens of Belgrade. With the desire to influence public policies in the field of urbanism, through strategies and plans dealing with the development of the city of Belgrade at the macro and micro level, the project "Initiatives for urban garden communities" continues after a two-year break and brings a series of new activities. We believe that creating a favorable framework for the formation of urban garden communities would contribute to the fight against climate change, environmental protection and the development and strengthening of social structures in local communities.

The formation of a system of urban garden communities in many cities of the world is recognized as one of the tools for development and sustainable management of urban spaces, but also as a means to provide food sources at the local level and achieve microclimatic, social and economic benefits. Urban garden communities are open areas where individuals or groups grow plants of their choice. They exist in most European cities and have numerous socially useful purposes, such as physical and social rehabilitation, opportunities for work and employment of economically vulnerable population strata, animation of elderly citizens and enabling all generations to pursue healthy hobbies in horticulture, gardening and vegetable growing. Such places have both historical and cultural value and often become popular picnic areas with additional facilities and an accessible source of healthy food. The application of good European models of the system of urban garden communities would improve the quality of life in Belgrade, as well as the process of adaptation to climate change. For these reasons, this project seeks to contribute to the functional use of non-purpose public and private areas while reducing pollution factors and negative climate impacts, to accelerate the development of the local green economy and strengthen the potential of citizens and relevant professions as agents of change in their community.

Through field research, Ekonaut found out that over 100 hectares of open public areas in Belgrade, including public and private land, are used for informal cultivation of vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants. Some of them, near the apartment blocks of New Belgrade, Karaburma, Banjica, Bežanijska kosa, Košutnjak and many other neighborhoods, have existed for decades. Current users of informal garden communities in Belgrade often face a number of problems due to their unregulated status when they want to improve the areas they cultivate. Such garden communities do not have the appropriate infrastructure and organization needed for their functioning, so they are often a place for dumping construction debris and garbage, illegal construction and communal litter, and with little investment they could be city oases and gathering places for the local community.

Ekonaut has been working on presenting and researching the concept of garden communities for years, by organizing public events, presenting examples of good practice from abroad and encouraging the establishment of two garden communities in Belgrade. In this cycle, together with our partners, we will focus on specific public policies and through cooperation with experts and citizens contribute to the realization of a system solution for managing areas that are not correctly used, but can have numerous benefits for local communities and the city as a whole. Although the project takes place in Belgrade, initiatives from other cities in Serbia that could benefit from these activities and that we would support and establish cooperation are also welcome.

The project anticipates active participation of citizens through their education and informing about the concept of garden communities and direct involvement in project activities. One of such activities will be a public call for citizens to get involved in mapping potential spaces for garden communities in the territory of Belgrade. These can be public or private areas that citizens already use for growing plants or beekeeping, as well as locations that have the potential to be used this way, but are currently neglected or scruffy.

In this project, within a year, Ekonaut plans a series of educational activities related to growing ornamental plants and food in urban conditions, as well as ways of forming and organizing garden communities in order to empower local communities and individuals to influence the arrangement of green areas in their environment. The project pays special attention to the inclusion of formal and informal civic initiatives that have already gathered around solving local problems related to the arrangement and use of public areas in local communities.

The project "Initiative for Garden Communities" is implemented within the project of the Belgrade Open School "Green Incubator", with financial support from the European Union and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The content of this site does not necessarily reflect the views of donors or the Belgrade Open School, and "Ekonaut" is solely responsible for it.