Urban gardening: foreign and Ukrainian examples

photo: Urban garden rooftop garden Promprylad.Renovation

Get to know the examples of foreign and Ukrainian urban gardening. Urban gardens are public spaces created for the purpose of growing fruits, vegetables, spices, and flowers. In addition, they can minimize problems related to the local heat island, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, social maladjustment, and low communication. This nature-based solution provides an opportunity to both engage in the production of healthy products and improve the microclimate and well-being of residents.

Ukrainian experience

1. City roof garden "Promprylad. Renovation" in Ivano-Frankivsk. This is an environmental project that aims to create a space for all stages of gardening, from growing healthy food to composting organic waste. A pilot version of the garden has now been launched, namely a small stand with vegetables and herbs. The RE:laboratory team is working on the project.

2. A vegetable garden in the middle of the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, which exists for 8 years for now. The City Garden project is run by the Kryvyi Rih Civic Initiative. A small piece of land in the park near the security guards' house is divided into two parts: the first one is home to fruit trees and bushes, and the second one is home to vegetables. Near the trees there is a board with a list of all the planted crops. Plants can be planted both on the land and in pots.

Foreign experience

1. Berlin's Himmelbeet urban garden. There are about 300 high garden beds on the territory, 180 of which are available for use by residents of the district. Representatives of social institutions and catering establishments also plant vegetables. In addition, Himmelbeet is a place where interesting events related to sustainability and unity take place.

2. In Krakow, with the support of the city authorities, residents created gardens in free of construction areas. Groups of people cultivate such areas, and share the harvest equally. The garden has a size of about 5-10 acres, and is located close to homes so that gardeners have time to cultivate it efficiently. The initiative belongs to the Krakow Green Space Management (ZZM). In order to make Krakow residents aware of this practice, "the Krakow in Green" team began conducting educational campaigns. An important location is the school of urban gardeners, which still operates today. There are 17 community gardens in Krakow at the moment.

We encourage EECU communities to adopt the experience of other cities and implement urban gardening initiatives for their residents.