It’s a great opportunity for young and old people to strike up inter-generational friendships - Gyula Dézsi Healthy socieity Besides the raised beds, there is a brand-new playground and some green areas – not a shred of asphalt is left. The fee goes into a pot that the gardeners can decide collectively how to spend each year. Would-be gardeners pay a small fee of €10 for a year’s access to a 4.5 m2 plot, where they can plant whatever they like. The communal garden has 14 raised beds, with two plots each. Hence, food systems will be one of the key topics addressed at the Eurocities Environment Forum 2023, ‘Powering our Cities,’ to be held in Ghent from 26-28 April. At the same time, interventions like community gardens can help cities adapt to the effects of climate change while creating more socially inclusive neighbourhoods. The dramatic effect of industrial food production and waste on our ecosystem and climate are well document. “The construction was a little noisy, and it was hard to imagine a beautiful garden blooming there,” Kata says, “but once the beds went in, we really got going!” When the city pitched the idea of taking the university’s model of a community garden and organising something similar in Vénkert, the locals were elated. It was hard to imagine a beautiful garden blooming there - Kata The experiment led to enhanced community, gave students a practical way to put insights from their lectures into practice, and supplied food. With the support of the university, a student organisation, the ‘Student Committee on Environmental Protection’, created a 1000 m2 community garden. They invited students to join them and populate the area with plants and vegetables, trying out different growing techniques and interesting species. The idea came from an innovation in the University of Debrecen. They needed something that could really feel like it was theirs and could be a catalyst for self-expression and community. However, the vice-mayor knew that satisfying local people would require going further than just the new playground, street furniture and grassy areas that were in the pipeline. The opportunity came within the city’s territorial development programme, which sought to revitalise a number of areas in the city, including Vénkert, with green spaces. “He has a good connection with the residents and when they asked for a garden, he started thinking about how to make that a reality,” says Ferenc Krisztián Fülöp, Eco Manager of the Municipality of Debrecen. They let their desires be known to their local representative, who also happened to be the Vice-Mayor of Debrecen, Dr Lajos Barcsa.
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