Collective urban gardens: Exploring the concept of participatory governance

Abstract

Collective urban gardens have attracted the attention of scholars, local organizations, the non-governmental sector, and policymakers as they seem to provide a valuable ground for meeting the interests and needs of different urban actors. As part of green infrastructure, they demonstrate a challenge for open green space governance and management. This study focuses on the concept of participatory governance and explores top-down and bottom-up initiatives of collective urban gardening in three European cities: Malmo, Zagreb, and Belgrade. The objectives of the research are to describe and analyze the organization and governance models of collective urban gardens using the governance arrangements approach and identify the main success factors that support long-term, sustainable organization and governance. The study is based on a qualitative research approach, including document analysis and semi-structured interviews with local government representatives, NGOs, and users. The results suggest that there is no single successful model of organization and governance of collective gardens - each location requires an understanding of the context and local conditions, as well as the users’ needs. Still, some factors can be identified as relevant for long-term sustainable governance. Having the support of city or municipal institutions in setting legal and planning parameters and supplying resources such as land and education is a significant contributor to achieving success. Another relevant aspect is the readiness of local governments to cede some of their authority in managing green areas and transfer it to an organization or group of users. A transparent and open participatory process, based on the trust and equality of actors, is needed for sound cooperation between different stakeholders involved in governance. Any support that comes from outside the community, including support from the city or municipal government, must be on a partnership basis. Institutional support is particularly relevant for scaling up local initiatives and integrating collective urban gardens into the system of green areas at the city level.