Speaker
Description
Caring for a garden bed along the street, where neighbors happily pick your herbs, may seem unimaginable for most urban inhabitants. However, in Sydney, Australia, public gardening practices have emerged, transforming bare public patches along roadsides into vibrant green spaces. By reimagining public space as a place for collective ecological and social regeneration, these practices challenge the growth-oriented urban development.
Urban gardening in underutilised public spaces, such as nature strips, can act as small-scale community gardens, enhancing individual and community health. These initiatives build social bonds, encourage outdoor exercise, and provide access to fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Moreover, greening the streets improves planetary health by cooling local climates, increasing biodiversity, and providing habitats for urban fauna.
Through a comparative analysis of local government policies across Greater Sydney, this study examines how different regulatory frameworks support or hinder community-led street greening projects. Over seventy interviews with local government officials and community members shed light on the governance processes and highlight the role of street-level bureaucrats in executing policy decisions based on their views and experiences.
This case study provides actionable insights to future local public policy and citizen-initiatives’ agendas for integrating nature-based solutions and fostering regenerative relationships between society and the environment. This research underscores the urgency of moving beyond growth-oriented development and adopting alternative approaches that prioritize people and the planet. In an age of planetary crisis, citizen-led public urban gardening offers a hopeful path towards resilient and equitable urban futures.
| Keywords | urban gardening, public space, nature-based solutions, collaborative governance |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
