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Community gardens as an urban planning issue

University of British Columbia

This thesis develops the argument that community gardens have many social benefits making them a worthwhile urban amenity. The thesis question is: how can community gardens be implemented to maximize social benefits while overcoming obstacles and minimizing conflicts? The literature review describes how community allotment gardens developed and evolved, in a North American and European context. Community gardens are then discussed from a planning perspective. For this purpose, planning literature about sustainable communities is examined for its relevance to community gardens. The information collected directs the inquiry into a case study: The Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood Garden. Through interviews with local activists and an analysis of relevant articles, this case study examines the benefits of this community garden and the obstacles that were faced in the process of implementing it. Lessons from this case study are then applied to the planning of a community garden in the Burnaby Heights Area. For this purpose, a committee was formed. The information provided by this committee was collected in a focus group format. In addition, this section chronicles the correspondence with different municipal departments. The general purpose of this study is to demonstrate the validity of the provision for community gardens in urban planning. The process of implementing a community garden will demonstrate the problems facing local activists, and illuminate why the role of planners is so crucial.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-02-10

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4411

Planning

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace