Urban gardens are perfect spaces for communing with nature and building social bonds. Such places can also be important for climate change mitigation. Does urban gardening in Warsaw have potential and how to develop related initiatives? Researchers from the SWPS University, Warsaw University of Technology and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences investigated this issue.
The role of urban gardening in the development of green areas and, thus, in improving adaptation to climate change in urban areas has been discussed in many scientific works. Urban gardens contribute to better carbon dioxide absorption, air pollution reduction and the mitigation of the urban heat-island effect. They also allow residents to use organic waste, which helps to reduce GHG emissions and conserve energy. Other significant benefits include improved water efficiency, reduced flood risk and better rainwater infiltration and retention.
The development of urban gardening depends on social factors. Such activities affect the creation of social capital, and some studies indicate that this is not only about gardening, but also about community building. The motivations of urban gardeners vary. The most important ones are: reconnection to nature, positive contribution to the environment, social relations and mutual learning between gardeners, says Piotr Majewski, PhD, a professor at SWPS University, cultural expert and sociologist from the SWPS University Faculty of Humanities in Warsaw, co-author of the study.
A city with gardening potential
Researchers from the Warsaw University of Technology, the SWPS University and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences analysed whether the Warsaw community had the potential to develop urban gardens to foster adaptation to climate change. In addition to conducting the scientific literature review, they characterized local gardeners and their initiatives, and asked them about the function of gardens not only in the context of environmental protection, but also community building. A total of over 250 interviews were conducted for the purposes of the study. The results were described in the paper " Urban garden communities' social capital as a support for climate change adaptations – a case study of Warsaw ", published in Miscellanea Geographica.
The capital of Poland offers residents great opportunities to develop gardening activities. The researchers identified areas that could potentially serve as places for establishing new recreational, social and educational gardens. In total, such areas (meadows, orchards, parks, housing estate greenery, wasteland and post-industrial areas) cover 1,864 hectares. They are located 600 metres or less from residential development areas, and only few of them are further than 300 metres away.
Urban gardening brings together all social groups
It turns out that urban gardening is widespread in Warsaw. This social movement includes individual groups of residents, more or less formal teams, associations and foundations, as well as public institutions such as schools and cultural institutions.
