“Urban landscapes should be designed to invite stewards to partner with others, cooperatively share expertise and labors. Projects that cross class, gender, generation, and ethnic divisions are especially valuable because they improve not only the urban ecology but also the capacity of the community to work together.”
-Randolph T. Hester, from “Design for Ecological Democracy” (2006)
In this section, we will consider the people behind community-led initiatives – who leads, who participates, and who creates a future for a planted project.
Establishing your Roots – Stakeholder/Leadership Organization
As you begin a community project, consider the governing structure, if any, that will be leading this project. In their article “Developing ‘community’ in community gardens”, Firth et. al describe how community gardens can be used to generate social capital – the amount and quality of trust and connections an individual or group have with its community network – for those involved in the community garden project. Strong social capital “may benefit group members…(and) may be used for the purposes of protecting a group’s interests”(Firth et. al)².
Firth et. al discuss two different models of community gardens – interest-based and place-based – and how they influence the quality and division of social capital among stakeholders and community.
Interest-based community gardens
…are community gardens that are oriented around a goal and are not rooted in a particular place or site. Due to this, they tend to be organized and/or funded by a larger governing body, whether that be municipal government, nonprofits, or otherwise. The benefit of interest-based community gardens is they generate social capital for a cause and, with the potential for expansion beyond place or site, are able to reach a more diverse community.
Place-based community gardens
…are community gardens that are initiated and governed by local community members, and are rooted in a specific place or site. As Firth et. al state, “If the core aim of the community garden is to promote community development, it is essential that the community garden is initiated and managed by individuals from within the local community.” More social capital is generated for actual community members through place-based models.
In other words, moving towards a place-based, community-led framework, or incorporating elements of place-based leadership in an interest-based framework, will better empower community members. A good example of a hybridization between these be models can be seen with the Seeding Stewardship program – a municipally-organized program that is led by site-specific stewardship teams.
The next step to “see the forest” of the community – what groups, individuals, histories, and relationships exist in the space you hope to engage.
Seeing the Forest – Creating Community Through Context-Conscious Engagement
* Note – See Indigenous Planting section for more detailed information and resources on reconciliation in planting design.
Planting design can be a wonderful avenue to celebrate a community’s multifaceted identity. With community planting projects, members can plant culturally appropriate and important food, engage in cultural practices in planting and harvesting, and make a visible impact on their neighbourhood. This can be especially powerful with recent immigrants, visible minorities, and other marginalized groups who may be struggling to see themselves in the neighbourhood around them³.
Making spaces that are reflective of the community also creates opportunities for cross-cultural sharing, which can help create a sense of collective community identity, as well as cultivate mutual respect and connection among communities³.
Equitable, context-conscious involvement, however, means that every project will be site-specific in terms of its community engagement, and every space will have a different socially defined place and meaning for each group involved.
With this in mind, consider how community engagement can be approached through a culturally appropriate, intersectional ideology. Below are some prompts to consider when engaging the community in your project.
Consider the following…
- How can you engage the community through multiple approaches and how might these different approaches change who has access to engagement?
- Consider language barriers, physical accessibility, time constraints, positionalities like general mistrust or apathy
- How can you involve and engage the community through all steps of a project?
- In the design process
- In the planting
- In continued engagement with the project
- Where will you hold community engagement?
- Online?
- Door to door?
- In a gathering place?
- One-on-one conversations?
- Signage?
- Who will fund the community engagement?
- Who is already connected/a user of the place of your project?
- Is your project infringing upon their use of the space/place?
- How can their voice be a part of/a leader of your project process?
Nurturing New Growth – Engaging and Mobilizing Kids and Young People
A powerful pedagogical tool, community gardens and planting projects are wonderful place-based learning opportunities where youth can gain ecological knowledge, learn the value of environmental stewardship, and enjoy the health benefits of being physically active outdoors ⁴. Place-based learning has also been proven to help neurodiverse learners overcome social and learning barriers due to its therapeutic properties and experiential, multisensorial approach embedded in learning with the land ⁵ ⁶.
The beauty of planting projects also lies in their organic ability to connect generations – experts of a range of ages and demographics may be drawn to a project. This naturally leads to opportunities for intergenerational learning and cross-generational connection, which is beneficial for individuals of all ages involved ⁷.
Finally, gardens can provide a safe space for youth to find community support and opportunities for leadership outside of school and home. The creation and involvement of this ‘third space’ can help empower all youth, but especially those experiencing marginalization in either traditional learning systems or due to socioeconomic factors .
Consider the following…
- What schools are near your garden? How can you offer place-based learning opportunities to the educators and youth there?
- What youth groups/community houses/school and community gardens exist nearby? How can you create meaningful partnerships and routines with these groups?
- What learning goals are you trying to hit with visitors of your garden? Is it a food garden? A cultural one? How can youth learn from the garden in unprogrammed times?
- What tasks does your garden need to operate that youth would be able to help with? How can they become integral to the operation of the garden?
- Maintenance
- Planting
- Assisting older youth/adults/elders with tasks
- How can planting be youth-friendly?
- Safe – see non-poisonous plants list
- Easy to plant – think pre-potted or easily germinated seeds that can be sprinkled by the most indelicate little hands
- Produce something tangible, whether that be bouquets, produce, a craft – youth will be more engaged in the long term if they see the fruits of their labour quickly
- What opportunities for empowerment exist?
- Are there opportunities for leadership roles?
- Are there opportunities for jobs for youth moving into the workforce?
More resources for engaging youth in community gardens:
Vancouver Neighbourhood Houses Map
Megan Zeni Room to Play Consulting
1. Hester, R. T. (2010). Design for ecological democracy. MIT Press.
2. Firth, C., Maye, D., & Pearson, D. (2011). Developing “community” in Community Gardens. Local Environment, 16(6), 555–568. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2011.586025
3. Datta, R. (2019a). Sustainability: Through cross-cultural Community Garden Activities. Local Environment, 24(8), 762–776. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.209.1641073
4. Ober Allen, J., Alaimo, K., Elam, D., & Perry, E. (2008). Growing Vegetables and Values: Benefits of Neighborhood-Based Community Gardens for Youth Development and Nutrition. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 3(4), 418–439. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320240802529169
5. Barnes, Erin, “Creating Outdoor Learning Opportunities For Neurodiverse Students: An Outdoor Learning Curriculum for Neurodiverse Students” (2024). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects. 1071.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/1071
6. Friedman, S., James, M., Brocklebank, J., Cox, S., & Morrison, S. (2023). Facilitating Nature-Based Learning With Autistic Students. Childhood Education, 99(4), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2023.2232275
7. Linn, K. (2007). Building Commons and Community. New Village Press.
8. Dolley, J. (2020). Community gardens as third places. Geographical Research, 58(2), 141–153. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12395