RT Journal Article
T1 Public versus private: Juxtaposing urban allotment gardens as multifunctional Nature-based Solutions. Insights from Seville
A1 Mackiewicz, Barbara
A1 Puente Asuero, Raúl
K1 Urban agriculture
K1 Multifunctionality
K1 Physical planning
K1 Urban greenspace
K1 Governance
K1 Urban policy
AB Many European countries witness growing interest in allotment gardening. Thus, private allotment gardens (AGs) have been created in some countries, including Spain. As a result, there are places where non-consumptive and commodified allotment gardens coexist. The paper presents an in-depth comparison of public and private AGs through the lens of the nature-based solutions (NBS) concept. First, we assess the importance that gardeners attribute to the spectrum of environmental and socio-economic impacts provided by both types of AGs; we identify differences and similarities in their development and management, and assess the demographic and socioeconomic profile of gardeners. Subsequently, we discuss gardeners' and other stakeholders' opinions on both types of AGs and explore the roles that they can play as solutions for urban policy challenges. Our results show that both types of AGs are nature-based solutions with particularly positive impacts on the health and well-being of their users. These gardens do not compete but complement each other, fostered by their role as multifunctional nature-based solutions. Moreover, the option of cultivating a private or a public AG seems to be more linked to the freedom of cultivation and the freedom of access rather than economic reasons. We conclude that in the current complex scenario, public and private AGs must have territorial, legal and institutional frameworks within all urban policies that explore NBS.
PB Elsevier GmbH
SN 1618-866
YR 2021
FD 2021-11
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10433/11536
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10433/11536
LA en
NO Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, volume 65, 127309
NO Faculty of Human Geography and Planning, Adam Mickiewicz University
DS RIO
RD May 5, 2026