북미 4개 도시 커뮤니티가든 사례조사에 의한 역할과 특성 비교 연구†

Abstract

As urban regeneration and revitalization projects become increasingly popular in Korea, interests in residential environment, landscape improvement and community activities have risen, resulting in increased interest in community garden, a type of urban agriculture. However, the concept of community garden in Korea is yet to be defined apart from the general concept of urban agriculture. Also, any discussion regarding a practical scheme for community gardens remains nascent. Therefore, in order to define and to understand community gardens, and to draw meaningful implications for the community garden research in Korea, this study conducted a preliminary field survey of four North American cities from where the idea of community gardening originates. A total of 166 community gardens in Seattle, New York, Philadelphia and Vancouver were visited during this survey. Four community gardens from each city were selected for further analysis, with particular emphasis on spatial organization and social functions. The results showed that the community gardens in each city perform a diverse array of functions depending on location, type and societal needs. Community gardens in Seattle and Vancouver, which may be classified as ‘uptown,’ focused on their roles as fields of ‘community participation.’ Those in New York and Philadelphia, which are classified as ‘downtown,’ emphasized their function in ‘urban beautification.’ This study demonstrates that the community gardens in North America serve their roles as urban amenities and multi-functional public spaces for the entire local population. The implication of the results is that considerations for the social roles the community gardens serve and the spatial elements that allow the space to perform such functions are necessary for the further developments in the community garden research in Korea.