Engaging with urban green spaces – A comparison of urban and rural allotment gardens in Southwestern Germany

Abstract

Connecting society to the ecosystem is crucial for the resilience of social-ecological systems. On the local scale, some citizens actively engage with the ecosystem in urban green spaces such as gardens. Therefore, the study investigates allotment gardens in two regions in industrialized SW-Germany through a mixed method approach consisting of questionnaires and qualitative interviews. The comparison of the regions adds to our understanding of the gardening community in industrialized countries and provides information to city planners and practitioners concerning motivations and knowledge of people interacting with the ecosystem. It shows that recreation is an important motivation for gardening in both regions, but food production is less important in urban allotment gardens. The soil knowledge relies on experiences in the respective gardens and the variety of soil conservation measures shows that gardeners care for the soil in their allotment. New management practices, such as raised beds, are present. Policy makers, city planners and interest groups should consider the present research to devise programs that lead to an engagement with the ecosystem in urban green spaces.