The role of community gardens in the life of Krakow residents in the context of food sovereignty and social integration

Abstract

Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to find out the opinion on the availability and needs as well as the profile of community garden users during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. Material and methods: The article uses survey research methods. A questionnaire was prepared, which contained 19 questions and was made available online to the inhabitants of Krakow via social media, mainly on various thematic groups related to landscape architecture and urban gardening. On the basis of scientific studies, changes related to the interest and use of community gardens were analyzed. Results and conclusions: As shown by the survey, the inhabitants of Krakow want to use community gardens and would like new gardens to be created in their immediate vicinity. The inhabitants are the main initiators of the creation of community gardens, but due to insufficient promotion, they largely do not know how to start such an initiative in their neighborhood. By referring to the results of the conducted research and comparing the situation of Polish urban farms to the cited examples from the world, one can confirm the great potential of undeveloped spaces and the development of urban agriculture in Poland. In addition, drawing conclusions from the examples described, you can see a large number of possible social, economic and revitalization functions, which may also appear in Polish reality over time. As shown by the survey, over 80% of respondents express the opinion that community gardens are needed and should be set up in newly emerging housing estates.

Keywords

• urban agriculture
• social integration
• food sovereignty
• community gardens