Photo: Udruženje EkonautUrban gardens on public or private city plot, where individuals can grow plants of their choice, are becoming more and more popular in European cities, and in our country as well. It is estimated that at least 100 hectares are used on the territory of the city of Belgrade, mostly urban construction land, for informal garden communities. While waiting for the city authorities to officially regulate the rules on the use of these plots, Sabina Kerić, founder of the Econaut association, told Real Estate magazine how you can become a member of a garden community, where are the available plots situated and what you can grow on them.
WHAT ARE GARDEN COMMUNITIES?
Urban garden communities are open space areas where individuals or organizations can grow plants of their choice. They can be found on city tissue land or on the suburbs of the city, on public or private land, and range in size from 50 m2 to enormous parceled territories of several hectares. They can be found in most European cities and serve a variety of social purposes, including physical and social rehabilitation, opportunities for work and employment for economically disadvantaged people, entertainment for the elderly, and allowing people of all generations to engage in healthy horticulture hobbies.
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF GARDEN COMMUNITIES?
Citizens' associations or local or municipal institutions might be the owners of garden community management. The sorts of plots dictate how garden communities are organized and managed, thus they can be grouped as a cluster of individual plots cultivated by individuals, then as one common unit cultivated collectively, or as a mix of individual and collective plots. People in urban areas often do not have enough open, fertile land in their immediate surroundings. Everyone should be able to cultivate their own food, and garden communities could help them do so.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND PLOTS IN BELGRADE THAT CAN BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES?
According to research conducted by the Faculty of Forestry, at least 100 hectares of city land in Belgrade, largely urban development area, are used for informal garden communities. It all began after WWII, when Belgrade's population grew dramatically as a result of industrialization, which resulted in large-scale migrations from the rural areas to the city. New areas are being created in locations where there were once marshes or agricultural land. Undeveloped enclaves, or smaller or bigger portions that were not brought to the original urban aims, still exist in some places. In addition to these regions, freshly settled citizens find and voluntarily occupy land in the areas where settlements terminate, in the buffer zones between buildings and agricultural land, where they spontaneously construct so-called "Wild" garden communities. These tenacious people have been producing their gardens for decades, often without basic infrastructure such as water, walkways, or fences, in hidden portions of untamed forests and shrubs in New Belgrade, Karaburma, Banjica, Košutnjak, and even on the Great War Island.
These communities now lack basic infrastructure, a management system, and written rules, and there is no guarantee that new structures or a whole urban areas will not be created there tomorrow. A group of citizens and individuals formed in 2013 Baštalište (www.bastaliste.org), Belgrade's first formal garden community in Belgrade. This community is located on private land in the village of Slanci, close to the urban neighbourhood of Mirijevo and the neighbourghoods of Višnjička Banja and Karaburma. Every spring, this garden community welcomes new members who are primarily driven to learn how to cultivate vegetables so that they can strengthen themselves over time to begin growing their own.
INITIATIVE FOR THE CITY OF BELGRADE TO REGULATE THIS AREA
So far, the City of Belgrade has not formally acknowledged this occurrence as a concept that can be systematically and long-term given to inhabitants as a utility service, as other modern cities have, most recently Zagreb. Our group has started the Initiative for the Formalization of Garden Communities at the Level of the City of Belgrade in order to foster the growth of garden communities as well as to legally support and govern them. To ensure that all citizens have equal access to shared gardens, the goal of this initiative is to implement examples of good European models of urban garden community systems in Belgrade and Serbia, which can improve the city's quality of life as well as the city's climate change adaptation process. In 2014, the city of Šabac made a breakthrough when it granted a hectare of city land to a local shared garden at the request of unified citizens, but it was shut down after a few years because its users were discouraged by persistent vandalism and theft.
HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER OF A GARDEN COMMUNITY?
Since Belgrade lacks a well-established system of city garden communities, the Garden Center is now only accepting new members through a page on its website or a social media account. In cities where this system is in existence, the way people access plots may differ from community to community. In some situations, those who are interested apply to public competitions for vacant plots held by garden community bearers, such as local, municipal authorities or citizens' organisations. Community waiting lists were used in some circumstances to organize plot distribution. The parameters used to conduct the competition or rank the potential beneficiaries are usually based on where they live, their employment status, their income, the real estate they own, and any past experience in similar communities. Preference is given to socially weak groups such as the unemployed, retirees, and similar vulnerable groups if the community wishes to emphasize its solidarity and social responsibility.
WHEN IT COMES TO GARDEN AREAS, WHAT OPTIONS ARE OPEN TO PEOPLE?
In addition to the plots that the users are producing, there may be a common space where people may mingle, hold meetings, cook food, and there may even be a play place for children in the garden communities of the users. Users share the shared garden's infrastructure and adhere to certain restrictions. This usually means that on individual plots, only one-year or two-year crops are planted and sowed. On such plots, it is normally prohibited to plant perennial woody or shrubby species, as well as invasive species. On collective plots, perennial species can also be planted. Waste management is an essential component of garden community guidelines. Composting is the most common method for organic waste, while inorganic trash is separated and recycled. Only prefabricated, ground-floor buildings of limited areas with the intention of providing shelter from storms or storing tools are permitted. Exclusion from the garden community, loss of plot privileges, and other consequences result from the user's failure to manage the plot. Users pay a rent or a tax charge, which is used to cover community operating costs and infrastructure investment. Users can plant and sow plants of their choice and then utilize them as they choose if they respect the community's rules. They can also exchange or share plants with other members if they agree to do so.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE DOWNSIDES OF SUCH PROJECTS?
The issue of safety is a major element in garden community development. Theft and vandalism are significant threats to garden communities, and they can deter members from investing more time and effort. As a result, it is recommended that the plots be fenced and locked, and that the fruits be picked as soon as they are mature.
Members of such communities who are inexperienced can potentially create harm, particularly if they use uncontrolled and unprofessional substances that are harmful to humans, plants, and animals. Every member of the gardening community should have a basic understanding of how to plant and maintain a vegetable or ornamental garden, because this will ensure that they not only have a productive, beautiful, and healthy garden, but they will also avoid the problems that come with poor maintenance.
Text: Ana Kralj
Photo: Udruženje Ekonaut
