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Gardener Well-Being along Social and Biophysical Landscape Gradients

Author

Listed:
  • Monika H. Egerer

    (Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA)

  • Stacy M. Philpott

    (Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA)

  • Peter Bichier

    (Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA)

  • Shalene Jha

    (Integrative Biology Department, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA)

  • Heidi Liere

    (Biology Department, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202, USA)

  • Brenda B. Lin

    (CSIRO Land and Water Flagship, Aspendale, VIC 3195, Australia)

Abstract

Increasing human populations are challenging cities to grow sustainably while maintaining green spaces that deliver ecosystem services and well-being benefits. Community gardens are green spaces that provide food, community, and health benefits, but gardens often are non-permanent due to development and green space loss. Thus, investigating their significance and benefit across urban regions is critical for research and policy alike. This study investigated the role of community gardens in providing human well-being benefits across three counties in the California Central Coast—a region undergoing massive urban transformation in the last century. We measured how multiple aspects of self-reported gardener well-being varied in relation to the social opportunities of surrounding neighborhoods and the biophysical features of the landscapes in which the gardens were embedded. The results document improvements in gardener well-being through gardening across social and biophysical gradients. Gardeners are motivated by diverse reasons, varying from gardening in order to connect to nature, to gardening for improved food access, or to enhance time spent with family. Community gardens are therefore important for supporting many well-being benefits. Policies to maintain and protect gardens should prioritize neighborhoods with needs for connecting to nature and enhancing social interaction within the community.

Suggested Citation

  • Monika H. Egerer & Stacy M. Philpott & Peter Bichier & Shalene Jha & Heidi Liere & Brenda B. Lin, 2018. "Gardener Well-Being along Social and Biophysical Landscape Gradients," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:1:p:96-:d:125160
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Calcagno, Vincent & de Mazancourt, Claire, 2010. "glmulti: An R Package for Easy Automated Model Selection with (Generalized) Linear Models," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 34(i12).
    2. Laura Saldivar-tanaka & Marianne Krasny, 2004. "Culturing community development, neighborhood open space, and civic agriculture: The case of Latino community gardens in New York City," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 21(4), pages 399-412, January.
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    1. Rositsa T. Ilieva & Nevin Cohen & Maggie Israel & Kathrin Specht & Runrid Fox-Kämper & Agnès Fargue-Lelièvre & Lidia Poniży & Victoria Schoen & Silvio Caputo & Caitlin K. Kirby & Benjamin Goldstein & , 2022. "The Socio-Cultural Benefits of Urban Agriculture: A Review of the Literature," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, April.
    2. Diana Harding & Kevin Muhamad Lukman & Matheus Jingga & Yuta Uchiyama & Jay Mar D. Quevedo & Ryo Kohsaka, 2022. "Urban Gardening and Wellbeing in Pandemic Era: Preliminary Results from a Socio-Environmental Factors Approach," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona & Geetha Mohan & Kensuke Fukushi, 2021. "Promoting Urban Agriculture and Its Opportunities and Challenges—A Global Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-22, August.
    4. Susan Spierre Clark & Monica Lynn Miles, 2021. "Assessing the Integration of Environmental Justice and Sustainability in Practice: A Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-23, October.

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