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The motivations and experiences of community garden participants in Edinburgh, Scotland

Author

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  • David McVey
  • Robert Nash
  • Paul Stansbie

Abstract

This paper presents the perspectives of participants from three Community Gardens in Edinburgh, Scotland and investigates the role that food growing plays in their recreation and leisure activities, personal development, the development of their children and the impact on their communities. Thirty-eight participants were interviewed using qualitative, semi-structured questions to explore their motivations and experiences from their involvement with community gardens. Participant observation was used to better understand the importance of the gardens in their lives. The participants felt the gardens were places that fostered neighbourly engagement, increased leisure opportunities, social support, community health, connectedness, and community diversity. They were also places that promoted knowledge exchange inside the garden and in to the homes of the people and the community itself. Anxieties over land use and land reform highlighted how community gardens symbolised empowerment but also showed resistance to the hegemonic structure of local council and government. In effect, the research suggests that community gardens grow much more than just food, they grow community.

Suggested Citation

  • David McVey & Robert Nash & Paul Stansbie, 2018. "The motivations and experiences of community garden participants in Edinburgh, Scotland," Regional Studies, Regional Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 40-56, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rsrsxx:v:5:y:2018:i:1:p:40-56
    DOI: 10.1080/21681376.2017.1409650
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Fanni Bársony & György Lengyel & Éva Perpék, 2020. "Enclave deliberation and common-pool resources: an attempt to apply Civic Preference Forum on community gardening in Hungary," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 687-708, April.
    2. Lissy Goralnik & Lucero Radonic & Vanessa Garcia Polanco & Angel Hammon, 2022. "Growing Community: Factors of Inclusion for Refugee and Immigrant Urban Gardeners," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Jae Ho Lee & David Matarrita-Cascante, 2019. "Gardeners’ Past Gardening Experience and Its Moderating Effect on Community Garden Participation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.
    4. Fatmir Haskaj, 2021. "(Community) garden in the city: Conspicuous labor and gentrification," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(5), pages 1051-1075, August.
    5. Jonathan Kingsley & Aisling Bailey & Nooshin Torabi & Pauline Zardo & Suzanne Mavoa & Tonia Gray & Danielle Tracey & Philip Pettitt & Nicholas Zajac & Emily Foenander, 2019. "A Systematic Review Protocol Investigating Community Gardening Impact Measures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-12, September.
    6. Megan Grubb & Christian R. Vogl, 2019. "Understanding Food Literacy in Urban Gardeners: A Case Study of the Twin Cities, Minnesota," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-15, July.
    7. Daniel C. Kelly, 2023. "Committing to change? A case study on volunteer engagement at a New Zealand urban farm," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1317-1331, September.

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