Urban Gardening: Cultivating More Than Just Produce

Abstract

The two sustainable development goals of high-density development and urban gardening have conflicted with each other in recent decades. When land is available, particularly in the inner-city, a choice must often be made between using it for housing or other development and using it for community gardens. When viewed merely in economic terms, community gardens appear to have little value compared to residential development. When viewed in terms of educational, economic, social, health and ecological benefits, the multi-faceted, linked values of urban gardening become evident. Th is paper explores these benefits, the conflict between development and urban gardening, the validity of each argument and, finally, how the conflict can be resolved while still achieving more sustainable development.