Last updated: October 2021
Via Gandusio is a social housing complex in the North of Bologna that was originally built for hosting workers that migrate from South Italy in the 60s. Nowadays, it hosts two different communities: advanced-age Italians and current international immigrants. The differences create some conflicts and limits relationships among the community. In 2010 a group of researchers tried to implement a community garden that was designed with the aim of setting a meeting point for the community where food production is the link between neighbours to exchange knowledge, culture and experiences. The 250 m2 roof garden started in 2011 becoming the first of the city of Bologna and of Italy (Ref. 7 and 8). Over the years the project has undergone changes and variations, has seen the end of funding and known voluntary management (2013). Since 2013 there is an urban vegetable garden cared for by some residents with the support of the Biodiversity association. (Ref.10)
Community Garden of Via Gandusio (2012)
License: Francesco Orsini (UNIBO), retrieved 07/20/2018
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Waste management
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Effective management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Improving mental health
- Improving physical health
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
The community garden was designed by the Municipality of Bologna, the association BiodiverCity and the RESCUE-AB (Università di Bologna) with the aim of setting a meeting point for the community where food production is the link between neighbours to exchange knowledge, culture and experiences (5, 7 and 8).
Implementation activities
Residents were involved since the design and experimentation phase of the project (2010). A meeting was held to present the nature of the project and those residents who were interested in participating were given a key to access the roof. Project staff provided the material for the building of the hydroponic garden, meaning that the plants grow in plastic bottles filled with pumice stone and coconut fiber that replace the earth, an irrigation system distributes water through a closed circuit pump, recovering excess water. This approach was successful for two main reasons: 1) it guaranteed great results with minimum waste and effort; 2) getting the materials was highly cheap, as most were recycled materials. Residents learned the planting and maintenance techniques to grow different kinds of plants together (no subdivision or space). A manual on best practices and rules for the respect of the plants and others were provided, as well as a sheet to record activities (6 and 7).
Main beneficiaries
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people, Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Researchers/university
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Main roles involved the education of users and cultural involvement. This was done by creating a Facebook page called "Gandusio Green Project" and by organising social activities. Starting from spring 2011, a series of community social events, dinners and aperitifs were organised. Different local and European associations participated as well and enjoyed the pleasant evenings with a beautiful view of the city of Bologna. During these events, the residents and people from BiodiverCity cooked the products of the community garden and offered it to the guests. The exchange and sharing of food, as an element of cultural communication, has facilitated the encounter of so diverse people, overcoming the divisions of geographic, geographic and racial diversity (4, 6 and 7).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project is part of the Green Housing Project, a local initiative launched by the Bologna Municipality with the goal of bringing different communities living in the city closer together while implementing strategic solutions for a more sustainable city. This action is part of a series of intercultural interventions together with various sectors of the Municipal Administration, the Home Sector, and DISTA (Department of Science and Agro-environmental Technology) (5). The project is part of the larger project called "Green Housing", which aims at bringing together communities while making urban areas more sustainable (5, 7 and 8). )
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved waste management
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
Ref.1 Kabish, N. et al. (2016). Nature-based Solutions to climate Change mitigation and Adaptation in urban Areas. Bonn: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, 1-60, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
Ref. 2 Orsini, F. et al. (2014). Exploring the production capacity of rooftop gardens (RTGs) in urban agriculture: the potential impact on food and nutrition... Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and International Society for Plant Pathology, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
Ref. 3 Official webpage of BiodiverCity (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 4 Bologna Today (2016), „Agricoltura urbana, agricoltura sostenibile: parte il progetto Susturbanfoods“, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
Ref. 5 Bologna University webpage on the Green Housing - Community Garden project, Available at Source link, (Accessed 10-7-2020)
Ref.6 Bologna Municipality Page on the project (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 7 Community Garden in Via Gandusio official page (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 8 SustUrbanFood Official Page: Source link
Ref. 9 Corrierre di Bologna (2017), “La ristrutturazione del condominio li farà sparire
«Acer e Comune non dicono nulla sul futuro», Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
Ref. 10 L’Altra Babele (no date), L’orto sul tetto di Gandusio, Available at Source link, (Accessed 10-7-2020)
Ref. 11 Source link (no date), Salviamo l'orto sul tetto di via Gandusio Save the Gandusio Rooftop Garden, Available at Source link (Accessed 10-7-2020)
Ref. 2 Orsini, F. et al. (2014). Exploring the production capacity of rooftop gardens (RTGs) in urban agriculture: the potential impact on food and nutrition... Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and International Society for Plant Pathology, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
Ref. 3 Official webpage of BiodiverCity (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 4 Bologna Today (2016), „Agricoltura urbana, agricoltura sostenibile: parte il progetto Susturbanfoods“, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
Ref. 5 Bologna University webpage on the Green Housing - Community Garden project, Available at Source link, (Accessed 10-7-2020)
Ref.6 Bologna Municipality Page on the project (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 7 Community Garden in Via Gandusio official page (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 8 SustUrbanFood Official Page: Source link
Ref. 9 Corrierre di Bologna (2017), “La ristrutturazione del condominio li farà sparire
«Acer e Comune non dicono nulla sul futuro», Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
Ref. 10 L’Altra Babele (no date), L’orto sul tetto di Gandusio, Available at Source link, (Accessed 10-7-2020)
Ref. 11 Source link (no date), Salviamo l'orto sul tetto di via Gandusio Save the Gandusio Rooftop Garden, Available at Source link (Accessed 10-7-2020)
Community Garden of Via Gandusio (2012)
License: Francesco Orsini (UNIBO), retrieved 07/20/2018
Community Garden of Via Gandusio (2012)
License: Francesco Orsini (UNIBO), retrieved 07/20/2018
Community Garden of Via Gandusio (2012)
License: Francesco Orsini (UNIBO), retrieved 07/20/201