Last updated: October 2021
The OrtoCollettivo project focuses on the creation of common spaces to grow local sustainable food while raising awareness about environmental challenges in cities. The project is based on teamwork: if there is work planned for today and someone cannot come to do that job, someone else will do it, with the ultimate benefit of everyone. It, therefore, stimulates common values about well-being, sustainable food production, and sharing time and activities collectively as a group (2). The initiative is ongoing and expanding, however in 2020 there were voices from the people living in the area that the poor maintenance of the terraces caused landslides and disturbed traffic. Nevertheless the NGO that initiated the intervention defended the project and suggested that the issue is caused by the lack of canals for the rain water to flow in. (8)
Collective Work at OrtoCollettivo
OrtoCollettivo Genova (https://www.facebook.com/pg/ortocollettivogenova), retrieved 08/24/2018
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental and climate justice
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
The main goal of the NBS intervention is to recover derelict areas of the city of Genova by turning them into community gardens. The green spaces are mainly aimed young citizens and disadvantaged groups to be able to provide their own food at lower costs. Several workshops to educate citizens on best practices for sustainable food production, the value of the land and environmental issues are being held by the project partners (4).
Implementation activities
All the soil used for the creation of the community gardens is property of the Municipality of Genova. Most gardens are created from derelict areas. The project not only focuses on the administration of the community gardens and the education of citizens, but it also pushes for widespread research of all derelict areas in the municipal area that could be turned into green spaces for cultivation and for the spreading of information to communities and public offices (4).The unkept and out of shape trees have been cut and weeds have been removed. Regarding the cleaning process, there have been voices against it, as the trees were seen as protective of the landslides (8)
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), Other
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Other
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The Comitato 4 Valli is cooperating with the Municipality of Genova in the administration of the community gardens. They particularly focus on organising workshops and launching educational campaigns (2).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(This project came to light thanks to a law of the Liguria region that established the "Regional Bank of the Earth" with the aim of recovering abandoned land and reviving agriculture. The law provides that "lands where owners cannot take care of are transferred to the availability of those who want to use it, through a third party guarantor", which is precisely the "Regional Bank of the Earth" - a bank Data that contains land cadastral estates that landlords do not intend to cultivate but make available to anyone interested in acquiring management and planting them (2).)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
- Exchange of services
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Other
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- 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
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
Type of reported impacts
Expected 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
1. Comune Genova (2013), Orti urbani, una visione sistemica. Territorio cittadino come bene comune, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
2. Italia Che Cambia (2015), Orto Collettivo, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
3. Youtube (2013), Interview to one of the project coordinators, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
4. Comune di Genova (2013), Orti urbani. Una visione sistemica del territorio, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
5. Facebook page of the project, Project website, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
6. Il Sole 24 ore (2016), A Genova l'Orto collettivo più grande del mondo, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
7. European Consumers (2015), Orto collettivo più grande d’Europa a Genova, Available at Source link, (Accessed 3-9-2020)
8. Genova24 (2020), Corso Perrone, torna l’incubo delle frane: sotto accusa l’area per i detriti del Terzo Valico, available at Source link (accessed 19-9-2021)
2. Italia Che Cambia (2015), Orto Collettivo, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
3. Youtube (2013), Interview to one of the project coordinators, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
4. Comune di Genova (2013), Orti urbani. Una visione sistemica del territorio, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
5. Facebook page of the project, Project website, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
6. Il Sole 24 ore (2016), A Genova l'Orto collettivo più grande del mondo, Available at Source link (Accessed 3-9-2020)
7. European Consumers (2015), Orto collettivo più grande d’Europa a Genova, Available at Source link, (Accessed 3-9-2020)
8. Genova24 (2020), Corso Perrone, torna l’incubo delle frane: sotto accusa l’area per i detriti del Terzo Valico, available at Source link (accessed 19-9-2021)
https://www.genova24.it/2020/01/corso-perrone-torna-lincubo-delle-frane-sotto-accusa-larea-per-i-detriti-del-terzo-valico-229858/