Kungsbacka, Göteborg (FUA), Sweden
City population: 939291
Duration: 2023 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 2300 m2
Type of area: Vacant or abandoned land
Last updated: March 2025

Kungsgärdet Byaodling is an urban farm set up by local farming association Kungsbacka Tillsammansodling, in Kungsbacka south of Gothenburg. Since 2023, the project has been funded by a 78 000 EUR grant via the non-profit organisation Lokalt ledd utveckling Halland (locally led development) using funds from the EU and the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) [Ref. 1, 2, 4]. The goal is to grow food in a sustainable and circular way, building soil health and promoting biodiversity. Using a total area of 4500 m2 on former unused grassland, the urban farm includes: 1100 m2 of effective growing area, 1000 m2 of flowering meadows, fruit and berry trees and bushes, and functional and social areas. The meadows and trees are intended to contribute to biodiversity, while social areas are meant to create a sense of community and benefit the well-being of the people active at the farm [Ref. 1, 3]. The farming association has been around for a few years, but the project funds will allow them to expand and develop the farm over three years, invest in new equipment and arrange free lectures for the public about sustainable farming practices [Ref. 1, 4]. The grant will also allow them to take in more members without anyone having to pay anything, promoting social inclusion.

An overview of the urban farm, showing a greenhouse and several differend growing beds of different sizes. Houses and trees are in the background.
The Kungsgärdet urban farm from a distance
https://www.kungsbackatillsammansodling.se/2013-2/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Community gardens

Key challenges

  • Environmental quality
  • Soil quality improvement
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Environmental education
  • Sense of community and community engagement
  • Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
  • Sustainable production

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Environmental Degradation
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Soil degradation and loss
  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Agriculture/ crop production
  • Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
  • Social fragmentation and isolation
  • Poor community engagement

Key priorities

Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments)

Project objectives

- Establish a small-scale, community-run organic farm in an urban area. - Enhancing soil quality and local biodiversity. - Increase knowledge about sustainable farming practices. - Provide opportunities for social interaction and connect people from different backgrounds with a common interest in growing food. - Cooperate with local artists, businesses, schools and other organisations [Ref. 1, 5, 6].

Implementation activities

1. The association Kungsbacka Tillsammansodling tried for a few years to find a location for an urban farm, failing to get a permit for the initial site [Ref. 5]. The current site Kungsgärdet was established in 2022 [Ref. 3]. 2. The association applied for project funding from Lokalt ledd utveckling Halland and received a grant of 78 000 EUR in 2023 [Ref. 1, 2, 5]. 3. The urban farm will be established by constructing growing beds, establishing meadows, planting trees, bushes and perennial flowers, and constructing common social areas such as paths, a barbeque spot, tables and benches. There will also be a greenhouse, storage areas and a beehive [Ref. 1, 7]. 4. The association will educate about sustainable farming practices and arrange public lectures [Ref. 1, 4, 5]. 5. The association will aim to cooperate with other local actors that can utilise the farm within their operation to gain mutual benefit and to spread knowledge on biodiversity and organic farming [Ref. 1, 8]

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)

Governance

Management set-up

  • Led by 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)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

Kungsbacka Tillsammans odling is a non-profit association and the initiator and leader of the project. The organisation Lokalt ledd utveckling Halland, in cooperation with the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the regional government, are responsible for funding the project. The municipality of Kungsbacka is involved in permit processes for the farm and has supported the association in the process of seeking the grant. Citizens are stakeholders as they can visit the farm, gain education opportunities and may choose to join the farming association [Ref. 1, 2, 4, 5]. The farming association aims to develop cooperation with local businesses and schools, but this is seemingly in the planning stage, and no specific actors are yet involved [Ref. 1, 8]. The land is leased from a private real estate company [Ref. 1].

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The development strategy of Lokalt ledd utveckling Halland )
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Type of enablers

NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation, Support from transitional governance actors

Financing

Total cost

€50,000 - €100,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national budget
  • Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
  • EU funds

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
  • Donations

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of land
  • Provision of other services
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
  • Private sector (businesses, financial institution)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Environmental quality
  • Improved soil quality
  • Expected improved soil quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Achieved increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Achieved increased number of species present
  • Enhanced support of pollination
  • Expected enhanced support of pollination

Economic impacts

  • Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
  • Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
  • Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
  • Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Expected improved social cohesion
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Increased access to healthy/affordable food
  • Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
  • Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
  • Achieved increased sustainability of agriculture practices
  • Education
  • Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
  • Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits

Type of reported 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

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
Kungsbacka Tillsammansodling (n.d.). LEADER-projekt Kungsgärdets Byaodling. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Region Halland (n.d.). Kungsgärdets Byaodling. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Wagner, C. (2022). Odla tillsammans - nu tar projektet form. Norra Halland, Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Nordwall, C. (2022). Odlingsförening söker stöd för att växa. Norra Halland, Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Bergman, E. (2022). Rekordbidrag till stadsodlare – får 900 000 i EU-pengar. Kungsbacka-Posten, Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Riksförbundet Svensk Trädgård (n.d.). Kungsbacka Tillsammansodling. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Kungsbacka Tillsammansodling (n.d.). LEADER-projekt Etablering av nya odlingsbäddar och sociala ytor. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Kungsbacka Tillsammansodling (n.d.). LEADER-projekt Samverkansutveckling. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Boverket (n.d.). Segregationsbarometern: Kungsbacka. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
A group of people sitting by a long table outside of the greenhouse at the farm.
Social activities at the urban farm
https://www.kungsbackatillsammansodling.se/2013-2/
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.