Last updated: October 2021
There is a quickly growing number of residents, who want to grow their own food within a short distance of their locality, but new areas for allotments are not sufficient. The environmental NGO Dodo started a "guerilla gardening" movement, part of which is the temporary use of otherwise abandoned spaces. Specifically, at Kalastama area, an empty space waiting to be built upon, 36 farmers created an urban farm with recycled industrial bags to grow crops that can be removed afterwards (ref. 1). The garden in Kalasatama is a collaboration with the city of Helsinki, part of the temporary uses of the area, which in the next 20 years will be built into a new urban district of Helsinki (ref. 4)
Urban farming in Helsinki, Finland
Source: Ref. 2
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
Key challenges
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
1. To provide a space for urban gardening to accommodate the rapidly growing demand for such spaces;
2. To explore new ways of growing food;
3. To make urban farming accessible for everybody (ref. 1).
4. To prove that urban farming makes cities better places to live, reduces the dependence on oil and cuts carbon emissions – when done right urban farming is direct action for the environment! (ref. 1)
Implementation activities
The creation of an urban garden in the form of 150 recycled industrial sacks filled with approximately 1000 L of soil at a site that is currently unused but will become a residential area in the next 20 years. People can rent the bags as a personal allotment (Ref 3).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: 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
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The NGO Dodo is the main leading organisation, but this specific intervention is a collaboration with the local government (Ref 3). Urban Dream Management, a small company was collaborated with in this project (Ref 3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The creation of this garden is in response to a lack of gardening space that the current local plans provide, despite the rising demand (Ref 2). )
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
- Exchange of services
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
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
References
1: Kaupunkiviljely. (n.d.) Dodo's Urban Farmers. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
2: Raivio, P. (n.d.). Urban farming in Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
3: Urban Dream Management. (2010). Bagfield in Kalasatama. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
4: Kaupunkiviljely. (n.d.). Urban gardening projects in Finland. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
5: Helsinki Times. (2012). Slow Food takes over Helsinki’s rooftops. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
2: Raivio, P. (n.d.). Urban farming in Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
3: Urban Dream Management. (2010). Bagfield in Kalasatama. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
4: Kaupunkiviljely. (n.d.). Urban gardening projects in Finland. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
5: Helsinki Times. (2012). Slow Food takes over Helsinki’s rooftops. Retrieved from Source link (Accessed 23 July 2020)
Experimental field of gardening bags
Source: Ref. 3
Experimental field of gardening bags
Source: Ref. 3
Experimental field of gardening bags
Source: Ref. 3