Buku Jalanan Chow Kit Urban Farm

Creation of new green areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising

The intervention aims to address the following goals: 1. To address the loss of biodiversity and community space due to the lack of green space in Kuala Lumpur (1). 2. To create a space that allows for biodiversity to thrive while empowering the urban community to use their ethnobotanical heritage (1). 3. To enhance the sustainability and resilience of the communities while enriching biodiversity (1). 4. To create healthy environments for youth to develop (1). 5. To raise awareness of existing environmental issues that might put in peril the food capacity of the city (3).

The project is planned to be implemented in the Chow Kit suburb of Kuala Lumpur. The suburb is home to many immigrants as well as low-income citizens who struggle with food security. The NGO initiating the intervention is working to provide equal education opportunities to all the children in the Chow Kit area, and as such is focusing on creating a secure and healthy space for them (2). There are 5 main actions in this project: 1. Establishing a rooftop garden (~232,2576 sq m) and play area: - stage 1: a play area/sports field will be established - stage 2: an edible rooftop garden will be planted - stage 3: biodiversity gardening will be introduced. (1) This rooftop garden and play area will be used as a forum for issues dealing with urban biodiversity and green space among NGOs and social enterprises. (1) 2. Leadership development and innovation through urban farming and biodiversity gardening (1): - program 1: multigenerational leadership development will be introduced - a time-flexible program to engage parents and children in planting urban farms and biodiversity gardens while developing a sense of responsibility for the space. - program 2: sustainability innovation will be facilitated - participants will be trained in design thinking approaches to develop sustainable solutions that are suited to the needs and capabilities of the urban poor. (1) The custodians of the green space will organize several community days as outreach events. 3. Field trips to interact with rural and indigenous communities (1): - visits to forest reserves, permaculture farms and Orang Asli settlements will be arranged in order for children to learn more about natural environments, sustainability and the cultural and agricultural practices of indigenous communities. (1) 4. Ethnobotanical documentation and publication of online resources (1): - as many of the children are first-generation migrants to urban areas, their family members with substantial knowledge of foraging and the use of plants will be interviewed in order to obtain their traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. This will be done through student-led community mapping and documentation exercises, and group work to document and communicate for knowledge management. (1) 5. Use of the community space for community building activities (1): - regular community activities such as music and cultural performances, culinary workshops or arts and crafts workshops will be held in order to push for further sustainable use of green space and promote the concept of increasing green spaces among the stakeholders. (1,3)

• Non-government organisation/Civil Society
• Citizens or community groups
• Marginalized groups: Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
• Young people and children