Last updated: September 2024
The Bela Flor Respira (BFR) project, also known as "ComBOA", is an urban agroecology initiative located in the Campolide neighbourhood of Lisbon, Portugal. This project exemplifies a transformative approach to community development and environmental sustainability by repurposing a neglected urban space into an agroforest. Launched in 2018 by the NGO Circular Economy Portugal, BFR engages local residents of the neighbourhood, from children to the elderly, volunteers, and academic partners, in creating a regenerative space that combines food production with social interaction (Ref 1). The project emphasises the co-production of public policies, fostering social cohesion through collective intelligence and civil society entrepreneurship (Ref 1). BFR’s innovative approach integrates syntropic agriculture, blending fruit trees, vegetables, and native species to create a resilient ecosystem that supports both the environment and the community. Through this initiative, BFR not only enhances urban green spaces but also strengthens community bonds, making it a model of sustainable urban development (Ref 3).
MedTOWN in Portugal: a community garden for better social cohesion
https://www.enicbcmed.eu/medtown-portugal-community-garden-better-social-cohesion
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Environmental quality
- Soil quality improvement
- Waste management
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Conversion of former industrial areas
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Agriculture/ crop production
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Protection of agroecology approaches (agroforestry & silvopastoral systems)
Project objectives
1. Ecological Regeneration: Transform a degraded urban area into a productive agroforestry system, restoring soil health and biodiversity (Ref 2).
2. Urban Agroforestry Implementation: Establish an agroforestry system by planting fruit trees, vegetables, and native species (Ref 2).
3. Community Engagement: Strengthen social cohesion by involving local residents in activities like composting, planting, and maintaining the agroforest (Ref 1).
4. Sustainable Urban Development: Create a model for repurposing undervalued urban spaces into green, productive areas, serving as an example for other cities (Ref 2).
5. Educational Platform: Provide a space for learning and experimentation in sustainable agriculture practices, including syntropic farming techniques (Ref 2).
6. Waste Management: Encourage residents to separate and compost organic waste, using it to fertilise the agroforest, thus closing the waste cycle (Ref 3).
Implementation activities
1. Urban Agroforestry Implementation: The project established an agroforestry system by planting fruit trees, vegetables, and native species. This addressed the problem of soil degradation by enhancing biodiversity and soil health (Ref 2).
2. Community Engagement and Participation: Residents were actively involved in planting, composting, and maintaining the agroforest. This promoted social cohesion and community ownership, addressing the issue of social marginalization in the area (Ref 1).
3. Organic Waste Composting: The project encouraged residents to separate organic waste for composting. The compost produced was used as a natural fertilizer, thus closing the waste cycle and addressing issues of waste management (Ref 2).
4. Educational Activities: Workshops and hands-on activities were organized to teach residents about sustainable agriculture practices. This helped address the lack of environmental awareness and provided practical skills for sustainable living (Ref 2).
5. Space Revitalization: The transformation of a neglected urban area into a productive and green space directly addressed the issue of urban decay, improving the environmental and aesthetic value of the neighborhood (Ref 3).
These activities collectively aimed to regenerate the environment, enhance community engagement, and promote sustainable practices, effectively solving the issues of urban neglect and social marginalization in the Bela, Flor neighbourhood.
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , Elderly people
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
The Portuguese NGO Circular Economy Portugal developed the project and is responsible for the project management. The Bela Flor Respira project also involves the Junta de Freguesia de Campolide for logistical support, the Assembly for Cooperation for Peace for coordination under MedTOWN, the University of Lisbon for research and education, and local residents and volunteers for active participation in the agroforestry and community activities. (Ref 1; 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects, Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching), City network or regional partnerships focused on climate change, sustainability, GI or NBS in the city
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- EU funds
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 goods
- 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 soil quality
- Expected improved soil quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Expected improved water quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
- Increased presence and recovery of wild species
- Expected increased presence and recovery of wild species
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Achieved improved social cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
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.
MedTOWN (2021). MedTOWN in Portugal: a community garden for better social cohesion. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Wiki Sustainable Just Cities (2021). Bela Flor Respira. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Circular Economy Portugal (n.d.). Bela Flor Respira. Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Myslo, L. (2021). An agroforest at my window: MedTOWN in Portugal through the eyes of a volunteer. MEDTown, Accessed on August 24, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Bela Flor Respira (2020). Agrofloresta da Bela Flor. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
Bela Flor Volunteers
https://circulareconomy.pt/en/projects/bela-flor-respira/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.