Integration is defined as a gradual approach of two forms of urban gardening – allotment and community gardening, at the level of cooperation, exchange of experience and increasing their accessibility to the society, and finally, development of a form of garden combining elements of both types. Allotment gardens create public spaces and cooperating with residents and local organizations, develop openness strategies, integrating with their surroundings, and community gardens, maintaining their community character, derive knowledge and skills from experienced allotment gardeners.
An example can be “Garden of the Future” created as part of the International Horticultural Exhibition IGA 2017 in Berlin, or those of the allotment gardens in both capitals that introduce elements of openness into their development policies and undertake certain activities for the local community. Among the community active allotment gardens is worth mentioning Am Stadpark I in Berlin, Tempelhofer Berg, where community is cooperating with refugees and immigrants, and the NCR, where has been a community allotment in the garden for years. In Warsaw, however, the Maja Berezowska Family Garden, which has an open spaces accessible for the local community, ROD Piwonia, where a group of allotment gardeners established a community garden called Piwonia (2016-2018) or ROD Obrońców Pokoju and documenting and community project Warszawscy Działkowcy (eng. Warsaw Allotment Gardeners) was carried out in the garden (2015-2016).
An essential element of integration is also a dialogue between young urban gardeners and allotment owners and the search for common elements that lead to the strengthening of their position in the city and the creation of conditions suitable for the development of both types of gardens. Such discussions are held as part of the “Round Table” meetings where representatives of Berlin’s local authorities and gardeners discussed the future of urban gardens. In Warsaw, within the cooperation between City Greenery Office and the non-governmental organization Pracownia Dóbr Wspólnych, in 2017 was established Bujna Warszawa initiative which main aim is to promote and support community gardening in Warsaw. In 2019 Stowarzyszenie Aktywności Miejskich “Rozkwit” joined to Bujna Warszawa and, in agreement with regional department of the Polish Association of Allotment Gardeners is conducting community based “Naprzód Działki” (eng. Onward, allotments) and organize open events and social consultations in different allotment gardens in Warsaw.
The exchange of experiences between representatives of both forms of gardens was also supported by the project “(Stadt)gärtnern im Klimawandel”, implemented by the Humboldt University in 2015-2017, which included a series of educational and integration meetings for gardeners. The exchange of experience can also take place between management boards of individual allotments in order to develop a common strategy of openness and cooperation with community gardens, as well as within individual gardens, where the intensification of activities for the empowering of allotments will strengthen bonds between gardeners, creating a sense of community.
For the purpose of this research, ‘integration’ is also defined as the process of creating a space for the exchange of experience between allotments and community gardens, which will enable the joint rethinking of the essence and function of urban gardens. The result of such integration would be the creation of a new model of urban gardens, reaching different age, gender, education, social background, as well as highlighting important social functions by showing their impact on the improvement of the quality of life in the city. Integration can take place at a material or conceptual level. In the first case, integration is tested in the field and concerns the implementation of instruments specific to one type of garden in another (e.g. a greater order characterizing allotment gardens or the use of one plot of land in an allotment garden for community use). The conceptual dimension relates primarily to joint development, discussion space and integration activities (cooperation with social organizations, joint learning, discussion forum, joint celebration).
