Urban community gardens: emerging models for sustainable health, democracy and water policy

Abstract

This paper provides a comparative analysis of community gardens as they expand the scope of purpose to address social, political and health needs of densely populated areas. Water policies in several large urban areas are investigated to assess for their impact on edible gardens/food production, water sources/use and the potential for identifying community gardens as a bridge to stabilizing access to increasing sustainable and scale-able food production that can be reinterpreted in a variety of cultures and climates. Particularly, the reintroduction of small scale, community-based agriculture is examined as a model for increasing community participation as well as managing health, wellness and water.