Magdalena Szczepańska

Abstract In many European countries horticultural production in cities occupies a special position in their spatial policies and is financially supported by their authorities. Today, it is emphasised that urban land in agricultural use performs not only productive and economic functions, but also many more functions of great importance to a city, including ecological, health- and landscape-related, recreational, and social ones. In Poland, after the period of economic and political transformation, one can observe a dynamic expansion of urban areas and their strong pressure on farmland most valuable in productive and landscape terms. In conceptions and documents on spatial development of urbanised areas, agricultural functions tend to be marginalised or perceived as specific to rural areas. A special form of urban horticulture is gardening, including allotment gardens, which have a rich tradition and a history more than a hundred years long. The reasons for the appearance and development of allotment gardens should be sought in socio-economic changes associated with the industrialisation period. What is alarming today, is the opinion that those plots of land supposedly restrict the spatial development of urbanised areas. In addition to their numerous socio-economic functions, allotments are an important element in the implementation of the idea of sustainable development, and as such they should play a special role in the spatial policy of urban areas. The main goal of this paper is to present the development of family allotment gardens in Poland and their current number, structure and location in the Poznań agglomeration. An attempt was made to formulate recommendations for a spatial policy of the agglomeration and towards this goal data obtained from Polish Association of Allotment Holders and Central Statistical Office was analysed. In addition, field studies and survey research were conducted.

Keywords: allotment gardener, green infarstructure, utlility gardens, community gardens, urban horticulture

Citation

APA: Szczepańska, M. (2017). Family allotment gardens - the case of the Poznań agglomeration. Europa XXI, 32, 71-88. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2017.32.5
MLA: Szczepańska, Magdalena. "Family allotment gardens - the case of the Poznań agglomeration". Europa XXI, vol. 32, 2017, pp. 71-88. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2017.32.5
Chicago: Szczepańska, Magdalena. "Family allotment gardens - the case of the Poznań agglomeration". Europa XXI 32 (2017): 71-88. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2017.32.5
Harvard: Szczepańska, M. 2017. "Family allotment gardens - the case of the Poznań agglomeration". Europa XXI, vol. 32, pp. 71-88. https://doi.org/10.7163/Eu21.2017.32.5