Significance of Allotment Gardens in Urban Green Space Systems and Their Classification for Spatial Planning Purposes: A Case Study of Poznań, Poland

Abstract

Almost five thousand allotment gardens divided into one million plots are used by roughly 10% of Polish society. Several studies have emphasized their social importance and significance for enlargement of the area and the integrity of urban spatial greenery systems. However, the area of allotment gardens in Polish cities has been decreasing since the changes in the post-communist country in the 1990s. There is a lack of a simple method of classification and valuation of allotment gardens in relation to their significance in urban green space systems that could be used by officials and city planners. Hence, this study aims to examine the significance of allotment gardens in the spatial development of the green space system of Poznań and classify them with a simple and universal method of valuation which could be used in urban planning. The location of allotment gardens in the urban green space system in Poznań was examined with the classification method elaborated here. It was based on the valuation of several internal and external features of individual allotment gardens. The results showed that allotment gardens are important areas and spatial elements of the green space system in Poznań. Over 30% of allotment gardens are of high significance in the green space system of the city. Nevertheless, according to urban planning documentation, there are plans to reduce the area of allotments in Poznań. Even gardens indicated in the research to be of high significance to the integrity and enlargement area of the urban green space system are planned to be liquidated. Use of the developed classification could influence the decision-making process regarding the liquidation of allotment gardens and preserve the most valuable objects.

Geospatial characteristics of allotment garden provision in Tokyo

“…AGs in Chicago (US) are primarily concentrated in areas with low levels of developmental pressure (Taylor and Lovell, 2012). The distribution of AGs is negatively associated with the distance from the central area in Philadelphia (US) (Park and Ciorici, 2013) and positively associated with the urban greenery in Poznań (Poland) (Dymek et al, 2021). Second, the characteristics of the residents, especially income level and age, affect the demand for AG plots.…”

Provision of Allotment Gardens and Its Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Tokyo, Japan

“…In Germany, the spatial characteristics of 276 AGs in Leipzig were analyzed to assess their ecosystem services [11]. In Poland, the significance of the 86 AGs in Pozna ń in the urban green space system's spatial development was examined and classified with a method of valuation that could be used in urban planning [51]. In the UK, a study has shown that the provision of AGs in London does not meet demand and that the 682 AGs are not evenly distributed across London [52].…”

Contemporary trends in urban allotment gardening: The example of family plots in Warsaw

“…In May 1949, the first law concerning workers' allotment gardens was passed; the next was in May 1981, when the Polish Association of Allotment Gardens (PZD) was created. In 2005 the name 'Family Allotment Gardens' replaced worker's gardens (Ustawa, 2005) but after the socio-economic changes connected with the fall of communism (1989) the number of gardens in Poland had declined (Dymek, Wilkaniec, Bednorz, Szczepańska, 2021;Szkup, Pytel, 2016). Neglected and abandoned gardens spoiled the landscape and views.…”

“…At present they are administrated by the Polish Association of Allotment Gardens (PZD), encompassing 4,601 gardens with 905,900 individual plots covering a total of over 40,186 hectares and are used by 10% of Polish society (Dymek, Wilkaniec, Bednorz, Szczepańska, 2021). According to the Allotment Gardens Act of 13 December 2013 they are a public utility (Ustawa, 2013).…”

“…Ninety percent of allotment gardens in Poland are located in urban areas (Klepacki, Kujawska, 2018). Unfortunately, their favorable location in Polish cities makes them attractive areas for development, vulnerable to functional transformation, and becoming a focus of interest for public and private investors (real estate agents, developers), and with public authorities who want to allocate the land for profitable sale or investment (Dymek, Wilkaniec, Bednorz, Szczepańska, 2021). Saving them depends on regulating their legal status.…”