Supportive Garden Policies

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Supportive municipal policies are vital to the long term sustainability of community gardens.

  

The late “Garden Hero” Adam Honigman, founding member of Clinton Community Garden and Bellevue Sobriety Garden, and member of Hell's Kitchen, once said "Community Gardening is 50% gardening and 100% politics"… forget those two laws … you WILL lose your community garden.

 

Building the Future of Community Gardening in Municipalities of Waterloo Region, written by Greg Michalenko is a proposal from the Community Garden Council of Waterloo Region that encourages supportive municipal policies at the Regional and municipal levels.

 

See also Growing Community Gardens Fact Sheet and proposed Municipal Powerpoint presentations that you are welcome to view and use.

 

In 2005, Queens’ University School of Urban and Regional Planning Student, Cheryl Lyn Dow, interviews garden coordinators and planners to find out perceived benefits and barriers to implementing and managing community gardens in the Region of Waterloo.  Recommendations to help foster well rooted gardens in the Region are listed.  “Benefits and Barriers to Implementing and Managing Well Rooted Gardens in Waterloo Region, Ontario”

In 2009, The Regional Municipality of Waterloo Region adopted community gardens in the Regional Officical Plan

The City of Kitchener has a community garden policy and grant available to gardens in Kitchener. 

The City of Waterloo has a Partners in Parks Program where community gardens are listed as a way communities can get involved in using city greenspace.