An ongoing academic debate shows that urban community gardening (CG) has diverse governance model... more An ongoing academic debate shows that urban community gardening (CG) has diverse governance models with differing roles of city administration and citizens. This article uses an empirical case study conducted in the city of Tampere, Finland, to explore what I call the “operational space” of urban CG seen from the viewpoint of city officials. Two rounds of interviews were conducted with eight city officials, and a discourse analysis was applied for the data. As an analytic term developed in this article, the operational space emerges by administrative policies and practices that enable or constrain urban gardening under two general trends of urban governance: institutional ambiguity and neoliberal urban development. In this case, the operational space was rather rigid and narrow. The five main discourses on benefit, control of space, scarcity, unclarity, and newness referred to a clear aim to enable urban gardening. However, the discourses were restricted to strategic, limited, and i...
Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the so... more Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the socialand ecological significance of the Pispala allotmentarea close to the city centre of Tampere. Local residentsuse these nearly 300 plots for urban farming,but the city is planning to take the area for buildingpurposes. We use data from field observation,planning documents, biological field surveys, andquestionnaires sent to the farmers and other localresidents. Based on a mixed-method explorativeanalysis, the findings suggest that the reiterativecycles of farming practices have far-reachingconsequences: they 1) make the place visible andmeaningful to a variety of people, 2) extend the placeover the surrounding neighborhoods by animatingsocial interaction and restoring historical meaningsand shared identity, and 3) link the site ecologicallyto a regional species pool with rare plant species dependentupon historical layers of human settlement.We conclude that these features of urban diversityare frequently disregarded by local administrativebodies, as they lie beyond the formal categories ofevidence used in planning. However, they are crucialfor understanding the social and cultural dynamicsof urban ecosystem services.
Tutkimus käsittelee Tampereen Pispalassa sijaitsevan ryytimaan toimijoiden, erityisesti palstavil... more Tutkimus käsittelee Tampereen Pispalassa sijaitsevan ryytimaan toimijoiden, erityisesti palstaviljelijöiden, kokemuksia ryytimaasta. Lähtökohtana on viljelyn tarkasteleminen sosiaalisena käytäntönä, ja paikan muodostuminen ja merkityksellistyminen yksilöiden ja yhteisöjen kokemuksissa erityisesti kaavoituksen mukanaan tuoman paikan rakentamisen uhkan kontekstissa. Tutkimus käsittelee Pispalan ryytimaan tapausta esimerkkinä merkityksellisenä koetun luontopaikan asemasta ja potentiaalista kaupunkisuunnittelun ja kaavoituksen käytännöissä. Tutkimus on toteutettu etnografisella tutkimusotteella. Olen itsekin viljelijänä ryytimaalla, ja osana yhteisöä olen havainnoinut paikan tapahtumia, sosiaalista elämää ja käytäntöjä sekä haastatellut paikan käyttäjiä. Tutkimusaineistona ovat ryytimaan viljelijöille ja ohikulkijoille kesällä 2012 tehdyt haastattelut sekä etnografiseen havainnointiin perustuvat kenttämuistiinpanot. Aineiston käsittelyssä kertomuksellisuus on ollut keskeisessä asemassa,...
On a communal level, gardens are spaces where people learn how to interact with other people, how... more On a communal level, gardens are spaces where people learn how to interact with other people, how to deal with internal conflicts and integrate newcomers, how to react to dislocation threats and how to become politically involved. Gardeners gain knowledge about sustainable and environmental issues and learn how to cultivate plants. In addition, gardens are great places to interact with different social groups and build friendships.
Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the so... more Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the socialand ecological significance of the Pispala allotmentarea close to the city centre of Tampere. Local residentsuse these nearly 300 plots for urban farming,but the city is planning to take the area for buildingpurposes. We use data from field observation,planning documents, biological field surveys, andquestionnaires sent to the farmers and other localresidents. Based on a mixed-method explorativeanalysis, the findings suggest that the reiterativecycles of farming practices have far-reachingconsequences: they 1) make the place visible andmeaningful to a variety of people, 2) extend the placeover the surrounding neighborhoods by animatingsocial interaction and restoring historical meaningsand shared identity, and 3) link the site ecologicallyto a regional species pool with rare plant species dependentupon historical layers of human settlement.We conclude that these features of urban div...
How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores th... more How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores three illustrative cases of urban gardening in which strategic spatial planning, together with enabling governance instruments and statutory planning, creates conditions for self-organisation in local food production. The cases are related to brownfield regeneration, a city centre strategy and an established urban neighbourhood. The findings highlight the multifunctionality of urban gardening, its dependence on self-organisation and its value in creating local food systems. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of utilising these findings in spatial planning.
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2020
This article examines the processes of urban commoning and its co-produced features of urbanity, ... more This article examines the processes of urban commoning and its co-produced features of urbanity, making the claim that, through these processes, informality becomes translated into institutionalized city planning. Commoning is analysed through a comparative study that utilizes contingent features of urbanity and three modalities accommodating the informality-formality meshwork during urban change. The article contributes to research on urban transformations by integrating commons, informality dynamics and the constitution of state institutions. This focus is elaborated with reference to collective gardening practices in the context of two of the less studied European cities, Narva in Estonia and Tampere in Finland. The results of the study indicate that urban commoning takes place through delegating a public mandate and enacting uncertainty, two processes that informalize city government practices. Particular differences appeared in regard to the institutional porosity that enables unregulated spaces of collective gardening to be mobilized as part of urban politics. We argue that networked movements appear as an essential part of the urban logic of action producing meaningful connections in an informal-formal meshwork and bringing together multiple sites in the commoning process.
How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores th... more How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores three illustrative cases of urban gardening in which strategic spatial planning, together with enabling governance instruments and statutory planning, creates conditions for self-organisation in local food production. The cases are related to brownfield regeneration, a city centre strategy and an established urban neighbourhood. The findings highlight the multifunctionality of urban gardening, its dependence on self-organisation and its value in creating local food systems. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of utilising these findings in spatial planning.
During the past few years, a new wave of gardening in urban space has gained ground in Finland, f... more During the past few years, a new wave of gardening in urban space has gained ground in Finland, following the development in many European and North American cities a decade earlier. Today urban gardening is integrated into the urban structure and takes place in brownfields and other vacant plots near city centers. This article examines urban gardening through the concept of affect in a community garden in Tampere, Finland. It explores what kind of affects relate to urban gardening and how they appear. The study follows an ethnographic approach and utilizes data gathered from participatory observation, gardeners’ interviews, and letters they have written about their experiences. Three main affects identified in the analysis are attachment to the gardening activity, communality and attachment to the gardening place. Affects occur in cycles and point out the gardeners’ potential of action and their experience of being a part of the city. These findings open up new insights into urban residents’ sensitivity to urban space and their engagement to urban development. The study suggests that urban gardening can be seen as a resource in urban plan ning and design.
An ongoing academic debate shows that urban community gardening (CG) has diverse governance model... more An ongoing academic debate shows that urban community gardening (CG) has diverse governance models with differing roles of city administration and citizens. This article uses an empirical case study conducted in the city of Tampere, Finland, to explore what I call the “operational space” of urban CG seen from the viewpoint of city officials. Two rounds of interviews were conducted with eight city officials, and a discourse analysis was applied for the data. As an analytic term developed in this article, the operational space emerges by administrative policies and practices that enable or constrain urban gardening under two general trends of urban governance: institutional ambiguity and neoliberal urban development. In this case, the operational space was rather rigid and narrow. The five main discourses on benefit, control of space, scarcity, unclarity, and newness referred to a clear aim to enable urban gardening. However, the discourses were restricted to strategic, limited, and i...
Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the so... more Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the socialand ecological significance of the Pispala allotmentarea close to the city centre of Tampere. Local residentsuse these nearly 300 plots for urban farming,but the city is planning to take the area for buildingpurposes. We use data from field observation,planning documents, biological field surveys, andquestionnaires sent to the farmers and other localresidents. Based on a mixed-method explorativeanalysis, the findings suggest that the reiterativecycles of farming practices have far-reachingconsequences: they 1) make the place visible andmeaningful to a variety of people, 2) extend the placeover the surrounding neighborhoods by animatingsocial interaction and restoring historical meaningsand shared identity, and 3) link the site ecologicallyto a regional species pool with rare plant species dependentupon historical layers of human settlement.We conclude that these features of urban diversityare frequently disregarded by local administrativebodies, as they lie beyond the formal categories ofevidence used in planning. However, they are crucialfor understanding the social and cultural dynamicsof urban ecosystem services.
Tutkimus käsittelee Tampereen Pispalassa sijaitsevan ryytimaan toimijoiden, erityisesti palstavil... more Tutkimus käsittelee Tampereen Pispalassa sijaitsevan ryytimaan toimijoiden, erityisesti palstaviljelijöiden, kokemuksia ryytimaasta. Lähtökohtana on viljelyn tarkasteleminen sosiaalisena käytäntönä, ja paikan muodostuminen ja merkityksellistyminen yksilöiden ja yhteisöjen kokemuksissa erityisesti kaavoituksen mukanaan tuoman paikan rakentamisen uhkan kontekstissa. Tutkimus käsittelee Pispalan ryytimaan tapausta esimerkkinä merkityksellisenä koetun luontopaikan asemasta ja potentiaalista kaupunkisuunnittelun ja kaavoituksen käytännöissä. Tutkimus on toteutettu etnografisella tutkimusotteella. Olen itsekin viljelijänä ryytimaalla, ja osana yhteisöä olen havainnoinut paikan tapahtumia, sosiaalista elämää ja käytäntöjä sekä haastatellut paikan käyttäjiä. Tutkimusaineistona ovat ryytimaan viljelijöille ja ohikulkijoille kesällä 2012 tehdyt haastattelut sekä etnografiseen havainnointiin perustuvat kenttämuistiinpanot. Aineiston käsittelyssä kertomuksellisuus on ollut keskeisessä asemassa,...
On a communal level, gardens are spaces where people learn how to interact with other people, how... more On a communal level, gardens are spaces where people learn how to interact with other people, how to deal with internal conflicts and integrate newcomers, how to react to dislocation threats and how to become politically involved. Gardeners gain knowledge about sustainable and environmental issues and learn how to cultivate plants. In addition, gardens are great places to interact with different social groups and build friendships.
Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the so... more Open spaces have become critical in planning ofcompact cities. In this article, we analyse the socialand ecological significance of the Pispala allotmentarea close to the city centre of Tampere. Local residentsuse these nearly 300 plots for urban farming,but the city is planning to take the area for buildingpurposes. We use data from field observation,planning documents, biological field surveys, andquestionnaires sent to the farmers and other localresidents. Based on a mixed-method explorativeanalysis, the findings suggest that the reiterativecycles of farming practices have far-reachingconsequences: they 1) make the place visible andmeaningful to a variety of people, 2) extend the placeover the surrounding neighborhoods by animatingsocial interaction and restoring historical meaningsand shared identity, and 3) link the site ecologicallyto a regional species pool with rare plant species dependentupon historical layers of human settlement.We conclude that these features of urban div...
How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores th... more How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores three illustrative cases of urban gardening in which strategic spatial planning, together with enabling governance instruments and statutory planning, creates conditions for self-organisation in local food production. The cases are related to brownfield regeneration, a city centre strategy and an established urban neighbourhood. The findings highlight the multifunctionality of urban gardening, its dependence on self-organisation and its value in creating local food systems. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of utilising these findings in spatial planning.
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2020
This article examines the processes of urban commoning and its co-produced features of urbanity, ... more This article examines the processes of urban commoning and its co-produced features of urbanity, making the claim that, through these processes, informality becomes translated into institutionalized city planning. Commoning is analysed through a comparative study that utilizes contingent features of urbanity and three modalities accommodating the informality-formality meshwork during urban change. The article contributes to research on urban transformations by integrating commons, informality dynamics and the constitution of state institutions. This focus is elaborated with reference to collective gardening practices in the context of two of the less studied European cities, Narva in Estonia and Tampere in Finland. The results of the study indicate that urban commoning takes place through delegating a public mandate and enacting uncertainty, two processes that informalize city government practices. Particular differences appeared in regard to the institutional porosity that enables unregulated spaces of collective gardening to be mobilized as part of urban politics. We argue that networked movements appear as an essential part of the urban logic of action producing meaningful connections in an informal-formal meshwork and bringing together multiple sites in the commoning process.
How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores th... more How can spatial planning turn self-organisation into a policymaking asset? This study explores three illustrative cases of urban gardening in which strategic spatial planning, together with enabling governance instruments and statutory planning, creates conditions for self-organisation in local food production. The cases are related to brownfield regeneration, a city centre strategy and an established urban neighbourhood. The findings highlight the multifunctionality of urban gardening, its dependence on self-organisation and its value in creating local food systems. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of utilising these findings in spatial planning.
During the past few years, a new wave of gardening in urban space has gained ground in Finland, f... more During the past few years, a new wave of gardening in urban space has gained ground in Finland, following the development in many European and North American cities a decade earlier. Today urban gardening is integrated into the urban structure and takes place in brownfields and other vacant plots near city centers. This article examines urban gardening through the concept of affect in a community garden in Tampere, Finland. It explores what kind of affects relate to urban gardening and how they appear. The study follows an ethnographic approach and utilizes data gathered from participatory observation, gardeners’ interviews, and letters they have written about their experiences. Three main affects identified in the analysis are attachment to the gardening activity, communality and attachment to the gardening place. Affects occur in cycles and point out the gardeners’ potential of action and their experience of being a part of the city. These findings open up new insights into urban residents’ sensitivity to urban space and their engagement to urban development. The study suggests that urban gardening can be seen as a resource in urban plan ning and design.
In Finland, novel forms of urban gardening started to emerge as a part of a larger DIY activism m... more In Finland, novel forms of urban gardening started to emerge as a part of a larger DIY activism movement in the beginning of the 2010s. New gardening activism took its first steps without official agreements with land owners, as guerilla gardening – just like in New York City and many European cities a decade or two earlier. By DIY gardening citizens are realizing their ability to grow their own food and, at the same time, sustaining a positive protest of shaping the public space. This paper discusses the new (possible) forms of cooperation and dialogue between city gardeners and city officers in Tampere, Finland. Currently, hybrid forms of urban gardening – combining features from bottom-up and top-down oriented gardening – are emerging. Gardeners seem to be interested in cooperating with city authorities in gardening matters. The question is whether the city as an organization is ready to enter this dialogue. Is the relationship between the two actors equal enough for inventive and cooperative forms of urban gardening to emerge? The city officers look kindly on urban gardening in general, but some things do arouse concern when thinking about possible trajectories of gardening realized by citizens. A fear of citizens starting to claim the property and a fear of gardening site appearing too untidy are the two main concerns for the city. For gardening action to be established and integrated in regular land use practices would require the city to recognize and acknowledge the social and other benefits of urban gardening. It requires courage from a city to throw itself into a dialogue with citizens, and to assume an active role in enabling urban gardening initiatives based on citizen activism.
This paper presents a case of a floating garden established on a pontoon dock on the lakeside of ... more This paper presents a case of a floating garden established on a pontoon dock on the lakeside of Hiedanranta, a former industrial area bought by the city of Tampere (Finland) for urban development. In visions of the city, Hiedanranta will be a multifunctional new district for 15,000 inhabitants, potentially combining the ideas of sustainability and productivity (Viljoen & Bohn 2014) in local food production. Before starting land-use planning, the city has opened this brownfield area for temporary uses devised by the citizens. The floating garden is one of these bottom-up initiatives implemented in the area in 2016. The aim of the paper is to explore the cooperation between active citizens (bottom-up) and the project leaders of the city (top-down) from the viewpoint of co-creation. The analysis is based on interviews and participatory observation in the initial workshops and other events during the gardening process. The results point out the roles of civic, private sector and public actors in management, the mutual benefits and potential pitfalls in participatory design, and the importance of mediators during the process. These factors are probably essential in many projects of co-creation in urban regeneration.
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Papers by Krista Willman
the development in many European and North American cities a decade earlier. Today urban gardening is
integrated into the urban structure and takes place in brownfields and other vacant plots near city centers.
This article examines urban gardening through the concept of affect in a community garden in Tampere,
Finland. It explores what kind of affects relate to urban gardening and how they appear. The study follows
an ethnographic approach and utilizes data gathered from participatory observation, gardeners’ interviews,
and letters they have written about their experiences. Three main affects identified in the analysis are
attachment to the gardening activity, communality and attachment to the gardening place. Affects occur
in cycles and point out the gardeners’ potential of action and their experience of being a part of the city.
These findings open up new insights into urban residents’ sensitivity to urban space and their engagement
to urban development. The study suggests that urban gardening can be seen as a resource in urban plan ning and design.
Book Reviews by Krista Willman
the development in many European and North American cities a decade earlier. Today urban gardening is
integrated into the urban structure and takes place in brownfields and other vacant plots near city centers.
This article examines urban gardening through the concept of affect in a community garden in Tampere,
Finland. It explores what kind of affects relate to urban gardening and how they appear. The study follows
an ethnographic approach and utilizes data gathered from participatory observation, gardeners’ interviews,
and letters they have written about their experiences. Three main affects identified in the analysis are
attachment to the gardening activity, communality and attachment to the gardening place. Affects occur
in cycles and point out the gardeners’ potential of action and their experience of being a part of the city.
These findings open up new insights into urban residents’ sensitivity to urban space and their engagement
to urban development. The study suggests that urban gardening can be seen as a resource in urban plan ning and design.