A couple of weeks ago took place in Madrid an exhibition called “Semillando”  (Seeding), demonstrating several initiatives in different European cities of how urban spaces can be converted into green areas for the benefit of allotments and gardening. This practise is making a come back and becoming more commonplace in today’s buzzing capitals, boosted by public demand for being greener.

A warehouse in the neighbourhood of Lavapies, Madrid, was converted into a public allotment as a part of an experimental project to invite people to plant and nurture vegetables, plants and trees. The initiative was followed by neighbours and a group of volunteers, only to be closed by the city town hall not long after accusing them of illegally occupying a public space.

In Paris the situation could not be any different. It is the town hall  which creates these shared gardens under the “Green Crad”, a licensing contract through which the public administration temporarily lends these pieces of land as long as the neighbours follow some rules: to open it to the public  for half a day twice  a week; to maintain the upkeep of the garden and  prioritize the use of ecological products.  These public gardens will remain until the space is needed for another  public purpose.





Another city that has followed suit is London with the “What Will The Harvest Be” project.  This land covers an area of 2.000 m2 belonging to an abbey in the east of London. Designed by artists Karen Guthrie and Nina Pope, it stays open to anyone wanting to plant flowers and vegetables.


In Can Masdeu, Barcelona, the locals have created their own public green space in what used to be a leper house. The project was initiated in 2001 and has overcome an attempted eviction. Nowadays it is inhabited by 30 people who cultivate the majority of the products they consume. A public assembly is organised once a month to discuss issues such as water use, land division or common activities.



Last but not least, Aulagarden in Granada, in the south of Spain.  The usual thing about this example is its location: inside the university grounds.  This pilot project aims to be extended to other universities or areas in the city lacking greenery.

These are great  initiatives  because they ensure a live and a long-term project with the collaboration of the common public. They should be followed as an example of integrity, gathering people together for the sake of  a creative and participative  green aim,  the likes of which are normally relegated to small villages and towns.

This goes to show that green and grey go well together.