One Billion People More Resilient
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Policy Solution

Community gardens

Incentive

Case Studies

Summary

Converting vacant, non-vegetated land into community gardens can provide social and economic benefits in addition to mitigating local temperatures. Soil in garden spaces or raised beds can trap sunlight and heat during warmer months.

Implementation

Provide publicly-owned land, funding, and/or administrative management to incentivize the conversion of vacant, non-vegetated land into community gardens.

Considerations for Use

Community gardens require basic infrastructure to operate (e.g. water supply) and provide opportunities for community engagement, partnership, and education.

Overview

  • Climate:

    Hot/Dry, Hot/Humid, Temperate

  • Policy Levers:

    IncentiveFinancial and non-financial incentives to encourage stakeholders to implement heat risk reduction and preparedness solutions, including rebates, tax credits, expedited permitting, development/zoning bonuses, and more.

  • Trigger Points:

    City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
    Evaluating city land acquisition/saleIncludes efforts and to set aside land suitable for urban cooling efforts like blue or green infrastructure or district cooling.
    No-regrets actions (low cost/low effort but substantial benefit)Interventions that are relatively low-cost and low effort (in terms of requisite dependencies) but have substantial environmental and/or social benefits.

  • Intervention Types:

    Green/natural Infrastructure

  • Sectors:

    Education, Informal Settlements, Parks

Case Studies

Impact

  • Target Beneficiaries:

    Heat-vulnerable communities, Residents

  • Phase of Impact:

    Risk reduction and mitigation

  • Metrics:

    Number of gardens, Number of partner organizations

Implementation

  • Intervention Scale:

    Site

  • Authority and Governance:

    City government

  • Implementation Timeline:

    Medium-term (3-9 Years)

  • Implementation Stakeholders:

    CBOs, City government

  • Funding Sources:

    Public investment

  • Capacity to Act:

    High, Medium

Benefits

  • Cost-Benefit:

    Low

  • Public Good:

    High

  • GHG Reduction:

    Medium

  • Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):

    Improve stormwater management, Preserve biodiversity, Provide flood protection, Reduce air and water pollution, Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

  • Co-benefits (Social/Economic):

    Build social cohesion, Improve human health, Improve the public realm, Increase property values