Yhteisöllisen kaupunkiviljelyn keholliset merkitykset

Abstract

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 planning
and design.