Exploring guerrilla gardening: gauging public views on the grassroots activity

Adams, David and Hardman, M. and Larkham, Peter J. (2015) Exploring guerrilla gardening: gauging public views on the grassroots activity. Local Environment, 20 (10). pp. 1231-1246. ISSN 13549839

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Abstract

The literature on guerrilla gardening is developing rapidly. The majority of these accounts currently derive from North America, with little academic exploration apparent beyond this context: they focus explicitly on the grass-roots gardeners and show little regard for those surrounding the action's location. Guerrilla gardeners often colonise land not only without the permission from authorities, but also with little regard for those who surround the space; transforming areas without consulting with the local communities. This paper explores those affected by guerrilla gardening; grounding our argument in evidence gathered from the activities of three guerrilla groups. In doing so, we investigate the public's views of several informal gardening projects, questioning their value and impact on the surrounding areas. The emerging responses are very mixed, ranging from positive comments about improving aesthetics, to negative remarks surrounding the practices of some groups. Ultimately, this paper demonstrates how, although often promoted and perceived to be a constructive activity, guerrilla gardening can result in adverse impacts on those who surround colonised sites. © 2014 Taylor & Francis.

Item Type: Article
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2014.980227
Dates:
DateEvent
3 October 2015Published
Uncontrolled Keywords: ethnography, guerrilla gardening, political gardening, research methods, urban agriculture, environmentalism, garden, grassroots level, public attitude, research method, urban agriculture, North America
Subjects: CAH06 - agriculture, food and related studies > CAH06-01 - agriculture, food and related studies > CAH06-01-03 - agriculture
CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-01 - architecture
CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-02 - building
CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-04 - planning (urban, rural and regional)
Divisions: Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment > Dept. of Built Environment
Depositing User: Peter Larkham
Date Deposited: 18 Jul 2016 08:32
Last Modified: 22 Mar 2023 12:16
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/1547

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