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Urban Gardening in Germany: Cultivating a Sustainable Lifestyle for the Societal Transition to a Bioeconomy

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  • Bastian Winkler

    (Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstrasse 23, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Anika Maier

    (Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstrasse 23, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Iris Lewandowski

    (Department of Biobased Products and Energy Crops (340b), Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstrasse 23, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany)

Abstract

Urban gardening has the potential to turn the growing number of consumers into conscious producers by raising awareness of natural resource cycles, contributing to environmental conservation and climate change mitigation. This study investigated the motivations for urban gardening in Germany, based on an extensive review of 657 urban gardening project websites. The subsequent online survey of 380 project participants provides a characterization of the gardeners, giving insight into both cultivation methods and technologies used and the participants’ consumer behavior. It was shown that urban gardening has an influence on consumer behavior and can induce a change towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The gardens provide a space for the exchange of social values, knowledge and ideas on different ways of life among the diverse participants. Hence, urban gardening creates far more than just food; it influences society on multiple levels. Urban gardening can support the bottom-up societal transition towards a bioeconomy as both have common attributes. Finally, the paper proposes an innovative, resource-efficient cultivation system that may attract further societal groups to the urban gardening lifestyle, with the aim of fostering the development of the bioeconomy.

Suggested Citation

  • Bastian Winkler & Anika Maier & Iris Lewandowski, 2019. "Urban Gardening in Germany: Cultivating a Sustainable Lifestyle for the Societal Transition to a Bioeconomy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-22, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:801-:d:203299
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    5. Irina Salmi, 2025. "Nature-connective educational architecting – an approach to education based on the life-sustenance hypothesis," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Atsushi Watabe & Simon Gilby, 2020. "To See a World in a Grain of Sand—The Transformative Potential of Small Community Actions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Stefan Galley & Stefan Mann & Patrick Bottazzi, 2025. "Contrasting Prosumption Models: Experiences, Benefits and Continuation in Allotment Gardens and Community-Supported Agriculture in Switzerland," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Wolfgang Onyeali & Michael P. Schlaile & Bastian Winkler, 2023. "Navigating the Biocosmos: Cornerstones of a Bioeconomic Utopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-32, June.
    9. Franz Grossauer & Gernot Stoeglehner, 2023. "Bioeconomy—A Systematic Literature Review on Spatial Aspects and a Call for a New Research Agenda," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, January.
    10. Alejandro Padilla-Rivera & Sara Russo-Garrido & Nicolas Merveille, 2020. "Addressing the Social Aspects of a Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-17, September.
    11. Qureshi, Salman & Tarashkar, Mahsa & Matloobi, Mansour & Wang, Zhifang & Rahimi, Akbar, 2022. "Understanding the dynamics of urban horticulture by socially-oriented practices and populace perception: Seeking future outlook through a comprehensive review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    12. Chethika Gunasiri Wadumestrige Dona & Geetha Mohan & Kensuke Fukushi, 2021. "Promoting Urban Agriculture and Its Opportunities and Challenges—A Global Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-22, August.
    13. Paola Clerino & Agnès Fargue-Lelièvre, 2020. "Formalizing Objectives and Criteria for Urban Agriculture Sustainability with a Participatory Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    14. Francesc Fusté-Forné & Maria Fusté Forné, 2021. "Urban Gardens as Sustainable Attractions for Children in Family Tourism," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-11, November.
    15. Francisco Tomatis & Monika Egerer & Adriana Correa-Guimaraes & Luis Manuel Navas-Gracia, 2023. "Urban Gardening in a Changing Climate: A Review of Effects, Responses and Adaptation Capacities for Cities," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, February.
    16. Jae Ho Lee & David Matarrita-Cascante, 2019. "Gardeners’ Past Gardening Experience and Its Moderating Effect on Community Garden Participation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, June.
    17. Felix Zoll & Alexandra Harder & Lerato Nyaradzo Manatsa & Jonathan Friedrich, 2024. "Motivations, changes and challenges of participating in food-related social innovations and their transformative potential: three cases from Berlin (Germany)," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(4), pages 1481-1502, December.

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