Municipal community garden projects in urban small parks of Toyama City

The perspective of aging-friendly community revitalization

Abstract

Urban gardening has various functions including health improvement and community building, which are important in an aging society. The smallest park types called gaiku koen in Japan can be a place for securing accessible community gardens in each neighborhood. However, it is generally an obstacle that growing and harvesting vegetables and fruits in public urban parks are regarded as inappropriate activity in terms of public interest. To overcome the problem, this report introduces how Toyama City started a municipal community garden project in gaiku koen. The key findings are: 1) The municipality convinced the responsible ministry that community gardens would be beneficial to urban dwellers, especially elderly people, and effective to meet current needs for gaiku koen. 2) The initiative for starting a community garden is entrusted to a park care association comprised of local residents through an official process.