Urban gardening becomes a coping mechanism for modern instability
A new Swedish study reveals that urban gardening serves as more than recreation—it's how people respond psychologically to climate anxiety and geopolitical uncertainty. The finding suggests cities could leverage community gardens as infrastructure for both mental health and social cohesion during periods of societal stress.
Originaltitel: Grounded amidst liquid modernity: the significance of urban gardening
In Sweden, rising engagement in urban gardening initiatives not only reflects broader societal concerns, such as those linked to the climate crisis and geopolitical uncertainty, but also reveals how individuals respond to conditions of instability. More than a leisure activity, urban gardening, often a collective endeavour in shared urban spaces, provides a way of negotiating and articulating complex relationships with others, nature, society and the self. In this article, we approach urban gardening as a site where moral responsibility towards both human and more-than-human Others is enacted through everyday, often quiet, acts of care. We investigate how urban gardening can function as a potential site of ethical re-attachment, arguing that participation in urban gardening fosters a sense of connection and groundedness that may counteract the perceived fragmentation and instability characteristic of late modern life.