CASE STUDY: CO-DESIGNING A PERMACULTURE GARDEN
CO-DESIGNING AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP & CO-BUILDING AN URBAN COMMUNITY GARDEN
In 2003 I initiated a week long workshop and co-created a community garden in Izmir, in Turkey with Permaculture experts Evan and Morag Gamble from Chrystal Waters, Melbourne, Australia. This was the first organic community garden initiated in Izmir, in an effort to protect meaningful urban green spaces that are being lost due to over development.
CHALLENGE:
How might we design and build an urban sustainable community garden project that will be a hands on lab for permaculture education and a hub to connect different segments of society to collaborate?
SOLUTION:
During a 9 day workshop which was strategically co-designed to facilitate local community participation to teach principles of permaculture, as well as design their own community garden. The intensive design and education workshop included a co-design session of the garden’s layout, a transferring of the ideas to execution through a co-building session, and a governance session with rules that are established with the garden volunteers.
IMPACT:
Over the course of two decades the vacant lot transitioned into a thriving garden, with diverse plant species and a communal area where different segments of the society exchanged ideas, shared native seeds and practiced organic gardening.
The co-creation workshop became an example for other community workshop models in the region.
The garden was published widely in the news as an example for design activism in Izmir.
The City of Berkeley designated this urban garden as a sister garden to Karl Linn Community Gardens in 2017
WHAT PEOPLE SAY:
It was an amazing experience to learn and design with Basak. I live in an apartment and always dreamed of having a garden. Finally my dreams became true. Thank you for making this a reality for so many of us.
Retired teacher, Garden Volunteer
We couldn’t believe what an amazing project this turned out to be. The co-design workshop was impressive. Together with the local volunteers Basak’s team turned a vacant lot, into a thriving oasis. We are very proud to have this as an example to other municipalities to use as a reference. What a great collaboration.
Ali Ihsan Ulker, Mayor of Balcova