Berlin Gardens Threatened by Construction
By Vanessa Richins
Germany has been leading the way in urban gardening for many years.
They started the current trend of green roofs back in the 1960s.
Michigan State University’s Green Roof Research Program states that “It is estimated that 12% of all flat roofs in that country are green and the German green roof industry is growing 10% to 15% per year”.
Berlin has been pioneering another current trend – urban farming. Many of the 74,500 local gardens contain edible plants. The fervor for local gardening began back in the World War 1 and 2 years.
However, Berlin’s senate, faced with the task of balancing a budget ridden with debt, says that some of the gardens may have to be bulldozed in favor of new construction.
Spiegel Online reports that “Berlin’s senate also argues that demand for the small garden plots has dropped. But that’s not how Inge Titel sees things. “We’re actually undergoing a generational change,” Titel says. “It’s mostly young families with children who are now applying for the land parcels.”
Empty plots can only be found on the outskirts of the city, she says. Whereas centrally located plots are in high demand. Over 400 people have applied for a plot in the “Durlach” colony in Willmersdorf and the waiting list is three to four years long.”
As we’ve mentioned before, gardens make cities healthier. They filter carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, making it safer to breathe, as well as creating cooler temperatures. They offer citizens the opportunities to eat healthier as they grow their own produce. Gardens can teach city children all about science and nature.
The decision will be made in October 2009. I hope they can find another way out of debt. The world needs more gardens, not less.
