Collaborative Design Planting Design Working Group 12

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The `Prinzessinnengärten` in Berlin as example for Urban Gardening

Name	Prinzessinnengärten
Location	Berlin
Country	Germany
Authors	add author

Landscape and/or urban context of your case

Biogeography, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics
you can keep this short
Illustration: Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses

In Germany there are different words existing for allotment garden. People call them "Schrebergarten", "Kleingarten", "Laube", "Familiengarten" or "Parzelle". Allotment gardens are small areas of land which can be rent from the responsible organisation. Especially in big cities in Germany it is difficult to get an allotment garden because the demand is extremly high. Renting a garden itself is not very expensive normally. In general there are many allotment gardens next to each other. To avoid disputes among the garden owners, there are regulations on many things like periods of rest for example which tries to make living side-by-side easier. Allotment gardens give the opportunity to people in cities to grow fruits and vegetables on their own, but they are also important for recreation. Some years ago mainly old people rent a garden like this, but since a few years more young people are interested. Allotment gardens are a place for communication and quite often a little pub etc. can be found there, where the people can meet each other. As mentioned obove, there are not enough allotment gardens for everyone. That`s the reason why other ways of gardening become popular, for example Urban Gardening. Urban gardening is quite old. People in cities always had little gardens in the city to cultivate fruits and vegetables. Nowadays a new way of Urban Gardening becomes a trend in Europe. One of the most famous examples are the Prinzessinnengärten in Berlin. They were established in 2009 on a 6000 m² fallow land in the center of Berlin. A green oasis developed in the concrete jungle of the city. The area is in Berlin-Kreuzberg, an area with less green and many social problems. There are no private beds in the garden. About 1000 volunteers help to maintain the garden and around 60000 people visit the garden every year.

What are the objectives of your design?

Please give a short written argumentation (not more than 150 words). It is ok if you have different or even contradicting objectives within your group. Just make it explicit at the beginning of your process

The gardens create a space for everyone to be a gardener. It is a social, ecological urban agriculture. It is a place to spend time, learn from each other and get in contact with nature and other people. Aims are to learn everything from the very beginning. How to get seeds? How to seed and plant? How to pick? And how to handle the products? Everyone can share his or her experiences or just try something new. Together it is possible to learn more about biodiversity, urban ecology, climate change, recycling and sustainable consumption.

Analytical drawings

Please add four analytical sketches/drawings (or montages/schemes) of your case. Every group member needs to contribute at least one drawing.

Analytical Drawings
Impression summer
Impression autumn
Porentials and Problems
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analytical drawing 4

Projective drawings

Please add four projective sketches/drawings (or montages/schemes), of course with an emphasis on planting design/vegetation aspects. Every group member needs to contribute at least one drawing representing his/her individual ideas.

Projective Drawings
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projective drawing 1
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projective drawing 2
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projective drawing 3
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projective drawing 4

Design Synthesis

Please analyse the individual approaches presented so far and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses (you may use the SWOTanalysis model). Try to create a synthesis and represent it with a plan and some sketches. You can still use drawings/sketches.

Design Synthesis Drawings
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synthesis drawing 1
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synthesis drawing 2
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synthesis drawing 3
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synthesis drawing 4

Summary of the collaborative process

Please reflect on your collaborative design process. Which potentials have you encountered? What was most difficult? What does collaborative design mean for you? (approx 150 words).