The third Urbact Local Group (ULG) meeting of A Coruña took place on 26th August 2019 at the Centro Cívico Novoboandanza, in the city center.
Representatives of the Department of Employment and the Department of Environment of the City of A Coruña were present at the meeting, along with members of a local NGO and representatives of three different urban gardens. Participants discussed the following topics:
- Outcomes of the Vilnius Transnational Meeting , which took place in July 2019
- Preparation of the participation in the Loures Transnational Meeting, taking place on 1213 September 2019
- Preparation of the first draft of the adaptation of Rome’s Regulation of Urban Gardens to the local context, which will be presented at the Loures Transnational Meeting
- Progress of the Transfer Plan
In relation to the Vilnius Transnational Meeting, the A Coruña representative who was present in the Lithuanian capital city highlighted the very educational visits to the urban garden in Sapiegos and the Miesto Laboratorija project, raising the question among the participants on how these gardens are financed and organized. A debate was opened on the importance if citizen associations in the creation and management of urban gardens, the criteria used for plot allocation and the use of physical enclosures in urban gardens.
The participation in the upcoming Loures Transnational Meeting was discussed, focusing on the representatives of the A Coruña ULG traveling to Loures, where they will meet with representatives of the partner cities’ ULGs.
A Coruña has already a regulation of urban gardens and can be further developed and improved with the introduction of aspects of the Rome Regulations. In fact, the first draft of the adaptation of Rome’s Regulation of Urban Gardens to the context of A Coruña, based on the existing city regulation, is underway and will be presented in Loures, during the session dedicated to the presentation of the first drafts of the adapted Regulation of all partner cities. Participants suggested to increase the current duration of the allocation of the plots and agreed in the need of the professional figure of a the gardeniser, with the function of welcoming new users, facilitating social cohesion and integration, providing technical advice to users, attend to people with specific needs, support in the negotiations with the administration and, in general, play a mediator and support role. In summary, the new Regulation should reflect the importance of creating associations amongst the users of urban gardens, the figure of the gardeniser and the introduction of bee hives.
The Transfer Plan is being reviewed with the ULG members, activities and objectives are all line with the European 2030 Urban Agenda. With regards to the possibility of looking for new locations to create new urban gardens, it was agreed that it would more realistic to expand and improve the existing urban gardens.
