Graduation Year
2009
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.
Degree Granting Department
Geography
Major Professor
Elizabeth Strom, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Pratyusha Basu Ph.D.
Committee Member
Kevin Archer Ph.D.
Keywords
urban, agriculture, history, social, impacts
Abstract
Numerous researchers have shown that community gardens have the potential to eliminate social, communal, health, agricultural and economic problems that many in the United States and the rest of the world are facing. Yet, throughout history allotment and community gardens have been seen as improper elements of urban landscapes and used predominately for crisis mitigation and not as sustainable solutions. This thesis shows that the current U.S. community garden movement is inherently different than past unsustainable movements and may establish community gardens as sustainable features of many municipalities in the U.S. This is because the modern U.S. movement is supported by more research and infrastructure than in the past; it is composed of many more social and financial groups; it is sponsored by multiple groups (private, public and non-profit); it incorporates multiple uses; and it was spurred by many unconnected catalysts rather than by a single major crisis. The histories of, and connections between, past movements in the U.S. and the U.K. are validated by extensive documentation and records. Additionally, surveys and interviews were conducted with community gardens in Kansas, New York and Texas and the results of these surveys and interviews indicate the current movement is indeed strong, diverse and expanding.
Scholar Commons Citation
Birky, Joshua, "The Modern Community Garden Movement in the United States: Its Roots, its Current Condition and its Prospects for the Future" (2009). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/1860
