Co-creating Community Gardens: Bridging Design Education and Social Service to Promote Community Wellbeing

Abstract

Community gardens play a pivotal role in promoting urban sustainability and enhancing residents’ well-being. However, various challenges persist in their development, resulting in diverse governance structures tailored by local factors such as policies, budget constraints, participating organizations, and available resources. Since 2019, Shenzhen has piloted the “We Garden” program, which fosters public participation in co-discussing, co-constructing, co-managing, and co-sharing community gardens. Existing research on this innovative initiative primarily focuses on the roles of government, non-profit organizations, and local communities. This study offers a new perspective by examining the case in Pingshan District, where Shenzhen Technology University assumes a central role in facilitating public participation and providing design services for community garden projects. It also demonstrates how such initiatives can enrich design education by offering students practical, hands-on learning experiences. The case study provides valuable insights for other cities or regions, showcasing a distinctive model of governance structure for developing community garden projects that integrates social service with design education.

Keywords

Community Garden / “We Garden” Program / Governance Structure / University / Public Participation / Design Education / Landscape Design

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2025 Higher Education Press