Voedseltuin - Food Garden Rotterdam
Rotterdam, NL
| Type | Landscape design, Public park |
| Design | 2015 |
| Construction | 2017 |
| Location | Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
| Size | < 1ha |
| Client | CityLab 010, Gemeente Rotterdam |
| I.c.w. | Stichting Voedseltuin |
A green city with healthy food for all: that’s what the Voedseltuin Rotterdam (Food Garden Rotterdam) stands for. The food garden is a lively plot for urban agriculture located in M4H, one of the old abandoned harbors currently being transformed into Rotterdam’s newest residential area. LOLA Landscape Architects designed the garden based on the permaculture principles: a man-made ecosystem that sustains itself and focuses on self-sufficient agriculture and horticulture.
In a concrete environment, the food garden forms a natural oasis that connects other green zones in the city. With the design, LOLA looked beyond the Food Garden terrain. The garden links a growing green network of Rotterdam public gardens and parks. It is designed to transition with the development of the Merwe-Vierhavens area from a food garden to a food park. In this way, the Food Garden is perfect for Rotterdam and the local development: with residents and volunteers, it aims to make the city greener and more beautiful.
By opening the garden to a larger public, even more people started to make use of the green space. Since its opening in 2015, several improvements have been made: the garden has been made accessible by a new path, and a fruit-picking garden was planted, which includes apples, pears, and raspberries. Voedseltuin Rotterdam shares water, electricity, waste, and produce with the people who live or work close to the garden.
Over the years, the Food Garden Rotterdam has proven to be hugely successful. With the help of volunteers, organic fruit and vegetables are grown for the Rotterdam Foodbank. The garden is a community-driven learning and practice environment that activates people in vulnerable situations and for people interested in making their own cities greener.
The Food Garden connects to a network of urban nature and urban agriculture
The circulair framlands enable permaculture farming
The Food Garden gradually transforms into a food park
Urban agriculture in the Merwe Vierhavens district
Like a green ribbon, the food garden meanders through M4H
Recent news
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