Ulia Garden

By working in the garden today and aiming for a more sustainable tomorrow. ???

Ulia Garden (ULB, Uliako Lore-baratzak in Basque) wants to generate social and environmental value that has an intrinsic impact by redistributing the circular economy into a spiral of value with the capacity to invest in people, society, and nature.

The project won last year's New European Bauhaus award in "Reinvented places to meet and share."

The community garden initiative is run by Ulia's Plant Nursery park in San Sebastian, Spain. This park (14,400 m2) represents the city's legacy, and among its numerous gems are two cathedral-like underground water reservoirs from the 19th century. The project is funded by multiple subsidy lines from the City Council, which also co-manages the effort.

Ulia Garden's main purpose has been to transform a former plant nursery into a community garden maintained by local citizens with a learning-by-doing philosophy, thereby boosting the park's aesthetic, ecological, and historical aspects.

They've embraced horticulture by growing organic vegetables, running educational programs on alternative food sources, forming a consumer group with local organic farmers, and joining a network of responsible consumers organizations.

The effort worked to create a place that serves as a model for citizens and institutions, leading to better sustainable management of public resources.

Ulia Garden has resurrected an ancestral tradition that empowers communities by encouraging and practicing collaborative work. They accomplished this by increasing collectivity and interdependence through small-scale collective interventions. ??‍??

Urban redevelopment and agroecological community action are driving forces behind this project.

Nourished by the voluntary work of many individuals who seek to weave new relationships between committed citizens, incorporate environmental care as a key concept, and share the beautiful essence of life and a shared project by getting their hands in the soil. ???

The project doesn't only preserve flora and fauna but also promotes and disseminates environmental education for people of all ages. ??

? © European Union