Urban gardens represent a way to make use of underutilised urban spaces, bringing environmental benefits such as increased permeability, better thermal resilience, improved air and soil quality and support for biodiversity. Furthermore, they teach patience, seasonality and place food in the position it deserves, in addition to having positive effects on mental health and combating isolation, particularly among the elderly.
However, their practical implementation faces difficulties. In Coimbra, numerous urban garden projects have been started and abandoned over the decades, often because those involved do not maintain the availability needed for the necessary care throughout the year. It is also necessary to manage projects carefully to avoid the proliferation of sheds or irresponsible use of fertilisers and pesticides.
In Brussels, urban gardens have been gaining increasing popularity, with micro-spaces dedicated to growing fruits, vegetables, aromatic herbs and flowers, often combined with greenhouses, terraces or associated with restaurants. Some of these initiatives combine environmental sustainability with social sustainability.
Belmundo is an example of such initiatives: a restaurant created by the non-profit association "Groot Eiland", with over 40 years of existence, which supports the social inclusion of unemployed people through vocational training. Ten years ago, it launched Belmundo, which serves organic food produced in its urban gardens located in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Brussels. Customers are served by people undergoing training in the restaurant sector, and prices remain affordable to ensure a regular flow of customers that allows for continuous training of kitchen and front-of-house staff, in a space that promotes social cohesion by combining ecology, integration, nature and environmental and social sustainability.
