Cangelosi explores urban gardening in Brussels as a socio-political phenomenon intimately tied to the concepts of commons and degrowth. While gardening initiatives are often seen as ecological or nutritional responses, this study reveals that their deeper relevance lies in their capacity to foster community ties, participation, and mutual care. Through the analysis of three gardens—Velt Koekelberg, Jardin Marjorelle, and Jardin Collectif de Tour et Taxis—the author illustrates how these diverse spaces reflect different levels of community engagement, organisation, and political awareness. The research emphasizes that although participants rarely invoke the term commons explicitly, their practices exhibit core features of commoning such as collective responsibility, reciprocity, and self-governance. Similarly, while the term degrowth is seldom used, the motivations and effects of these gardens—especially in the context of the economic crisis—align with degrowth principles like local resilience, resource-sharing, and reduced consumer dependence. Through fieldwork and interviews, the paper demonstrates that what brings people together in these gardens is not just food production—often modest—but the desire for social interaction, cultural exchange, and civic empowerment. Brussels serves as a revealing microcosm due to its multicultural urban landscape and supportive institutional framework. Ultimately, the study contends that urban gardens function as grassroots laboratories of commons governance, offering rich material for rethinking community and sustainability in urban policy and social movements.
Cangelosi, E. (2013) Gardening is About People! Case Studies about Urban Gardening in Brussels Between Commons and Degrowth. OSSERVATORIO CORES Working Paper Series 3:2013, University of Bergamo.
