Community Garden, Nursery, and Urban Forest of Capetillo: How community participation changed...
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Summary Community gardens enhance nutrition, physical activity and promote environmental education and public health all of which improve quality of life. In 2007, residents of Capetillo (San Juan, PR) came to the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Urban Action Center (CAUCE, for its acronym in Spanish) to talk about lost spaces in their community and the problems these spaces cause, as well as bringing about a collaboration between CAUCE and Capetillo community. This collaboration gave rise to the Community Garden, Nursery, and Urban Forest of Capetillo. The project was developed step by step. The first task was the development of a community garden and then the nursery. This was followed in 2010 by the acquisition and recovery of lands that today make up Isla del Diablo Urban Forest. The project’s focus is to promote self and community development, participation, environmental education and entrepreneurship for offering a better quality of life. Community Garden, Nursery, and Urban Forest of Capetillo Hagmel A. Vega-Fontánez [[email protected]] Graduate School of Planning, Río Piedras Urban Action Center (CAUCE) University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus N-AERUS XII Conference The City at a Human Scale Madrid 2011 ETSAM, UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA MADRID GIAUs + Surcos Urbanos PROJECT INFO Río Piedras Urban Action Center, University of Puerto Rico -Río Piedras Campus Chancellor’s Office Germán Ramos Ph.D. [email protected] Huertocapetillo.wordpress.com REFERENCES Blair, D. (2009). The Child in the Garden: An Evaluative Review of Benefits of School Gardening. The Journal of Environmental Education. 40(2) p. 15-38. Dome, E. & Sauri, S. (2007). Urbanization and class-produced natures: Vegetable gardens un the Barcelona Metropolitan Region. Geoforum, 38,287. Twiss J, Dickinson J, Duma S, Kleinman T, Paulsen H, Rilveria L. Community gardens: lessons learned from California healthy cities and communities. Am J Public Health. 2003;93:1435–1438 How community participation changed community environment History •Capetillo is a neighborhood of Rio Piedras. Río Piedras is an urban center composed of local communities and the university. •22 families occupy the space of community garden. •In 2005, Department of Housing relocated the families because they were exposed to bad environmental conditions. •After relocation, the unoccupied land became an illegal landfill. •The land currently occupied by the community garden and urban forest are and held in an agreement between the Department of Housing, the Catholic Church and the University of Puerto Rico. Capetillo Community •613 residents (US Census 2010) •166 children and youths, ones that benefit the most from this project. •325 housing units (275 occupied, 73 vacant). •Only 157 residents have own homes vs. 456 residents that rent. •Average family size is 2.5 persons per family. •Employment rate is 12.8% (US Census 2000) •44.1 % of population are Dominican Republic immigrant, the highest immigrant rate in all of Río Piedras. Community Garden •Established in 2008 with funding from the Toyota Foundation, the PR Department of Natural Resources, and University of Puerto Rico. •The project started with 15 children and other youths. •Today, there are over 100 Capetillo residents who have been impacted. •The community garden has become Capetillo’s community center, a place of sharing and interaction among residents. •Children and young people of Capetillo collaborate in the garden and learn about farming and nutrition. During class time, they participate in supervised studies led by a group of volunteers. Problem •Capetillo residential sectors have a vibrant neighborhood life but few recreational public spaces that provide contact with nature. •Community has some lost spaces and poor environmental conditions. Challenges and Achievements •At first the participants did not see the project as an economic opportunity but rather as a recreational activity. •Difficulty in obtaining resident’s confidence. •Hard not to have a community organization to coordinate the project from the start. • The garden is completely organic, and residents have learned the importance of good nutrition. •Community leaders assume increasingly higher levels of organization, resulting in community empowerment. Isla del Diablo (Devil’s Island) Urban Forest •Located next to the garden in an area of 1.5 acres of land. •Small forest that could be classified as a secondary or tertiary succession. •83 species of plants and 25 species of birds. •Currently, tasks are focused developing co-management plan. This forest could be the first in Puerto Rico to be a Co-management Enterprise between the community and the UPR. •Isla del Diablo functions as a field classroom for the community, the nearest school and the University of Puerto Rico. Community Transformation •Illegal activities around the community garden have diminished or rarely occur. •A social and cultural perception of the community has improved. •Educationally, young people that participate in the supervised study program have improved, exemplified by the fact that in 2009 all children and young people successfully completed their academic year. •Young people found in the garden an economic alternative to the illicit activity around him. •Young people have developed community initiative and self-development. Conclusion •The community gardens have an impact on the development and transformation of communities. •The average participants in the Capetillo project are youths and children who have given life to the project. These young people have found alternatives for everyday activities. •Empowerment, self development and community organization have been the greatest achievements of the project. •Achieving entreperneship has been the most difficult task. Occupied 78% Vacant 22% Capetillo Housing Units -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 Under 5 years 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40 to 44 45 to 49 50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64 65 to 69 70 to 74 75 to 79 80 to 84 85 years and over Population Ages Population of Capetillo Community 2010 Female Male Owner occupied 26% Renter occupied 74% Total population in occupied housing Capetillo Community Garden Community Design workshop Future Projects •Development of co-management plan. •Integrating and improving environmental education in the Capetillo community. •Decontamination of Isla del Diablo. •Interpretive trails design & Workshop design. •Educational Pavilion. Designed by the Community Design workshop School of Architecture of the UPR. CAUCE The Río Piedras Urban Action Center (CAUCE) promotes the revitalization of downtown Río Piedras, (San Juan PR), and Coordinates efforts between the community and government agencies. CAUCE is coordinated by the University of Puerto Rico, in consultation with residents and merchants of Río Piedras, the state government and the Municipality of San Juan. They promote the affirmation of the qualities of Río Piedras as a living community and a great city. Methodology •Interview of community leader & CAUCE coordinator. •Census analysis. •Historical analysis & review of documents. Children working in the garden Science activity Watering the garden National day of water sampling
description
SummaryCommunity gardens enhance nutrition, physical activity and promote environmental education and public health all of which improve quality of life. In 2007, residents of Capetillo (San Juan, PR) came to the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Urban Action Center (CAUCE, for its acronym in Spanish) to talk about lost spaces in their community and the problems these spaces cause, as well as bringing about a collaboration between CAUCE and Capetillo community. This collaboration gave rise to the Community Garden, Nursery, and Urban Forest of Capetillo. The project was developed step by step. The first task was the development of a community garden and then the nursery. This was followed in 2010 by the acquisition and recovery of lands that today make up Isla del Diablo Urban Forest. The project’s focus is to promote self and community development, participation, environmental education and entrepreneurship for offering a better quality of life.
Transcript of Community Garden, Nursery, and Urban Forest of Capetillo: How community participation changed...
Summary
Community gardens enhance nutrition, physical activity and promote environmental education and public health all of which improve quality of life. In 2007, residents of Capetillo (San Juan, PR) came to the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Urban Action Center (CAUCE, for its acronym in Spanish) to talk about lost spaces in their community and the problems these spaces cause, as well as bringing about a collaboration between CAUCE and Capetillo community. This collaboration gave rise to the Community Garden, Nursery, and Urban Forest of Capetillo. The project was developed step by step. The first task was the development of a community garden and then the nursery. This was followed in 2010 by the acquisition and recovery of lands that today make up Isla del Diablo Urban Forest. The project’s focus is to promote self and community development, participation, environmental education and entrepreneurship for offering a better quality of life.
Community Garden, Nursery,
and Urban Forest of Capetillo
Hagmel A. Vega-Fontánez [[email protected]] Graduate School of Planning, Río Piedras Urban Action Center (CAUCE) University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
N-AERUS XII Conference
The City at a Human Scale
Madrid 2011
ETSAM, UNIVERSIDAD
POLITECNICA MADRID
GIAUs + Surcos Urbanos
PROJECT INFO Río Piedras Urban Action Center, University of Puerto Rico -Río Piedras Campus Chancellor’s Office Germán Ramos Ph.D. [email protected] Huertocapetillo.wordpress.com
REFERENCES
Blair, D. (2009). The Child in the Garden: An Evaluative Review of Benefits of School Gardening. The Journal of Environmental Education. 40(2) p. 15-38.
Dome, E. & Sauri, S. (2007). Urbanization and class-produced natures: Vegetable gardens un the Barcelona Metropolitan Region. Geoforum, 38,287.
Twiss J, Dickinson J, Duma S, Kleinman T, Paulsen H, Rilveria L. Community gardens: lessons learned from California healthy cities and communities. Am J
Public Health. 2003;93:1435–1438
How community participation changed community environment
History •Capetillo is a neighborhood of Rio Piedras. Río Piedras is an urban center composed of local communities and the university. •22 families occupy the space of community garden. •In 2005, Department of Housing relocated the families because they were exposed to bad environmental conditions. •After relocation, the unoccupied land became an illegal landfill. •The land currently occupied by the community garden and urban forest are and held in an agreement between the Department of Housing, the Catholic Church and the University of Puerto Rico.
Capetillo Community •613 residents (US Census 2010) •166 children and youths, ones that benefit the most from this project. •325 housing units (275 occupied, 73 vacant). •Only 157 residents have own homes vs. 456 residents that rent. •Average family size is 2.5 persons per family. •Employment rate is 12.8% (US Census 2000) •44.1 % of population are Dominican Republic immigrant, the highest immigrant rate in all of Río Piedras.
Community Garden •Established in 2008 with funding from the Toyota Foundation, the PR Department of Natural Resources, and University of Puerto Rico. •The project started with 15 children and other youths. •Today, there are over 100 Capetillo residents who have been impacted. •The community garden has become Capetillo’s community center, a place of sharing and interaction among residents. •Children and young people of Capetillo collaborate in the garden and learn about farming and nutrition. During class time, they participate in supervised studies led by a group of volunteers. Problem
•Capetillo residential sectors have a vibrant neighborhood life but few recreational public spaces that provide contact with nature. •Community has some lost spaces and poor environmental conditions.
Challenges and Achievements •At first the participants did not see the project as an economic opportunity but rather as a recreational activity. •Difficulty in obtaining resident’s confidence. •Hard not to have a community organization to coordinate the project from the start. • The garden is completely organic, and residents have learned the importance of good nutrition. •Community leaders assume increasingly higher levels of organization, resulting in community empowerment.
Isla del Diablo (Devil’s Island) Urban Forest •Located next to the garden in an area of 1.5 acres of land. •Small forest that could be classified as a secondary or tertiary succession. •83 species of plants and 25 species of birds. •Currently, tasks are focused developing co-management plan. This forest could be the first in Puerto Rico to be a Co-management Enterprise between the community and the UPR. •Isla del Diablo functions as a field classroom for the community, the nearest school and the University of Puerto Rico.
Community Transformation •Illegal activities around the community garden have diminished or rarely occur. •A social and cultural perception of the community has improved. •Educationally, young people that participate in the supervised study program have improved, exemplified by the fact that in 2009 all children and young people successfully completed their academic year. •Young people found in the garden an economic alternative to the illicit activity around him. •Young people have developed community initiative and self-development.
Conclusion •The community gardens have an impact on the development and transformation of communities. •The average participants in the Capetillo project are youths and children who have given life to the project. These young people have found alternatives for everyday activities. •Empowerment, self development and community organization have been the greatest achievements of the project. •Achieving entreperneship has been the most difficult task.
Occupied 78%
Vacant 22%
Capetillo Housing Units
-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
Under 5 years
5 to 9
10 to 14
15 to 19
20 to 24
25 to 29
30 to 34
35 to 39
40 to 44
45 to 49
50 to 54
55 to 59
60 to 64
65 to 69
70 to 74
75 to 79
80 to 84
85 years and over
Population
Age
s
Population of Capetillo Community 2010
Female
Male
Owner occupied
26%
Renter occupied
74%
Total population in occupied housing
Capetillo Community Garden Community Design workshop
Future Projects •Development of co-management plan. •Integrating and improving environmental education in the Capetillo community. •Decontamination of Isla del Diablo. •Interpretive trails design & Workshop design. •Educational Pavilion. Designed by the Community Design workshop School of Architecture of the UPR.
CAUCE The Río Piedras Urban Action Center (CAUCE) promotes the revitalization of downtown Río Piedras, (San Juan PR), and Coordinates efforts between the community and government agencies. CAUCE is coordinated by the University of Puerto Rico, in consultation with residents and merchants of Río Piedras, the state government and the Municipality of San Juan. They promote the affirmation of the qualities of Río Piedras as a living community and a great city.
Methodology •Interview of community leader & CAUCE coordinator. •Census analysis. •Historical analysis & review of documents.
Children working in the garden Science activity Watering the garden National day of water sampling
