Community Gardens Book
Preparations for the creation of the first community garden began in 2010. Following nearly a year and a half of administrative consultations and organizational efforts, Budapest’s first community garden opened in 2012 in cooperation with the 19th District Municipality; it was established on municipally-owned land with municipal support. This was the First Kis-Pest Garden. The following year, two additional gardens were established: the Aranykatica Garden and the Békási Garden.
At the same time, the book *Community Gardens, Neighborhood Communities, Urban Agriculture* was published, which organizes and summarizes the process of establishing urban community gardens, the key players involved, planning considerations, experiences from the first season, and practical lessons learned during the initial period.
In recent years, interest in urban community gardens has grown significantly; the topic has become part of public discourse, and more and more new gardens are being established. At the same time, practical experience shows that in many cases, the processes involved in establishing these gardens and the conditions for their long-term operation have not been sufficiently thought through, leading to operational difficulties and, in some cases, the closure of certain gardens.
Building on the experiences of recent years, the volume *Community Gardens* provides a comprehensive methodological overview that offers guidance for the planning, creation, and operation of urban gardens, as well as for community-organizing processes.
The topic is also appearing with increasing frequency in higher education theses; accordingly, the volume serves as a resource for term papers and theses.
