Second place of the 4EU+ Urban Health Case Challenge: Team 2 - University of Warsaw

School of Global Health
198 views
2. december 2020
The second place in the 4EU+ Urban Health Case Challenge went to Team 2 from University of Warsaw. Their solution was called "ALLOTMENTtal health - making allotment gardens available to the public", targeting senior citizens, young adults, families with young children, disabled people.

About the solution: In a time of social distancing, loneliness and a need for green recreational spaces (as parks and forests have become overcrowded), we have designed an intervention for the citizens of Warsaw, focusing on senior citizens, that uses the available infrastructure to create additional green space for safe human interaction. Our solution is designed to allow for access to the common parts of allotment gardens, i.e. primarily paths connecting individual private gardens, which currently remain locked behind gates. We would start the intervention with a pilot project in Bemowo in March 2021, with a plan to extend the project during the summer. The project programme envisions that the space will be available on selected days (mainly weekends), when all citizens could stroll through the chosen allotment garden, enjoy nature and have stop for a chat with the owners of the allotments, the majority of whom are senior citizens. A local non-governmental organization ( Państwomiasto ), has agreed to cooperate in running the pilot project (that includes project financing and leveraging their experience in working with the local government), which adds to the feasibility of our project. Incorporating all of Warsaw’s allotment gardens into our intervention would double the size of the city's recreational green areas available to the public. It is a solution that goes beyond the pandemic: it addresses long-term urban disputes, has a potential to build trust among people, and at the same time improves the city's
infrastructure.