Rethinking ethnic involvement in urban community gardens: Evidence from Oxford, UK

Source abstract

Urban community gardens are often described as inclusive spaces, yet actual involvement may remain uneven. This study examined current involvement and perceived barriers to ethnic participation in two community-garden catchment areas in Oxford, UK. Of 558 questionnaires distributed, 293 were returned, and 292 contained valid current-involvement data. Quantitative analyses were combined with qualitative analysis of open-ended responses. Only 45 respondents (15.4%) were involved at the time of the survey, although supportive or accepting views were widespread. Familiarity with local gardens and attitudes towards community gardening were significantly associated with current involvement. Ethnicity was not significantly associated with current involvement, although current involvement was descriptively lower among minority-ethnic respondents and only five minority-ethnic respondents were involved, limiting statistical power. Respondents identified perceived barriers related to information, language, time, resources, plot access, cultural familiarity and social atmosphere. More than half selected ‘Don’t know’ when asked about local-authority support. The findings show that positive attitudes do not necessarily correspond with current involvement and do not identify ethnicity alone as a sufficient explanation for patterns of current involvement in this sample. Residents’ accounts also highlight practical, informational, cultural and organisational conditions perceived as relevant to participation opportunities.