The Vacant Lot program was initiated by what if: projects in 2007 with the aim of transforming neglected and unused spaces on inner city housing estates into environments that provide neighbourhoods with the most basic of requirements: outside space, a place to grow food and a place to socialise. Projects investigate forms of neighbourhood engagement and aim to start processes of sustainable change. In deprived urban areas across London 21 small pockets of vacant land have been made accessible and are now occupied by bespoke design elements that enable new communal use. Vacant Lot gardens have become places for meeting neighbours, BBQs’, sitting in the sun, playing and gardening. Plot holders of different age groups and cultural backgrounds meet, exchange food, seeds and gardening advice.
Vacant Lot created 21 new allotment gardens on 1.9 acres of vacant space surrounding housing estates, providing bespoke allotment furniture and plots for more than 880 people.
Project directory
Project response
In 2013 as part of the supporting Change project report for VACANT LOT, 16 of the 20 Local Communities were visited and surveyed, interviewing 72 local residents. All of the 20 garden sites were visited to assess the general condition of structures, usage of plots and surrounding maintenance.
| “It’s been a focal point for the estate, it pricked a few consciences that has had a ripple effect to get other non garden issues addressed and activities taking place, as well as getting the community centre back up and running, the play area developed and safe, and residents have more pride in the estate facilities.” Samuel Lewis Trust Estate, Charterhouse Road |
| “People involved seem to be good with upkeep. Would be great to get young people involved – maybe have the local primary, St Georges involved in on project to educate them.” Red Lion Square |
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“It gives residents something to do if they’re interested and have the time.” |
| “Really great, really nice, old fashioned but good .. people really enjoy it, they go in, grow there plants, its great to see.” Harvest Estate |
| “Met people in area, I’d never met… be nice if more people were involved.” York Way Court |
| “Old people don’t go out but wander over here. People helping people. No issues, no fights. We have action days every 3 weeks and started building cold frames.” Bassett Street |
| “Has for sure brought people together, I for one speak to people when they are out there.” Biggs Square |
| “looking to get a plot next year.. love gardening, see people out there watering plants.” Camden Estate |
| “Nice to give the option of getting involved in food growing.” Asker House |
Practical guides and resources
This starter pack is a collection of tried and tested resources that were used throughout the Vacant Lot programme, creating food growing gardens throughout London, supporting communities to work together to develop sustainable and positive change in their neigbourhoods. This purpose of this pack is to give you the information, practical tools and inspiration you need to set up your own Vacant Lot style community garden.
A successful gardening club will require some basic management tools to ensure a safe and well organised growing space. Our Garden Management Pack will equip you with all the tools you’ll need to run your own safe and successful gardening club.
Factsheets:
Supporting climbers and making cloches
Construction information:
VACANT LOT furniture:
Construction information for timber planters, seating, storage and water towers that we developed for the VACANT LOT gardens. You might find these useful if you want to build your own. Please take care with tools and be careful during assembly.
Planter A: linear planter with seating and storage
Planter C: linear planter short
Square planters with trellis and seating
Linear unit with storage, seating and cold frame
Planters and seating fitted to grow bag layout:
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dates:
2007 – ongoing - project originator:
what if: projects ltd
- project partnership 2009-13:
what if: projects Ltd with Groundwork London
- funding:
Big Lottery, Family Mosaic, Southern Housing Group, Circle 33 Housing Trust, Newlon Housing Trust, Homes for Islington, Islington Council Community Chest
- site locations:
Hackney, Islington, Camden, Comic Relief
- other support:
London Waste, King’s Cross Construction Skills Centre (Carillion), Camden Jobtrain, Elba, Moneybookers, UBS, Lizzie Gomes (Groundwork)
- construction:
ustin Fishlock, Matteo Ferrechia (Hackney College), Furniture Group, Jessica Bernardo (Groundwork)
- project website:
- exhibitions:
Vacant Lot part of Living Concrete/Carrot City exhibiton:
25.2.-30.04.2009 Design Exchange, Toronto, ON, Canada
04.-13.11.2009 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair,Toronto, ON, Canada
17.-21.03.2010 Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
01.10.-15.12.2010 Parsons the New School for Design, New York
25.02.-11.03.2011 AIA/RI gallery, Providence, RI, USA
31.03.-28.04.2011 Parc de la Ligue Arabe, Casablanca, Marocco
07.04.-8.04.2011 Seixal, Portugal
22.08.-22.09.2011 Palais des Congres, Montréal, Canada
30.09.-27.10.2011 Architekturmuseum, TU Berlin, Germany
06.10.-25.11.2011 Charter Oak Culture Centre, Hartford, CT, USA
14.11.-30.11.2011 Hall du Pavillion Président Kennedy, Université du Quebec, Montréal, Canada
08.11.-17.11.2011 Technische Universität München, Germany
18.01.-28.02.2012 Transition Town Hal, Hannover, Germany
06.04.-20.04.2012 Millenium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG, UK
23.04.-06.05.2012 Edible Eastside, 122 Fazeley Street, Birmingham, B5 5RS, UK
08.05.-31.05.2012 MADE, 7 Newhall Square, Birmingham, B3 1RU, UK
21.06.-04.11.2012 Chai du Parc de Bercy, Paris
28.09.-10.11.2012 Médiathèque André Malraux, Strasbourg
03.12.-31.01.2013 Lyon, France
30.05.-14.07.2013 Toulouse, France
31.05.-11.06.2013 Bonn, Germany2008 – 2010 Vacant Lot part of Actions: What You Can Do With the City,
Canadian Centre for Architecture
26.11.08-19.4.09 Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal, Canada
16.10.09-13.03.10 Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Chicago, USA
October 2014 – Biennale Sao Paulo - press:
2014 Hackney Citizen, article
2012 Evening Standard “The Alternative Flower Show”
2008 BBC Country Files, summer 2008
2008 D2, Dagens Naeringliv, Norway
2008 Metro, Monday, June 23, 2008 “Baggin a bumper crop”
2008 Time Out, listings (events)
2008 Times 28.06.08 “Painting the town green”
2008 BBC Gardeners World, spring 2008
2008 Jellied Eal magazine
2007 Green Spaces, September issue
2007 Hackney Gazette, July “The plot thickens”
2007 Don’t Panic Magazine
2007 Building Design Magazine, July - publications:
2015, Transforming Cities, Urban Interventions in Public Space, Jovis,
2012, Cause and effect, Visualising sustainability
2011, Vector, Critical research in context
2011, Carrot City, Creating places for urban agriculture
2011, My Green City, Back to nature with attitude and style
2010, Home/Away, art in social spaces, Idensitat
2009, Spacecraft 2, Fleeting Architecture and Hideouts
2008, Action, What you can do with the city (2008) - contribution to research projects:
2014, Divercities, governing urban diversity, UK partner Bartlett School of Planning
2010, Marmot Review, Fair Society Healthy Lives - related projects: