Community Gardens: Lessons Learned From California Healthy Cities and Communities

TLDR

Community gardens improve nutrition, physical activity, and social capital, and serve as a platform for public health initiatives within California’s inclusionary Healthy Cities and Communities framework. CHCC‑funded community gardens across multiple cities achieved local leadership, volunteer engagement, and skills training, leading to land‑use policies, increased produce access, heightened public health awareness, culturally tailored education, and strengthened community‑building skills.

Abstract

Community gardens enhance nutrition and physical activity and promote the role of public health in improving quality of life. Opportunities to organize around other issues and build social capital also emerge through community gardens. California Healthy Cities and Communities (CHCC) promotes an inclusionary and systems approach to improving community health. CHCC has funded community-based nutrition and physical activity programs in several cities. Successful community gardens were developed by many cities incorporating local leadership and resources, volunteers and community partners, and skills-building opportunities for participants. Through community garden initiatives, cities have enacted policies for interim land and complimentary water use, improved access to produce, elevated public consciousness about public health, created culturally appropriate educational and training materials, and strengthened community building skills.