CG Title: Neapoli Food Forest – Community-Based Edible Forest #

A community-based edible forest and regenerative urban gardening initiative in Thessaloniki, Greece

📍Location: Neapoli, Thessaloniki, Greece

🔗 Website: https://mamagea.gr/projects/13_NeapoliFoodForestGreenSustainablePathshttps://mamagea.gr/

https://www.dimosneapolis-sykeon.gr

Introduction #

The Neapoli Food Forest is a community-based urban greening initiative in Neapoli, Thessaloniki, Greece. It was created in 2024 under the framework of the Green Sustainable Paths project, initiated by the environmental organization MamaGea and implemented in collaboration with the Municipality of Neapoli-Sykies, the social cooperative cob.gr and the school community of the 5th Gymnasium of Neapoli.

The project transformed an underutilized urban lot into Greece’s first urban food forest, planting more than 750 food-producing trees and plants. Using edible trees, shrubs, herbs, biodiversity, soil care, and practices inspired by permaculture,the project responds to the need for more urban green spaces, sustainable food systems, and active community participation in environmental care.

The Neapoli Food Forest expands the concept of community gardening by showing how urban food-growing spaces can become places of learning, participation and ecological regeneration. More than 400 citizens, students and volunteers took part in the planting process, while participatory design workshops involved municipal representatives, students, local residents and environmental practitioners in shaping the future social uses of the space.

Context #

The creation of the “Food Forest” was preceded by a series of participatory design workshops that brought together various groups from the local community. Representatives and employees of the Municipality of Neapolis-Sykies helped identify local needs, practical concerns, and priorities for implementing the project. As part of the POAN volunteer environmental group, students from the 5th Gymnasium of Neapoli were also involved in the design process, sharing ideas that were both creative and practical. The residents of Neapolis and the surrounding area of Thessaloniki were also invited to share their views on how the “Food Forest” could be used as a social and community space.

The planting activities were carried out within the framework of a two-day community initiative, during which residents, students, and volunteers planted a variety of food-producing species, including fruit trees, berries, herbs, and aromatic plants. It also featured communal cooking, children’s activities, music, and social interaction, creating a warm atmosphere of collaboration, enthusiasm, and shared responsibility.

The “Food Forest” in Neapolis has been designed based on the principles of permaculture and the techniques of agroforestry. It promotes biodiversity, natural water management, soil regeneration, and a more resilient relationship between people and the urban ecosystem. Today, this example can be viewed not only as a “green” initiative but also as a vibrant community space for environmental education, collective care, and urban ecological regeneration.

NEB Principles #

• Sustainability: The “Neapoli Food Forest” promotes sustainability by transforming underutilized urban land into a productive green ecosystem rich in biodiversity. Through edible trees and plants, soil regeneration, natural water management, and practices inspired by permaculture, the project fosters a more resilient relationship between the city and the natural environment. It demonstrates how urban greening can go beyond a purely decorative role to become a practical response to biodiversity loss, climate pressures, and the need for more sustainable food systems in cities.
  
• Aesthetics: The transformation of an uncultivated urban lot into a green, welcoming, and substantial landscape for the neighborhood. The aesthetic value of the space is not limited to the presence of greenery in the neighborhood. It is highlighted through the seasonal changes in the landscape, the variety of edible plants, and the opportunity it provides for people to use the space as a place to meet, learn, and connect with the community. In this example, aesthetics is closely linked to ecological function and local community use, showing that attractive urban spaces can also be productive, educational, and environmentally valuable.
  
• Inclusion: This sense of inclusion is reflected in the community-oriented nature of the Neapoli Food Forest. The design and implementation of the space were not carried out individually, but through collaboration among residents, the school community, municipal services, volunteers, civil society organizations, and environmental groups. This collaborative process strengthened the sense of participation and connection to the space, transforming the Food Forest into a place where people can learn, work together, and collectively care for their local environment.
  

Learning Objectives #

• Understand how an urban food forest can support biodiversity, soil care and sustainable food-growing in the city.
  
• Explore how participatory design can help local communities shape and care for shared green spaces.
  
• Reflect on how community involvement can turn a green intervention into a long-term learning and engagement process.
  
• Connect the example with NEB values and the Quintuple Helix Model through real actors, actions and outcome.
  

🏛️ Politics #

Municipal Support and Shared Commitment to a Community Food Forest #

The Neapoli Food Forest is a great example showing how a municipality can help transform an underutilized public lot into a shared green space for the neighborhood. The Municipality of Neapolis-Sykees did not just limit its involvement in providing the space. From the initial planning stage, it actively participated alongside the organizations MamaGea and cob.gr, the school community, and local residents. .dimosneapolis-sykeon.gr

This example is significant for the political sector, as the Food Forest was not treated as a mere planting activity. Even before planting the first seedlings, practical issues had to be resolved:

• How would the space be used?
  
• How would it be maintained?
  
• What kind of preparation was needed?
  
• How could the school and the wider neighborhood feel connected to it?
  

The first participatory workshop with municipal staff was very important. People from the municipality’s technical and environmental services gathered, creating a framework for discussion before implementation. MamaGea Environmental Organization, which coordinated the participatory process, introduced the goals of the Food Forest, explained the principles of permaculture, and discussed the initial planting plan. This helped bridge the gap between the vision of a community Food Forest and the everyday responsibilities of managing public space.

During the process, municipal staff and local representatives raised very practical issues, ranging from soil analysis and irrigation to the quality of the plantings, access, safety, signage, maintenance, and the future use of the space. These discussions indicate that community gardening programs need political and administrative support from the outset. A public green space can remain active and useful only when responsibilities, resources, and maintenance are taken into account from the very early stages. Mamagea-Participatory Design Report

Here are the key findings for the political sector and how they can be adapted to other contexts:

1. Transforming an unused public space into a community asset #

Lesson:

The Neapoli Food Forest demonstrates that even a small, unused public place can be given new value when thoughtfully designed. The Municipality contributed to transforming a space with no clear daily use into a green public space for planting, learning, and community life. In densely populated urban neighborhoods, where access to nature is often limited, this is highly important.

Adaptation

Other municipalities can start by looking for neglected or underutilized spaces in their own neighborhoods. A food forest doesn’t necessarily need to start as a large park. Start with a smaller municipal plot, especially if the location is close to schools, families, and everyday community life.

Practical Steps

• Look for a public space that is unused, neglected, or unsuitable for a typical park design.
  
• Before selecting a place, make sure to check the basics:the landowner, the soil conditions, the amount of sunlight the site receives, the availability of nearby water sources, the safety and accessibility of the site, and its proximity to schools or community facilities.
  
• Request that technical and environmental services from the municipality visit the site early on, before the design is finalized.
  
• Prepare the plot in advance of the public planting day. The preparation should include cleaning the area, improving the soil, making access paths, and ensuring there are safe spaces for people to work.
  
• Select a location that residents already know and recognize as part of their neighborhood. Doing so contributes towards making the project feel connected to daily life, rather than something imposed from the outside.
  
• Decide from the outset on the main purpose of the space: education, community activities, biodiversity, food cultivation, or a combination of these.
  

2. Participation as a part of the planning process

Lesson:

The Neapoli Food Forest wasn’t created in a single day of planting. People had already met, discussed, and shared their ideas beforehand. Municipal staff, the school community, residents, and local citizens participated in workshops. This helped them understand the importance of the space and the ways it could benefit the neighborhood. It also gave the project a stronger local character. The Participatory Design Report demonstrates that these workshops were used to gather real needs, concerns, and suggestions before the final design was developed.

Adaptation

Municipalities should not plan community green spaces from their offices alone. It is important to engage with the people who will use the space before final decisions are made. Schools, residents, and local organizations can explain what they need, what concerns them, and how they envision the space in their daily lives. This makes the project more realistic. It also makes people more willing to support it later on.

.

Practical Steps

• Starting with a workshop for municipal staff. Take advantage of this opportunity to discuss technical limitations, safety issues, and future maintenance.
  
• Hold separate meetings with schools and young people. Pose simple questions like: What could students learn here? How could this space be useful to the school and the neighborhood?
  
• Invite residents to discuss the social use of the space. Don’t focus exclusively on the plants. Ask them if they see it as a place for learning, a gathering spot, a quiet garden, or a space for neighborhood activities.
  
• Take clear notes from each gathering. This will help people recognize their own ideas in the final space later during the design process.
  
• Before planting day, explain what will be planted and why. Explain how the space will be maintained after the first event.
  
• After the first planting, invite the same groups back. Participation should continue through maintenance days, school visits, and community activities.
  

3.The long-term public role of the Food Forest #

Lesson

The Food Forest was not designed as a one-off planting project. Right from the start, it was linked to schools, local agencies, and neighborhood life. The project’s clear public role was established from the very beginning. It was not just a green space, but a place that could be used repeatedly for learning, community activities, and environmental awareness.

Adaptation

Municipalities can strengthen community gardens by linking them to existing local structures. Schools, municipal services, volunteers, and neighborhood groups can all contribute to keeping the space active. This gives the municipality a practical reason to support the project in the long term, rather than treating it as a short-term environmental initiative.

Practical Steps

• Connect the food forest with nearby schools and local groups from the very beginning.
  
• Agree on some frequent uses of the space, including school visits, open garden days, volunteer days, or small neighborhood activities.
  
• Develop a simple annual schedule so that the space continues to be used beyond the initial planting season.
  
• Involve municipal services in tasks related to safety, access, water, signposting, and general maintenance.
  
• Keep the educational details simple in this section. The spotlight here should be on the space’s public role, not the learning content.
  
• Evaluate the garden’s use each year so that the municipality can decide what support is needed going forward.
  

Conclusion #

The political significance of the “Neapoli Food Forest” lies in the way in which the support of the local government helped transform a community initiative into a real public space. The municipality provided the local framework. Schools, residents, volunteers, and environmental organizations breathed life and meaning into the space.

For other municipalities, the lesson can be that community gardens and food forests work best when public land, technical support, and community participation are combined from the beginning.

👥 Society #

Community Involvement #

The Neapoli Food Forest reveals the potential for a public green space to become part of community life even before it is planted. People were involved in this project from the very beginning, through workshops and discussions, rather than being invited only at the end for a public planting day.

Participants in this process came from the school community of the 5th Gymnasium of Neapolis, local residents, citizens from the wider area, municipal employees, the MamaGea organization, and the cob.gr initiative.

The reason this example is considered important for the social sector is that the space was designed to be shared. Students, residents, and local citizens talked about different ways to use the Food Forest, making it accessible, and the kinds of activities that could take place there. Their ideas included trails, benches, signs, composting, educational activities, birdhouses, shaded areas, meeting spots, and spaces open to different users.

Following are the main lessons learned and adaptations for the social sector:

1. Building the Sense of Ownership #

Lesson
The Food Forest teaches us that people are more interested in a community garden when they are invited to participate in the process from the early stages. In Neapoli, students, residents, and citizens had the opportunity to express their opinions before the final use of the space was determined. This made the project appear more like a neighborhood initiative and less like an external intervention.

Adaptation
Other communities can follow a similar approach by involving people before the garden or Food Forest is created. This gives residents, schools and local groups the chance to discuss who the space is for, what it should offer, and how it can become part of everyday neighbourhood life.

Practical Steps
• Invite residents, schools, and local groups to participate before the design is finalized.
• Use simple questions, not technical language. Ask what the neighborhood needs and how the space could be used.
• Organize small meetings or workshops that are easy for people to attend.
• Keep clear notes from the discussions.
• Show people how their ideas influenced the final design.
• Invite the same groups back for planting, maintenance days, and open activities.

2. Creating a space that people can actually use #

Lesson:
The workshops revealed the participants weren’t just focused on the plants. Instead, they brought up ideas about the practical aspects of running the space. They spoke about accessibility, pathways, bench seating, shaded areas, signage, composting, activities for children, gathering spaces, and the ways in which the “Food Forest” could be useful to different groups.

.

Adaptation:
A community garden should not be designed only for experienced gardeners. It should also welcome children, older residents, families, schools, volunteers, visitors and people who may simply want to spend time in a pleasant green place.

Implementation:
• Think about the different people who may use the garden.
• Plan paths, seating, shade and signs from the beginning.
• Make sure the space is easy to enter and move through.
• Include simple uses beyond gardening, such as meetings, small workshops or children’s activities.
• Add clear signs explaining how the space can be used and cared for.
• Keep some areas flexible, so the community can adapt them over time.

3. Turning care into a shared routine #

Lesson:
One of the main social questions raised during the process was what would happen after the first planting. The report records concerns about the future of the Food Forest, the need for regular visits, the involvement of local groups, the use of the municipality’s volunteer network and the creation of groups for harvesting and caring for the space.

Adaptation:
Other communities should plan care from the beginning. A garden cannot depend only on enthusiasm during the first event. It needs simple routines, clear roles and people who know how they can help.

Implementation:
• Create a small care group with residents, school representatives, volunteers and local organisations.
• Agree on simple tasks, such as watering, checking plants, organising visits or reporting problems.
• Set regular care days, even if they are few.
• Use a simple calendar so people know when they can join.
• Decide how fruit, herbs or other produce will be used or shared.
• Review the use of the space once a year and adjust the activities to real community needs.

Conclusion #

The social value of the Neapoli Food Forest lies in the way it brought people into the process from the beginning. The space was not planned only as a garden, but as a place for meeting, learning, caring and spending time together.

For other communities, the main lesson is clear: a community garden becomes stronger when people recognise themselves in it. This happens when they are heard, when they can contribute in simple ways, and when the care of the space becomes part of everyday neighbourhood life

🎓 Education #

Experiential Learning, Food Literacy and Environmental Awareness #

The Neapoli Food Forest shows how community gardening can become an outdoor learning environment. The involvement of the school community of the 5th Gymnasium of Neapoli gave the project a strong educational dimension from the beginning. Students were not only observers. Through the voluntary environmental group POAN, they contributed ideas during the participatory design process and later took part in the planting activities.

The Food Forest helps learners understand sustainability through direct experience. Instead of learning about biodiversity, soil, food systems or climate adaptation only in theory, students and community members can observe these ideas in a real urban space. The garden becomes a living classroom where environmental knowledge relates to action, responsibility and cooperation.

Here are the key takeaways for the educational sector and how they can be adapted to other places:

1. Using the garden as a living classroom #

Lesson:
The Neapoli Food Forest shows that a community garden can support experiential learning. Students can see how plants grow, how different species interact, how soil is cared for and how food is connected with the environment. This makes learning more concrete and memorable.

Adaptation:
Other schools and adult education providers can use community gardens as outdoor learning spaces. The garden can support lessons on environment, biology, food systems, climate change, citizenship, cooperation and local sustainability.

Example Implementation:

A school uses a nearby community garden for seasonal learning activities. Students observe plant growth, learn about edible species, discuss biodiversity and take part in simple care tasks. Adult learners or local residents can join through workshops or open learning days.

Practical Steps:
◦ Identify nearby schools, adult education centres or community groups that could use the garden for learning.
◦ Create simple learning activities connected with real garden tasks, such as planting, watering, composting, observing insects or identifying edible plants.
◦ Link the activities with curriculum topics or adult learning objectives.
◦ Use the garden across different seasons, not only during planting days.
◦ Encourage learners to keep notes, photos or simple observation diaries.
◦ Use signs and plant labels to support informal learning for all visitors.

2. Connecting sustainability with everyday life #

Lesson:
The Food Forest helps learners understand that sustainability is not an abstract concept. It is connected with food, water, soil, biodiversity, waste, public space and everyday habits. Through the garden, learners can see how small local actions contribute to wider environmental change.

Adaptation:
Other educational settings can use community gardening to connect environmental education with daily practices. This is especially useful for learners who may find theoretical sustainability topics difficult or distant from their own lives.

Example Implementation:
An educator organises a workshop in the garden on the journey from soil to food. Learners discuss where food comes from, how organic waste can return to the soil, why biodiversity matters and how cities can become greener and more resilient.

Practical Steps:
◦ Design short workshops around practical themes: soil care, water saving, composting, food waste, seasonal food and biodiversity.
◦ Use simple questions that connect the garden with daily life: What do we eat? What do we throw away? How can soil stay healthy?
◦ Combine observation with action, so learners do not only listen but also participate.
◦ Invite local experts, gardeners, environmental organisations or municipal staff to share practical knowledge.
◦ Use the garden to discuss both local problems and possible solutions.
◦ Adapt activities for different age groups and learning needs.

3. Developing cooperation, responsibility and green skills #

Lesson:
The Neapoli Food Forest shows that learning in a community garden is not only environmental. It also develops social and practical skills. Learners cooperate, make decisions, take care of a shared space and understand that environmental action requires long-term commitment.

Adaptation:
Other communities can use gardens to support green skills and civic learning. This can be relevant for schools, youth groups, adult education programmes, volunteer groups and local training initiatives.

Example Implementation:
A group of learners takes responsibility for a small part of the garden during the year. They monitor plant growth, support basic care tasks, record changes and present what they learned to the wider community.

Practical Steps:
◦ Create small learner groups with clear and realistic responsibilities.
◦ Assign simple roles, such as plant observation, watering support, compost monitoring, event support or documentation.
◦ Encourage teamwork rather than individual tasks only.
◦ Include reflection after each activity: What did we learn? What worked? What needs more care?
◦ Connect practical garden tasks with green skills, such as planning, problem-solving, communication and environmental responsibility.
◦ Share learners’ work with the community through photos, posters, short presentations or open garden days.

Conclusion #

The educational value of the Neapoli Food Forest lies in its ability to turn environmental learning into direct experience. It connects schools, residents, volunteers and organisations around a real place where sustainability can be seen, discussed and practised. For other communities, the main lesson is that community gardens can become powerful learning spaces when they are used regularly, connected with real-life issues and supported by active participation.

💵Economy #

Local Value, Social Economy and Sustainable Food Practices #

The Neapoli Food Forest shows that community gardening does not create value only through food production. Its economic value is broader. An unused urban plot becomes a productive and educational green space. Local knowledge, municipal support, volunteer time, environmental expertise and school participation are brought together around a shared purpose.

The example is not a commercial farming model. It is closer to a local value model. It shows how a neighbourhood can use existing resources more wisely and create benefits that are not always measured in direct income. These benefits include improved public space, green skills, environmental awareness, community activities and stronger cooperation between local groups. The involvement of cob.gr, as a social cooperative, gives the example a clear connection with social economy and practical ecological know-how.

Here are the key takeaways for the economy sector and how they can be adapted to other places:

1. Turning unused urban land into local value #

Lesson:
The Neapoli Food Forest shows that land with little or no active use can gain new value when it is transformed into a shared green space. The value is not only environmental. It is social, educational and practical. The space becomes useful for schools, residents, volunteers and local organisations.

Adaptation:
Other municipalities or communities can look at unused plots as potential assets. A small space can become a community garden, edible landscape or food forest when there is a clear purpose and a realistic plan for its use and care.

Example Implementation:
A municipality identifies an unused plot near a school or neighbourhood centre. The land is prepared by municipal services. A civil society organisation or social cooperative supports the participatory process, planting plan and educational activities. Residents and students take part in planting and seasonal care.

Practical Steps:
◦ Map unused or underused plots that could become community green spaces.
◦ Check the basic conditions before choosing the site: soil quality, sunlight, water access, safety and accessibility.
◦ Estimate the simple costs from the beginning: soil preparation, plants, tools, water access, signs and basic maintenance.
◦ Use local nurseries or suppliers where possible for plants, soil material and tools.
◦ Combine paid professional support with volunteer participation, so the project remains realistic and well-organised.
◦ Keep a simple record of the value created: number of participants, school visits, workshops, planted species, volunteer hours and community events.

2. Supporting green skills and social economy #

Lesson:
The Food Forest shows that community gardening needs different types of knowledge. It needs people who understand plants, soil, water, participatory design, education and community work. This creates space for green skills and for cooperation with organisations that work close to the community.

Adaptation:
Other places can involve local social cooperatives, environmental organisations, trainers, gardeners and community facilitators. This can support small-scale local employment, training opportunities and practical learning around urban sustainability.

Example Implementation:
A local authority can work with a social cooperative or environmental organisation to design and support a community garden. The cooperation may include workshops, planting guidance, composting sessions, maintenance advice and training for volunteers or municipal staff.

Practical Steps:
◦ Identify local organisations with experience in gardening, permaculture, composting, environmental education or community work.
◦ Define clearly what each group can contribute before the project starts.
◦ Use small service agreements or cooperation plans for tasks that need professional support.
◦ Train volunteers and municipal staff in basic care tasks, so the space does not depend only on one expert team.
◦ Create simple learning activities around practical skills: planting, pruning, composting, soil care, water saving and biodiversity observation.
◦ Document the skills used in the project, so they can be repeated in another neighbourhood.

3. Connecting food, circular practices and community resilience #

Lesson:
The Neapoli Food Forest connects food-growing with circular thinking. Edible plants, soil care, composting and community activities help people understand that food, organic waste, land and everyday habits are part of the same local system.

Adaptation:
Communities can use food forests and community gardens to open discussions about food waste, composting, seasonal food, local production and shared responsibility. Even if the space does not produce large quantities of food, it can change how people understand food and resources.

Example Implementation:
A neighbourhood garden can host seasonal activities where residents learn how to compost organic waste, recognise edible plants, cook with seasonal products or understand the food cycle from soil to plate.

Practical Steps:
◦ Set clear rules for how edible plants and harvests will be used, especially if schools and children are involved.
◦ Introduce composting only after checking local rules, safety conditions and maintenance capacity.
◦ Organise small seasonal workshops on soil care, composting, food waste, herbs, seed saving and sustainable cooking.
◦ Place simple signs in the garden explaining the plants, their uses and their role in biodiversity.
◦ Connect the space with local schools, markets, food initiatives or community groups for educational visits and open events.
◦ Review the activities every year and adjust them according to what the community actually uses and needs.

Conclusion #

The economic value of the Neapoli Food Forest lies in the way it turns local resources into shared public value. It does not depend on profit or large-scale production. Instead, it shows how unused land, local knowledge, social economy, volunteer work and sustainable food practices can come together to support a more resilient neighbourhood. For other communities, the main lesson is that community gardening can be a low-cost but meaningful investment in people, place and long-term environmental care.

🌍 Environment #

Soil Care, Biodiversity and Urban Ecological Regeneration #

The Neapoli Food Forest shows how an underused urban plot can be turned into a living green space. Its environmental value is not only that trees and plants were added to the area. The important point is that the space was planned as an edible and biodiverse ecosystem, with attention to soil, water, planting quality and future care.

Before the planting phase, several practical environmental issues were discussed with the Municipality’s technical and environmental services. These included soil analysis, irrigation, water access, planting preparation, plant health, composting, safety and long-term maintenance. The participatory design report shows that the environmental side of the project was treated as a practical process, not only as a general idea of “more green space.”

Here are the key takeaways for the environment sector and how they can be adapted to other places:

1. Turning unused urban land into a living ecosystem #

Lesson:
The Food Forest shows that even a small urban plot can support nature when it is planned with care. An unused space can become a place for edible plants, trees, insects, birds and soil life. This kind of project helps bring nature back into the city in a way that people can see and use.

Adaptation:
Other communities can look for spaces that are not used well and consider whether they could become small ecosystems. The goal does not need to be a perfect park. It can be a simple, living space with plants, shade, biodiversity and food-growing.

Practical Steps:
◦ Look for unused or neglected plots where planting can improve the local environment.

◦ Check whether the space has enough sunlight, soil depth and access to water.

◦ Avoid designing the garden only for appearance. Plan it as a living system with plants, soil, insects and people.

◦ Use a mix of trees, shrubs, herbs and flowering plants where possible.

◦ Leave space for biodiversity, not only for human use.

◦ Choose plants that can survive local conditions and do not need constant intensive care.

2. Planning soil, water and planting before the public event #

Lesson:
The report shows that a food forest needs preparation before planting begins. In Neapoli, municipal staff raised very practical questions about soil analysis, irrigation, planting quality, planting holes, water access and the future care of the plants. These details matter because a community garden can fail if the environmental conditions are not checked early.

Adaptation:
Other communities should not organise a planting day before checking the site properly. Soil, water and plant selection should be discussed at the beginning. This makes the garden healthier and reduces problems later.

Practical Steps:
◦ Carry out a basic soil check before choosing the final planting plan.

◦ Make sure there is a realistic way to water the plants, especially during the first years.

◦ Decide who will prepare the planting holes and when this will happen.

◦ Remove rubble, waste or unsafe materials before volunteers enter the site.

◦ Choose plants according to the soil, sunlight and water conditions of the plot.

◦ Prepare simple care instructions for the first months after planting.

3. Making biodiversity part of the design #

Lesson:
The Food Forest was not planned as a single-purpose green area. The ideas discussed in the participatory process included composting, birdhouses, flowers, aromatic plants, insect-friendly elements, water collection and signs explaining the plants. These ideas show how a garden can support more than food production. It can also support small forms of urban biodiversity.

Adaptation:
Other community gardens can include biodiversity from the beginning. This does not require complicated infrastructure. Small choices, such as flowering plants, composting areas, insect hotels, bird-friendly elements and reduced chemical use, can make the space healthier.

Practical Steps:
◦ Include flowering plants and aromatic herbs to attract pollinators.

◦ Add simple biodiversity elements, such as birdhouses or insect hotels, where appropriate.

◦ Use composting only if the community can maintain it properly.

◦ Avoid unnecessary chemical treatments and prefer low-impact care methods.

◦ Use signs to explain the role of plants, insects, soil and water in the garden.

◦ Review the planting every year and replace weak plants with species better suited to the site.

Conclusion #

The environmental value of the Neapoli Food Forest lies in the way it treats urban greening as a living process. The project is not only about adding plants to an empty plot. It shows that soil, water, biodiversity and long-term care must be planned from the beginning.

Disclaimer / Copyright Notice #

Parts of this material were created and structured with the support of AI research tools. The content was created to support analysis and reporting and was adapted and reviewed by the project team. Research was conducted using publicly available information from the official Elbauenpark Magdeburg website.

The photographs used in this document were provided by the project team and show a study visit to the Millennium Tower in Magdeburg. All trademarks and product names mentioned are acknowledged and remain the property of their respective owners.

04.08.2026 BeCom Project Team