Garden Laboratories Köln

The integrated action concept “Networking Diversity” envisages improving Cologne residents’ climate and environmental conditions in social welfare areas and increasing biodiversity through various projects in the part of the Cologne Green Belt on the right bank of the Rhine. The model project of “Garden Laboratories” is to create a range of exemplary horticultural offerings for the adjacent disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This will have the added benefit of demonstrating and testing how an open space typology can take shape that creates new types of public, structurally rich and ecologically advantageous open spaces for everyone while stimulating cooperation through a broad spectrum of overtures aimed at individuals, circles of friends, neighbourhoods, families and groups. In the process, contemporary land and garden typologies (fields of use) are developed and implemented, which can be classified under the headings of wasteland reclamation, private gardens, community gardens, self-harvested gardens, allotment gardens, urban gardening and kitchen gardens. Privately used areas will be created alongside semi-private and public areas.