Zappata Romana, the project that has been working to enhance the area from a social perspective since 2010.

Founded in Rome in 2010, it aims to transform uncultivated and abandoned land into gardens for cultivation and cultural and educational activities. Thus, shared gardens have sprung up throughout the capital, becoming meeting places.

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04 An orchard for the Zappataromana neighborhood

Reviving the city's abandoned spaces and returning them to the community. This is the goal of Zappata Romana , a project born in Rome in 2010 from the desire to transform uncultivated land into gardens for cultivation and social, cultural, and educational activities. Thus, abandoned green spaces or poorly maintained areas have become experiments in a new way of considering public spaces in contact with nature.

ROMAN ZAPPATA

The Zappata Romana project has led to the creation of countless shared gardens and allotments. A shared garden is a public space with socio-cultural and environmental purposes ; unlike traditional public gardens, shared gardens and allotments engage all citizens because they are created and/or managed by residents themselves, united around a shared project to improve their neighborhood.

Shared gardens and orchards offer a wide range of activities: these sites are meeting places , spaces for children to play, for outdoor sports, for relaxation, and for cultural activities such as learning a language, growing food for self-consumption, volunteering for social work, or for environmental education. To date, in Rome and surrounding areas, there are over 150 shared gardens, or "spot gardens," listed below.

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03 An orchard for the Zappataromana neighborhood

THE ORCHARD FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Sustainability also means biodiversity . In Ostiense, Eataly has created the Frutteto per il quartiere (Fruit Garden) for the neighborhood . Zappata Romana has dedicated itself to the creation of this new green space, which has been under construction since April 16, 2019. The area is home to an orchard with 35 fruit trees , rare or forgotten, but long-standing in the Roman countryside. The aim is to plant 100 hectares in three years with floral varieties to support biodiversity and pollinating insects, including bees.

Each tree is entrusted to a custodian, such as an association, a school, or a community, and each of these will contribute to preserving biodiversity by creating a true botanical museum throughout the Ostiense neighborhood.

Among the custodians is also the Hortus Urbis organization, founded a few years ago under the Zappata Romana association.

 02 An orchard for the Zappataromana neighborhood

HORTUS URBIS

In Rome's eleventh district, residents have created the Hortus Urbis to provide their neighborhood with a green, multipurpose space. It is the first modern-style Roman garden: blending past and present, the Hortus Urbis uses ancient Roman methods and cultivation methods. Local residents are enthusiastic about the project : some emphasize the importance of having organic and natural vegetables, others believe the project is essential for environmental protection, and still others emphasize the importance of the initiative as a collective effort. Hortus Urbis has brought and continues to bring residents together and share ideas. The site is designed for multiple activities and is open to all families and children in the neighborhood.

CREATE A SHARED GARDEN OR VEGETABLE GARDEN

The website zappataromana.net offers a practical guide for creating new shared gardens. On the first pages, the authors explain: "If you think your neighborhood needs improvement, or that existing public spaces (squares, playgrounds, gardens, social spaces) are degraded or lacking, the first thing to do is talk to other people: your neighbors, shopkeepers, friends." Creating a community is the first step in planning a shared garden. You then need to identify the location, examine its characteristics and resources, and then begin organizing the activity, establishing, among other things, roles, opening hours, financial partners, budgets, and communication channels.

The project is competing for the 2019 Non Sprecare Award. To learn more about the competition and participate, go here!

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THE PROJECTS COMPETING FOR THE NON SPRECARE AWARD:

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