The Role of Community Gardens in Sustaining Healthy Communities

The Role of Community Gardens in Sustaining Healthy Communities Susan Thompson, Linda Corkery and Bruce Judd Faculty of the Built Environment, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia Abstract: Community workers, public health officials and urban planners are... More

The Role of Community Gardens in Sustaining Healthy Communities Susan Thompson, Linda Corkery and Bruce Judd Faculty of the Built Environment, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia Abstract: Community workers, public health officials and urban planners are increasingly concerned about declining levels of physical and psychological health of city dwellers. The reasons behind this alarming trend are complex. Much of the blame is being levelled at factors such as car dependency, long commuter distances, polluted and unsafe environments – all of which make it difficult to undertake the physical exercise needed to combat many serious diseases. Poor nutrition – particularly over consumption of high density foods – is another significant factor in the equation, especially in disadvantaged communities where fresh produce is often hard to find and expensive. Built environment and health professionals are gradually realising that they need to work together to better understand these issues if workabl Less