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  1. Zagreb Therapeutic Garden
    Zagreb Therapeutic Garden - © AIPH World Green City Awards
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Therapeutic Garden

Status
completed
100%
City

Zagreb

Main actors

City Government, Supranational / Intergovernmental Institutions, Private Sector, NGO / Philanthropy, Community / Citizen Group

Project area

Whole City/Administrative Region

Duration

2020 - 2021

The therapeutic Garden in the Sesvete district of Zagreb has been designed and created by the city government in collaboration with local organisations that serve children and adults with a range of disabilities. As the first of its kind in Croatia, the therapeutic garden represents a low-tech, bottom-up transformation of a former meat processing industry's brownfield area into a green, sustainable, inclusive space that enhances the social and spatial quality of both the neighbourhood, and the city more broadly.
 
The therapeutic garden in Zagreb is specially designed with the aim of strengthening motor, sensory, cognitive, affective, nutritional, emotional and social potential. Visitors to the Sesvete garden experience nature through all their senses, enjoying a variety of activities where nature is the focal point. By fostering a welcoming and accessible environment, the garden inspires families with members with disabilities to actively participate and engage in various activities. This in turn facilitates increased interaction between people with disabilities and those without and promotes the integration of marginalized individuals into the broader local community while providing activities that improve health and wellbeing.
 
This initiative was entered in the 2022 edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards. You can view the full case study, as it was originally written by the City of Zagreb, here. The content herein has been edited and supplemented with information from the proGlreg project factsheet, which is available here.
 
For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesReduce inequality within and among countriesMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainablePromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levelsStrengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
City
Zagreb, Croatia
Size and population development
779,145 (source: City og Zagreb, data for 2001)
Population composition
90% Croats; other ethnic minorities Serbs, Albanians, Bosniaks, etc.
Main functions
Capital and largest city of Croatia, transport hub
Main industries / business
electrical engineering, chemicals and pharmaceutics, textiles, food and beverages, and tourism
Sources for city budget
Political structure
administrative seat of both Zagreb City and County, city assembly as representative body; mayor and city government as executive bodies
Administrative structure
17 districts
Website
http://www.zagreb.hr/default.aspx?id=1979
During the eight-year implementation of the “City Gardens” project in Zagreb, vulnerable groups and people with disabilities have repeatedly expressed interest in participating in urban gardening. This led to the idea of implementing an adequately equipped therapeutic garden in Zagreb.
 
The City of Zagreb had plans in 2020 to expand the existing network of urban gardens with a new therapeutic garden but these plans were put on hold due to financial duress caused by the pandemic and two earthquakes that occurred in 2020. Instead, the city made the decision to implement a new, holistic therapeutic garden and a mini urban farm in the Living Lab developed within the Horizon 2020 project proGIreg (productive green infrastructure for post-industrial urban regeneration) in Sesvete, the easternmost district of Zagreb.
 
The overarching aim of the project is to contribute to the quality of life of vulnerable groups and citizens with disabilities by providing opportunities to engage in outdoor activities which benefit their health and wellbeing. The key objectives are to: 
• provide users with an opportunity to spend time outdoors 
• foster social inclusion of people with disabilities within the community 
• enable vulnerable groups to participate in urban greening initiatives
• reduce discrimination and prejudice
 
The key beneficiaries of the project include:
• people with autism in the neighbouring housing development of New Jelkovec.
• local people with physical and mental health disabilities.
• families of children with disabilities.
• war veterans.
• care institutions for people with disabilities.
• schools of the district.
• children and adults with disabilities from the entire city. 
 
Located on a 5,145 m² plot in the southern part of the Sljeme factory area, the therapeutic garden has been conceived through a collaborative co-design process. This process included workshops within the proGIreg project and consultations with therapists from the Mali dom (little home) day-care centre for children with multiple disabilities, the centre for cerebral palsy, and the centre for autism. The garden was designed based on the therapists' comprehensive inputs regarding the needs and requirements of their clients and associated proposals for specific features to ensure the user needs were thoroughly met.
 
The design of the garden focuses on strengthening the motor, sensory, cognitive, and social functions of its users. The common areas, including the multifunctional pavilion plateau, the rest area for group education, and the entrance square with a pergola, encourage social interaction. A multisensory zone with flower beds, elements for play, and sculptures, as well as a reflexology path marked with bright yellow and grey designs and curved rails, aid with the mobility of the users and the development of motor and cognitive functions. Unlike city gardens where the product is the food, the therapeutic garden emphasizes the process of integrating vulnerable groups into society and promoting health and wellbeing.
 
In terms of spatial planning, the therapeutic garden embraces sustainability principles. A planned pedestrian-bicycle connection will link a nearby housing development to the garden, forming a green corridor as an essential component of the city's green infrastructure network. Future plans also include rain gardens for sustainable water management and the use of existing groundwater for irrigation. All gardening activities will be based on organic farming principles, which contribute significantly to urban biodiversity.
 
The design of the garden uses natural materials and circular forms which provide a sense of security and enable fluid movement. The space is enclosed by a metal fence and green hedge to mitigate noise and is entered through a pergola with growing creepers. 
 
Tailored activities for people of all ages are available year-round, including thematic workshops, training sessions, outdoor classes, and educational workshops for children, all of which are facilitated by experts in both gardening and therapy. 
 
This project not only enhances the spatial and social qualities of the neighbourhood but also sets an example for creating inclusive, semi-public spaces that cater to diverse user needs.
 
Inclusion is central to the project which is ultimately aimed at engaging people with disabilities in therapeutic gardening, education, relaxation, and socialization. Future upgrades will introduce interactive tools and playground elements for children with disabilities.
 
The City Office for Economy, Environmental Sustainability and Strategic Planning of Zagreb coordinates planning, implementation, management, and use of the therapeutic garden while Mali dom” (“Little Home”), a day-care centre for children with multiple disabilities, organises the day-to-day use and management of the garden.
 
Partners involved through the ProGlreg project include:
• Green Blue Sesvete, who provided the link to the local community.
• The Zagreb Faculty of Architecture, who provided consultation on spatial planning.
• The City Bureau of Spatial Planning, who provided consultation on planning regulations and requirements.
 
 Other key stakeholders include: 
• Mali dom-Zagreb, a daycare center for the rehabilitation of children and youth, which was founded by the City of Zagreb.
• Novi Jelkovec institution, a provider of social services in the community to children, younger adults, and adults with disabilities.
• The City Office of Social Protection, Health, War Veterans, and People with Disabilities
 
The implementation of the initiative was funded in part by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 projects. With a total implementation budget of €389,060, the City of Zagreb contributed €92,275, while the proGIreg project provided the remaining €296,785.
 
The project is expected to make a positive contribution to quality of life for vulnerable groups and citizens with disabilities. Opportunities to enjoy a natural environment and participate in workshops and trainings are open to all interested citizens. Thus, it is anticipated that the project will have a positive impact on the wider community, too. The project's potential is intended to be further enhanced by involving garden therapists, who are trained experts in the medical and psychosocial effects of garden work and are part of the therapeutic rehabilitation team.
 
The primary outcome of the therapeutic garden is the well-being of its users: individuals of all ages with disabilities. While this well-being may not be numerically measurable, caretakers observe and record the physical and emotional states of the users, noting the benefits they derive from the gardening work, as well as from actively working, relaxing, and socialising in the garden space. The garden also serves as a venue for parents of children with disabilities to socialise and promotes social inclusion from which both people with and without disabilities can benefit.
 

The COVID crisis and two powerful earthquakes which hit in 2020 hindered implementation plans in Zagreb. However, since the therapeutic garden was largely financed by proGIreg project funds, municipal budget cuts had no impact on the construction works of the therapeutic garden and implementation was finalized within the intended timeframe. In the early implementation stage, the land was owned by Zagreb Holding Company, and thus required political approval for re-assigning the land to the City of Zagreb. 

The project and its management model can be transferred to different scales and types of places. Whether it's a small section of a school garden, a portion of a new urban park, an adjacent area to an institution, or a therapeutic garden as an independent project, the model is versatile and replicable in various contexts. The project and its management model can be applied in any climate, within any cultural context, and is suitable for any type of urban space.

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External links / documents

AIPH Green City Award Video entry

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