An evolution of community gardens towards functions of production and experimentation: The case of Lyon

Collective gardens are on the rise in French cities. Municipalities see those gardens as a way to rebuild social ties and allow residents to produce vegetables; for residents, it is the occasion to meet their neighbors and enjoy a green space near their homes. These gardens meet and complement today's urban issues: participation and inclusion of residents in spatial planning and sustainable development. Through a qualitative study carried out among the shared gardens in Lyon (France), we show that these gardens are also places of exclusion, thus moving away from their initial values.