Physically apart but socially connected: Lessons in social resilience from community gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic

Urban green spaces, like community gardens, received increased attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from an ethnographic study on participating in community garden activities in Edmonton, Canada and inputs from 194 gardeners and 21 garden coordinators, this paper captures the experiences of creating community during a pandemic. Garden coordinators had to rethink and rework their operating styles in keeping participants physically apart but socially connected. Participants confirmed that garden activities provided respite from the pandemic restrictions. Findings also indicate that some participants missed group activities like work bees and potlucks while others were able to re-create community in digital spaces and in chanced and informal interactions. This study draws from and subsequently contributes to the existing literature on social resilience provided by community gardens during and after a crisis event. It also provides policy recommendations on how the city administration can help facilitate garden activities during times of disruptions.