Communal Green Spaces of Cascais: Fostering Human Connections and Harmony with Nature via Community Gardening

Bringing Life into Cascais: Terras de Cascais Turning Urban Space Green

Embrace the change as we dive into the sustainable food revolution happening right here in Cascais, Portugal. Terras de Cascais, the town's local, organic food-focused movement, is all about connecting sustainably with our environment while cultivating fresh, delectable, and nutritious produce. Join us for an insightful conversation with Luís Capão, President of the Executive Board of Ambiente Cascais, the force behind Terras de Cascais.

Terras de Cascais is more than just a garden project; it's a commitment to revitalize Cascais through local, seasonal, and sustainable food production. Luís share his thoughts, "We strive for agriculture that's of high quality, rich in nutrients, and simply finger-licking good." Their ultimate vision?

"We dream of a farming system that respects the environment and fosters human activity."

The journey started back in 2009 when Ambiente Cascais pioneered the first Community Vegetable Gardens, a hit among locals eager to grow their food, reconnect with their roots, or simply lower their expenses. This led to the launch of the Terras de Cascais brand in 2017, encompassing Cascais Ambiente's eco-friendly, urban farming projects.

As of 2021, a whopping 631 families take part in Terras de Cascais' initiatives, tending to 27 community and 2 associate gardens, 3 vineyards, and 2 orchards, all while maintaining ecological practices.

Back to Nature

"In Cascais, we're surrounded by mother nature," Luís tells us. This natural connection influenced the creation of Terras de Cascais. "There's a strong environmental consciousness in Cascais residents and our administration." Cascais was even the first Portuguese town to create a Climate Change Adaptation Plan[2].

Terras de Cascais is now leading the way in sustainable agricultural development, inspiring municipalities and research entities from Portugal and beyond to follow suit[3].

Learning as We Green

But it's not just about breading vegetables; it's about education too. Terras de Cascais offers training opportunities for gardeners and non-gardeners alike, as well as a host of engaging projects:

Nestled in Schools

The School Organic Gardens programme encourages children to learn about the natural world and its food cycle. In these gardens, students can explore seeds and crops, plus topics like addition, subtraction, area, and seasons[5]. Since 2012, 70 schools with 23,400 students have taken part and savored the learning experience.

Strengthening Entrepreneurship

Nest Gardens is designed to help young entrepreneurs transform their food production aspirations into reality, fostering regional development and job creation. Additionally, a land database is provided to link landlords with local farmers seeking to establish organics farms in Cascais[6].

Bridging Generations

Generational gaps can sometimes be tricky, but shared interests like gardening help to bridge them. Take the tale of two neighboring gardeners with different lifestyles, eventually finding common ground when the younger's wife became pregnant[7].

Gardening Together, Growing Together

Urban farming on a communal scale reaps numerous benefits for cities, including healthier, happier residents ready to collaborate in managing public spaces. Cities see improved food landscapes, territorial independence, increased environmental awareness, empowerment, job creation, and investor attraction[8].

Luís comments, "The benefits are endless."

Terras de Cascais fosters a sense of community.

"People connect, forming lasting friendships. When it comes to community garden management, people make decisions that prioritize the common good, not just their own. Cities become more neighborhood-centric and welcoming."

Notable Realizations

One of Terras de Cascais' most popular sites is the Quinta do Pisão vegetable garden, where residents can pick and purchase fresh produce. All produce from here is harvested, indicating the success of their strategy and demonstrating that residents and restaurants appreciate local, seasonal products[9].

Another indicator of increased awareness for healthy, locally produced food is the growing waitlist for available allotments in community gardens. Despite adding more plots to their collection every year, demand still exceeds supply[10].

A Brighter Future

Luís reveals, "At Cascais Ambiente, we're all about sharing knowledge, whether it's agriculture-related or in our other environmental sectors." Their vision for the future is to spread the concept of food production among citizens and businesses even further, attracting more investors to support this ongoing change.

Sharing their knowledge, their work, and results is second nature for them, as Luís explains, "When many come together towards sustainable food production and farming practices, that's when we can truly make a difference the world needs."

Their ambitions don't end there; they strive to influence local decision-making and shape national and European food and environmental policies[11].

Getting Involved

Eager to participate? It's easy! Simply register at ambiente.cascais.pt and immerse yourself in workshops, meetings, field training, and the community. And if you're considering starting a similar project in your city, Luís offers a golden nugget of advice, "Go for it! But don't go it alone!" Seek out urban farming enthusiasts in your community, canvass for initiatives that lay the groundwork for a sustainable project, and look to reliable sources of information and inspiring examples to craft an effective policy. And remember, the Terras de Cascais team is always here to offer a helping hand[12].

[1] Cascais focus on participatory democracy and public sector efficiency: https://udg.udl.cat/ca/etlla/tecs/projetcs27332620_20_08_0

[2] Cascais Climate Change Adaptation Plan: https://www.cascais.pt/web/guest/web/ambiente/ alive-operacional/ planeamento-local/planos-directivos-locais/o-plano-de-adaptacao-climática-de-cascais

[3] Terras de Cascais inspires other municipalities and research entities: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337819452_Community_garden_Cascais_Municipality's_experience

[4] Cascais support eco-friendly real estate developments: https://www.ac surveys.com/ download files/rp/ green_and_sustainable_construction_in_cascais_2/

[5] The benefits of school gardens: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/03/26/a-school-vegetable-garden-takes-root-to-improve.html

[6] Encouraging entrepreneurship through Terras de Cascais projects: https://www.cascais.pt/web/guest/web/ambiente/actividades-economicas/projetcs-economicos-ambiente

[7] How community gardens build social connections: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/02/gardening-making-friends

[8] The benefits of urban agriculture: https://www.urbanagriculturemagazine.com/articles/the-benefits-of-urban-agriculture

[9] Success of Terras de Cascais' Quinta do Pisão vegetable garden: https://www.cascais.pt/web/guest/web/ambiente/espacos/quintas-ambiente/quinta-do-pisaño

[10] Increasing demand for community garden plots: https://www.cascais.pt/web/guest/web/ambiente/apoio-a-quintas

[11] Cascais' role in shaping national and European policies: https://www.cascais.pt/web/guest/web/ambiente/governo-local/planos-e-programas-locais

[12] Getting involved with Terras de Cascais: https://www.cascais.pt/web/guest/web/ambiente/projects/quintas-ambiente/juntar-se-aos-terras-de-cascais

In Cascais, Terras de Cascais envisions a farming system that respects the environment and fosters human activity. This movement, rooted in environmental science and climate-change awareness, started with community vegetable gardens in 2009, leading to the launch of the Terras de Cascais brand in 2017. Today, it boasts 631 families participating in various sustainable gardening and farming initiatives, such as schools organically gardening to teach children about nature, or Nest Gardens supporting young entrepreneurship in food production. Urban farming not only cultivates healthy produce but fosters personal growth, bridging generational gaps and building strong community connections.

As a pioneer in eco-friendly urban development, Cascais serves as an example for municipalities across Portugal and beyond, inspiring sustainable agricultural practices and education-and-self-development opportunities through initiatives like Terras de Cascais. The movement extends beyond growing food to creating healthier lifestyles and fostering a stronger connection with the environment, all while enhancing the beauty of home-and-garden landscapes. Luís Capão, President of Ambiente Cascais, believes that when many come together towards sustainable food production and farming practices, it's then that we can truly make a difference for the world that needs it.