Shenzhen’s groundbreaking "Collaborative Garden Plan" is set to achieve a milestone by the end of 2024, with the total number of collaborative gardens in the city expected to reach 580. The plan, launched in 2019 by the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Urban Administration and coordinated Law Enforcement, has transformed unused spaces across the city into vibrant green pockets, leveraging the combined efforts of professionals, social organizations, and local communities.
Shenzhen currently boasts 1,290 parks, and the Collaborative Garden Plan has flourished over the past five years, spreading across all districts. The gardens, reflecting diverse regional characteristics, are classified into six types: park-based, roadside, residential area, workplace, campus, and urban village gardens. The development process has also become more refined over time.
Huang Xiaowei, deputy director of the Public Services Department at the Shenzhen Park Management Center, explained that the process begins with collecting site suggestions from the public. Following site inspections, landscape designers, contractors, residents, and volunteers form "design workshops" to collaboratively decide the garden's style and create design blueprints.
During construction, contractors handle technically demanding tasks, while residents and volunteers contribute to beautification, such as laying bricks or decorative work. Once completed, a "co-governance" model tailored to the specific garden is agreed upon to ensure sustainable maintenance.
Unlike municipal parks that benefit from stable funding, collaborative gardens often rely on public-welfare resources. Establishing effective co-governance mechanisms is essential to maintaining the gardens’ quality and ensuring their long-term success.