Oldal 283 [283]
OT EVERYONE CAN MOVE TO THE COUNTRYSIDE
"Nor E Can M C " 281
One of the founders and motors of Iransition Wekerle, Iracey Wheatley asserts
that TW is not so much a movement as a cultural milieu determined by the
common locality, a community with a milieu of learning and a common identity,
value order, and collective activities (T.W. 2023), which then grows in diverse
directions. It is part of this process that the civil sphere can be superseded and
activity for the local community pursued in another way. This is exemplified by
one of the founders and pillars of TW, who now also works for Wekerle Estate as
a representative in the municipal government in addition to his civil activities.
Figure 3. Green Spot community garden Pécs, HUngary. Photo: Judit Ruprech, 2021
Community gardens
The homepage http://kozossegikertek.hu defines a community garden as follows:
“Briefly and simply put, it is any piece of land collectively cared for by a community.
Urban gardening unites people of diverse ages and backgrounds, who then practice
the attitude they learn during collective gardening in other fields of life as well: they
are environment-conscious residents of the city who respect one another’ work. Apart
from their community creating and educational functions, the gardens also supply
fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs for the urban residents who look after them.”
Some of the antecedents include the community gardens created with municipal
support on vacant urban lots during the recession in the 1890s, where jobless,
mainly immigrant industrial laborers could grow food for themselves. The similar
initiatives in the first half of the 20th century were motivated by further economic
recessions and the world wars; see, for instance, the so-called Victory gardens
during WW2. Also among the forerunners were the gardens and garden zones
which emerged in the large cities brought to life by the Industrial Revolution. In