At different points on the map, several local farming areas are going through a difficult time: community gardens with eviction or closure orders in the short term. The situation opens a debate on how to reconcile urban needs, public health, and the continuity of socially rooted projects.
This panorama is illustrated by two specific cases, one in Madrid and the other in California, which share a common denominator: the threat of disruption of initiatives with more than a decade of history, driven by neighbors and supported by volunteer work. In addition, the new calls and projects In some territories they try to respond to this type of tension.
Madrid: Huerta de Tetuán, between imminent eviction and the expansion of a school
In the Tetuán neighborhood, the City Council announced at the beginning of summer its intention to empty the garden located on Matadero Street, next to the Juan Ramón Jiménez Public School, to expand the school playgroundThe notification came via two Municipal Police officers and set a two-month deadline because the site lacked specific authorization.
The Municipal Board attributes the appearance of dampness in the center to the garden, an issue that the users flatly reject: they claim to have carried out automated drainage and irrigation to channel the water, and they recall that the district itself intervened in the adjacent wall by incorporating an insulating chamber. The group has commissioned a report to support the claim that the leaks are due to underground currents, which, they claim, They are also affecting recent buildings in the area.
The gardeners also emphasize that the school was built two levels below street level and has had an unfavorable ITE (Electrical Inspection) since 2018, factors that, in their opinion, explain some of the problems detected. The Huerta version denies any causal link directly between your activity and the humidity.
Following the notification, several representatives met with the councilor and the district coordinator without any clear progress. The option of a school garden within the future courtyard, something that the community sees as unfeasible due to the size and nature of the project. Conversations with Urban Planning and Urban Gardens They showed a willingness to explore solutions, but the Board has not called new meetings.
Among the neighbors there is a feeling that there is too much rush: expanding the patio is a regional responsibility and the file, they warn, could take a long time. at least two years They fear that the land will end up paved and closed "until further notice," becoming an unused lot, as it was before 2013, with few options. to grow in the center.
The group recalls that the garden emerged with municipal support, as part of the project Tetuán Landscape of the Arts Area, and that, despite not having express authorization, the Board tolerated and even collaborated in some phases for 12 years. A relocation, they admit, would be traumatic and does not guarantee the project's continuity at another location.
Given this scenario, a neighborhood campaign has been activated with videos on social networks, an application model and a manifesto to make visible that the garden provides a service to the neighborhood and has the support of local associations. They haven't ruled out holding rallies to "embrace" the space before the eviction takes place.
San Diego: Tijuana River Valley Community Garden Faces Lease Expiration
Across the Atlantic, one of the largest and oldest community gardens in San Diego County, with about five acres and almost 23 years of history, faces closure due to the decision of the Resource Conservation District (RCD) of not renewing the contract with the County Parks and Resources Department. This type of growing spaces They show different types and scales of community gardens.
The measure is based on health concerns linked to the Tijuana River Valley environment. Some members of the community question who really benefits from this decision, noting that Dozens of families have been cultivating for years there without any notable incidents, and that the garden has been a constant support for the neighborhood.
The space brings together around 210 plots and 8 microfarms that help small local businesses and contribute fresh food to homes. Among the most affected voices, there are those who lament that a bountiful harvest could be lost if the lockdown is imposed without any room for reaction.
The notice sent to gardeners and tenants sets a period of 60 days from its receipt for terminate the lease and return possession of the premises. The document acts as legal notice of termination under the contract signed with the RCD, and, as a reminder, California law allows former tenants reclaim abandoned property after unemployment.
Faced with this situation, users are asking for alternative solutions: if the RCD is withdrawn, they request more time and options so that another entity can take over management and prevent the garden from disappearing, with special attention to ensuring the community fabric built over decades is not lost.
A repeating pattern: administrative decisions and projects with social roots
Both cases show the same tension: the need to resolve urban or health issues in the face of established community projects that fulfill social, educational, and environmental functions. While Madrid advocates for school expansion and San Diego focuses on public health, the affected communities are demanding dialogue, reasonable timeframes, and proportionate alternatives.
Beyond the institutional differences—the Regional Government and the Community of Madrid in one case; RCD and the County Parks Department in the other—the common denominator is uncertainty and urgency. 60-day deadlines, ongoing technical reports and interim proposals show that conflict management will be crucial for the future of these spaces.
What is at stake is not just a set of terraces: it is about places of meeting, learning and mutual support Without adequate regulatory and operational support, these measures could quickly disappear. The ball is now in the court of the administrations to develop solutions that preserve the general interest without undoing what citizens have built.
