In various parts of the country, several community gardens are facing a precarious situation: they are under eviction orders or facing imminent closure. This situation has sparked a debate about how to reconcile urban needs, public health, and the continuity of projects with deep social roots.
This situation is illustrated by two specific cases, one in Madrid and the other in California, which share a common denominator: the threat of interruption to initiatives with more than a decade of history , driven by residents and sustained by volunteer work. Furthermore, new calls for proposals and projects in some areas are attempting to address these kinds of challenges.
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 clear the garden located on Matadero Street, next to the Juan Ramón Jiménez Public School, in order to expand the school playground . The notification was delivered by two municipal police officers and set a two-month deadline because the plot lacked specific authorization.
The City Council attributes the dampness in the center to the orchard, a claim that residents flatly reject. They assert that they have installed drainage and automated irrigation systems to channel the water, and point out that the district itself intervened in the adjacent wall by adding an insulating chamber. The residents' group has commissioned a report to support their claim that the leaks are due to underground water currents which, they assert, are also affecting newer buildings in the area.
The gardeners also emphasize that the school was built two levels below street level and has had an unfavorable building inspection report since 2018, factors which, in their opinion, explain some of the problems detected. The gardeners deny any direct causal link between their activity and the dampness.
Following the notification, several representatives met with the councilor and the district coordinator, but no clear progress was made. The option of a school garden within the future playground was raised , something the community considers unfeasible due to the project's size and nature. Conversations with officials from the Urban Planning and Urban Gardens departments showed a willingness to explore alternative solutions, but the District Council has not called any further meetings.
Among the residents, there's a growing sense that things are moving too fast: expanding the schoolyard falls under regional jurisdiction, and the process, they warn, could take at least two years to complete. They fear the land will end up paved and closed "until further notice," becoming an unused lot, as it was before 2013, with few options for growing crops in the center.
The group points out that the community garden originated with municipal support, as part of the Tetuán Landscape project within the Arts Department , and that, although there was no explicit authorization, the Regional Government tolerated and even collaborated on some phases for 12 years. They admit that relocating it would be traumatic and would not guarantee the project's continuity at another site.
In response to this situation, a neighborhood campaign has been launched, including videos on social media, a sample petition, and a manifesto, to highlight the community garden's vital service to the neighborhood and its support from local associations. They are also considering organizing demonstrations to "embrace" the space before the eviction takes place.
San Diego: Tijuana River Valley Community Garden Faces Lease Expiration
Across the Atlantic, one of San Diego County's largest and longest-running community gardens, spanning five acres and nearly 23 years, faces closure due to the Resource Conservation District's (RCD) decision not to renew its contract with the County Parks and Resources Department. These types of community gardens showcase diverse models and scales of community gardening.
The measure is based on health concerns related to the Tijuana River Valley environment. Some in the community question who truly benefits from this decision, noting that dozens of families have been cultivating the land there for years without any significant problems, and that the community garden has been a constant source of support for the neighborhood.
The area comprises around 210 plots and 8 micro-farms that support small local businesses and provide fresh food for households. Among those most affected, some lament that a bountiful harvest could be lost if the closure is implemented without any time to react.
The notification sent to gardeners and tenants sets a 60-day deadline from receipt to terminate the lease and return possession of the premises. The document serves as legal notice of termination under the contract signed with RCD, and, as noted, California law allows former tenants to reclaim abandoned property after vacating the premises.
Given this situation, users are asking for alternative solutions: if the RCD (Recycling and Demolition Equipment) is withdrawn, they are requesting more time and options so that another entity can take over management and prevent the disappearance of the garden, with special attention to not losing the community fabric built over decades.
A repeating pattern: administrative decisions and projects with social roots
Both cases illustrate the same tension: the need to resolve urban planning or health issues versus established community projects that fulfill social, educational, and environmental functions. While Madrid cites the need for school expansion and San Diego focuses on public health, the affected communities demand dialogue, reasonable timelines, and proportionate alternatives.
Beyond the institutional differences—the regional government and the Community of Madrid in one case; RCD and the county's Parks Department in the other—the common denominator is uncertainty and urgency. Sixty-day deadlines , ongoing technical reports, and interim proposals demonstrate that conflict management will be crucial for the future of these spaces.
What's at stake isn't just a collection of terraces: it's about spaces for meeting, learning, and mutual support that, without proper regulations and operational frameworks, could quickly disappear. The ball is now in the court of the authorities to develop solutions that preserve the public interest without undoing what the community has built.
