Case studies Slovakia

Nitra – Case studies

 Owners

Allotment gardening used to be widely popular in the former Czechoslovakia under the communist regime. It gave people from suburban prefab apartment blocks - called "paneláky" in Czech - a chance to escape from city chaos, pollution, and concrete architecture. It is assumed that significant part of the allotment owners live in apartment blocks in Nitra. Currently, all gardens are used for individual gardening and recreation.

 

Signs of individualization

In all case studies special features concerning the individual plots are permanent huts and greenhouses. Each member can choose his features on his own, so  that all individual parts look totally different. Most allotments include well-taken- care plots, glass houses for growing vegetables and shed houses for garden tools. There are no gates for individual plots.

 

Case study Chrenová

 

Overview

Chrenová allotments gardens are situated in the residential area Chrenová, eastern part of the city Nitra, 20 minutes away from the city centre. The area is owned by Nitra city and Catholic Church. And they tolerate the gardeners on their land, where the swimming pool used to be planned. Local people transformed this area into the small plots, arranged in rows (in parallel), connected by paths and divided by vegetation.

 

Spatial Configuration

The original boundary of the area – iron fence, have been kept and three main entrances have been created. There is a public view to the garden from the roads, and there is a public access to compost hill (compost area). The gates are locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site.

The site id bounded by explicit barriers from all sides. The spatial layout of the allotment gardens is divided into three parts with individual entrances. Access to the allotments is through tree entrances, when each entrance is for particular parts of plots. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular boarded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are rectangular shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). In some cases one could easily go to another yard without even noticing it. As a barrier are also ropes or other permeable materials. Special features concerning the individual plots are permanent huts and greenhouses. Each member can choose his features on his own, so that all individual parts look totally different. Most allotments include well-taken- care plots, glass houses for growing vegetables and shed houses for garden tools. There are no gates for individual plots.

 

 

Case study- Allotment gardens near Agrokomplex exhibition centre

 

Overview

SPU allotment gardens are situated near exhibition area – Agrokomplex on south-eastern part of the city Nitra, in the city centre and there are few other allotment gardens in the neighbourhood. The area consists of 59 plots arranged in 6 rows (in parallel), connected by paths and divided by vegetation. From one side is surrounded by river. The total area is 19 245m2. The maximum area of the plot is 513m2 and the minimum 168m2. The plots were in 60ties offered to rent to employees of Slovak agricultural university and after privatization they became their property. Some owners rent their plots to the other people.

 

Spatial Configuration

The area has been fenced and on the main gate is the sight of the Slovak Association of Gardeners and Fruiters with the note “Private area, No access”. There is a public view to the allotments from all sites. The gate is locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site.

The area of allotment gardens is divided by paths into seven parts. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular boarded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are rectangular or triangle shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). In some cases one could easily go to another yard without even noticing it. As a barrier are also ropes or other permeable materials.

 

 

Case study Kloko?ina

 

Overview

Kloko?ina allotment gardens are situated on north-western part of the city Nitra, in the area built during socialism with the characteristic building of that time called “paneláky”, inhabited by  21 000 people. They are is surrounded by small urban forest- Borina, cemetery, health care complex and the main road- connection from city centre to Kloko?ina- city site with “paneláky”. The area consists of 82 plots divided by paths to 5 sections. The total area is 35 147m2. The maximum area of the plot is 596 m2 and the minimum101 m2.

 

Spatial Configuration

The area has been fenced and on the main gate is the sight of the Slovak Association of Gardeners and Fruiters with the note “Private area, No access”. There is a public view to the allotments from all sites. There are two entrances and the gates are locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site.

The area of allotment gardens is divided by paths into five parts. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular boarded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are mainly rectangular shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). Although the boarders have natural character; one could easily defined each yards.

 

 

Case study- Mlynárce

 

Overview

Mlynárce allotment gardens are situated near highway north-western part of the city Nitra. The gardens consist of two parts divided by the highway. The first part consists of 40 plots divided in 4 rows and the second part consists of 48 plots divided in two rows by paths. From the east side are areas surrounded by industry area, from the other sides the highway presents the main barrier.  The total area is 29144 m2 and the area of both parts is around 14 500m2. The maximum area of the plot is 577m2 and the minimum is 64m2.

 

Spatial Configuration

There is a public view to the allotments from all sites. The gate is locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site. The area of allotment gardens is divided by paths into six parts. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular bounded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are mainly rectangular shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). Although the boarders have natural character; one could easily defined each yards.

 

 

 

Nitra region represents a typical agricultural region in Slovakia, with different landscape types and subtypes of agricultural land including arable land, meadow pastures, orchards, vineyards and forests varying from hilly parts of the Tribe? Mountains to flat parts of Danubian Lowland. The rural agricultural landscape of this region is in the same time a typical representative of historical cultural landscape, with significant parts having important aesthetic and historical values, although not protected as a cultural heritage or nature reserve. Main urban centre of this region is city of Nitra, located in the Nitra river valley at the foothill of the Zobor Mountain (587 m). Nitra is regarded one of the oldest cities in Slovakia, a city of extraordinary historic importance connected with Great Moravia. Nowadays is Nitra a modern city with strong relation to agriculture. With a population around 82 000 inhabitants, it is the fourth largest city in Slovakia.

Current structure of the agricultural land in the cadastre of the Nitra is decreasing because of the building and soft industrial pressure. Within the city could be seen private gardens, remains of the vineyards, several allotment gardens and “community gardens” and some of the schools apply the environmental educational program named “Green school”, which help them to create herbs or small permaculture garden in the school area. In the last very few years could be seen activities of young people, who started to create their own space for recreation, social contacts, production and education. They have rent a land from the private owners to cultivated it.

Nitra is a specific city, because the Slovak University of Agriculture with its Botanical garden and its productional fields. In the city is also located a great exhibition area of Agrokomplex – with its inner and outside exposition halls, fields and Agricultural museum.

During the spatial development of the Nitra – several villages, which were in its neighbourhood, became a part of the city due to its expansion. Outside of the build up areas there are huge block of fields and vineyards or allotment gardens.

 

Owners

Allotment gardening used to be widely popular in the former Czechoslovakia under the communist regime. It gave people from suburban prefab apartment blocks - called "paneláky" in Czech - a chance to escape from city chaos, pollution, and concrete architecture. It is assumed that significant part of the allotment owners live in apartment blocks in Nitra. Currently, all gardens are used for individual gardening and recreation.

 

Signs of individualization

In all case studies special features concerning the individual plots are permanent huts and greenhouses. Each member can choose his features on his own, so  that all individual parts look totally different. Most allotments include well-taken- care plots, glass houses for growing vegetables and shed houses for garden tools. There are no gates for individual plots.

 

 

Case study Chrenová

 

Overview

Chrenová allotments gardens are situated in the residential area Chrenová, eastern part of the city Nitra, 20 minutes away from the city centre. The area is owned by Nitra city and Catholic Church. And they tolerate the gardeners on their land, where the swimming pool used to be planned. Local people transformed this area into the small plots, arranged in rows (in parallel), connected by paths and divided by vegetation.

 

Spatial Configuration

The original boundary of the area – iron fence, have been kept and three main entrances have been created. There is a public view to the garden from the roads, and there is a public access to compost hill (compost area). The gates are locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site.

The site id bounded by explicit barriers from all sides. The spatial layout of the allotment gardens is divided into three parts with individual entrances. Access to the allotments is through tree entrances, when each entrance is for particular parts of plots. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular boarded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are rectangular shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). In some cases one could easily go to another yard without even noticing it. As a barrier are also ropes or other permeable materials. Special features concerning the individual plots are permanent huts and greenhouses. Each member can choose his features on his own, so that all individual parts look totally different. Most allotments include well-taken- care plots, glass houses for growing vegetables and shed houses for garden tools. There are no gates for individual plots.

 

 

Case study- Allotment gardens near Agrokomplex exhibition centre

 

Overview

SPU allotment gardens are situated near exhibition area – Agrokomplex on south-eastern part of the city Nitra, in the city centre and there are few other allotment gardens in the neighbourhood. The area consists of 59 plots arranged in 6 rows (in parallel), connected by paths and divided by vegetation. From one side is surrounded by river. The total area is 19 245m2. The maximum area of the plot is 513m2 and the minimum 168m2. The plots were in 60ties offered to rent to employees of Slovak agricultural university and after privatization they became their property. Some owners rent their plots to the other people.

 

Spatial Configuration

The area has been fenced and on the main gate is the sight of the Slovak Association of Gardeners and Fruiters with the note “Private area, No access”. There is a public view to the allotments from all sites. The gate is locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site.

The area of allotment gardens is divided by paths into seven parts. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular boarded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are rectangular or triangle shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). In some cases one could easily go to another yard without even noticing it. As a barrier are also ropes or other permeable materials.

 

 

Case study Kloko?ina

 

Overview

Kloko?ina allotment gardens are situated on north-western part of the city Nitra, in the area built during socialism with the characteristic building of that time called “paneláky”, inhabited by  21 000 people. They are is surrounded by small urban forest- Borina, cemetery, health care complex and the main road- connection from city centre to Kloko?ina- city site with “paneláky”. The area consists of 82 plots divided by paths to 5 sections. The total area is 35 147m2. The maximum area of the plot is 596 m2 and the minimum101 m2.

 

Spatial Configuration

The area has been fenced and on the main gate is the sight of the Slovak Association of Gardeners and Fruiters with the note “Private area, No access”. There is a public view to the allotments from all sites. There are two entrances and the gates are locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site.

The area of allotment gardens is divided by paths into five parts. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular boarded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are mainly rectangular shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). Although the boarders have natural character; one could easily defined each yards.

 

 

Case study- Mlynárce

 

Overview

Mlynárce allotment gardens are situated near highway north-western part of the city Nitra. The gardens consist of two parts divided by the highway. The first part consists of 40 plots divided in 4 rows and the second part consists of 48 plots divided in two rows by paths. From the east side are areas surrounded by industry area, from the other sides the highway presents the main barrier.  The total area is 29144 m2 and the area of both parts is around 14 500m2. The maximum area of the plot is 577m2 and the minimum is 64m2.

 

Spatial Configuration

There is a public view to the allotments from all sites. The gate is locked at all times, only plot holders are given the key with 24 hour access to the site. The area of allotment gardens is divided by paths into six parts. The space inside the garden is shared and no particular bounded area is seen. 

 

Internal boundaries

The plots are mainly rectangular shape with informal, natural borders. They stand tightly next to each other separated usually by vegetation (vineyard, fruit trees or shrubs). Although the boarders have natural character; one could easily defined each yards.

 

 

 

 

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