Many cities are currently planning new allotment gardens and that is why City of Kemi wants to be one of them. An allotment garden is a specific entity that combines infrastructure and different activities. These factors have to be the main thing of town planning process. Interactive design processes like workshops are often used during planning processes in order to give area users opportunities to participate and make a difference.
The establishment of an allotment garden has become topical in Kemi and the city's residents have been encouraged to do conducting various types of design and brainstorming workshops. The City of Kemi’s Year-round urban farming and local food production in Kemi –project wanted to cooperate with Lapland University of Applied Sciences SERI – Sea Lapland’s Resource Intelligence –project with resource intelligence allotment garden -case. The residents of the City of Kemi have been interested in the possibility of establishing an allotment garden, and the project cooperation has given more concrete information to the design of the allotment garden with the material package implemented by the SERI -project. The material package includes functions related to the establishment of an allotment garden through the perspectives of resource wisdom. Unfortunately, the content of the package is in Finnish, but the main points of the content can be easily translated into English if someone is interested in that.
The content of the resource intelligence establishment of the allotment garden material package has been compiled in such a way that the City of Kemi receives valuable information to support the establishment of the area. SERI project made this material package like a guide which might benefit city and municipal decision-makers, planners and area users to become a resource intelligence operator. The package has been compiled with a view to the possibilities of the cities and municipalities in the Sea Lapland’s area to implement the planning of an allotment garden with an emphasis on low carbon and a resource intelligence theme. The material package contains information on, for example, the special features of the location options in Kemi, how you can use more sustainable materials in the construction of the cottage and the cultivation activities.
Resource intelligence –theme is sometimes difficult concept to understand and there was a desire to invest in this challenge with the help of a pilot as well. Resource intelligence is much more than just making more efficient use of a company’s or municipality’s resources, it can bring a new perspective to the company or municipality’s office and make processes run more efficiently.
Information on the establishment of the allotment garden and the needs of the users have been obtained in the allotment garden workshops. SERI project participants have participated in workshops as well during the autumn 2020 and spring 2021 to discuss resource intelligence options. The workshops have provided valuable information to support the material package and at the same time brought project actors' perspectives into implementation.
Katri Hendriksson, Lapland University of Applied Sciences
Project manager: SERI – Sea Lapland’s Resource Intelligence -project
Sustainability development coordinator of Lapland UAS