RESOLUTION OF THE CONGRESS IN LYON 25TH – 27TH AUGUST 2005

The 34th congress of the Office International du Coin de Terre et des Jardins Familiaux, held in Lyon (France) from August 25th till August 27th 2005, has dealt with the subject concerning « The allotment and leisure gardens in the heart of the cities ».

It has adopted following resolution.

All the European allotment and leisure garden federations reaffirm the essential role of the allotment and leisure gardens in the direct centre of the built areas in which they contribute in an original and efficient way to a sustainable development.

The congress proposes three kinds of actions:

- The allotment and leisure gardens cultivated in an environment respectful way as vegetable gardens and orchards are the only means to safeguard and redevelop the biodiversity in fauna and flora in the areas close to the housing areas and this in opposition to the traditional green belts, that are poor in species, and are not able to reach this aim;

- The allotment and leisure gardens contribute efficiently to the rehabilitation of the urban environment by the introduction into the austerity of the towns of a quality landscape characterised by its human dimension while allowing the inhabitants at the same time to re-appropriate part of the collective urban space

- The allotment and leisure gardens assume an evident and original social function. They allow the gardeners to get to know each other better, allow their families to come to the garden, allow the children to discover the soil, nature and work. At the same time they stimulate the respect of the others and create contacts between the gardeners and the other inhabitants.

Consequently the national federations have to stimulate their associations to adopt these aims in order that they prove by their concrete realisations the absolute necessity to develop and protect the allotment and leisure gardens in the urban areas.

The congress requests the national and international authorities to stipulate systematically in their urbanisation programmes the creation of numerous allotment and leisure gardens in the areas situated close to the housing areas in order to safeguard the biodiversity in the dense urban areas, in order to make towns calmer and finally to improve the social cohesion.