Approaches to urban land use: Dispute or negotiation for the establishment of community gardens in Bordeaux and Quebec City
Our study of two community gardens in Bordeaux and Quebec City, both established at the initiative of local residents, shows the capacity of these latter to address complex urban issues, while also revealing the tension between two visions of urban planning, one functional and economic, the other transversal and response-driven. In our comparative approach, an analysis of the actions taken and of the negotiation process shows that when the people involved chose to engage in a process of public debate, they were able to successfully achieve their collective social goal, whereas criticism of a more “aesthetic” nature remained marginal to the public decision-making process. Even so, both situations illustrate urban dwellers’ capacity to think differently about urban planning, as well as the importance of their becoming organized if they are to reclaim “the keys to the city”.