Stara Bykowina is a district of a post mining city Ruda Śląska, which after closure of a local coal mine Nowy Wirek in 2009 suffered gradual degradation. Research conducted for the needs of a new development strategy for the city proved that within years 1996-2014 Bykowina’s population decreased by 25.7%. Another big problem is lack of civic engagement.
The aim of the project was to build a community engaged in the activity for the common good and promotion of garden culture through creating green areas in the environmentally degraded district.
62 citizens of Ruda Śląska together created 13 social gardens and engaged in their long-term maintenance.
In the project over 400 hours of integrating and promoting garden culture activities were conducted for 223 persons, including over 100 hours of gardening classes, which provided the participants with competence for establishing and maintenance of gardens and potted flowers. 3 big outdoor events (cleaning up the area) joined with the neighborhood integration were conducted with the assistance of students, welfare centre beneficiaries and citizens. About 1000 persons participated in the events. Thanks to the gardening classes 13 social gardens properly marked were established and maintained by various initiative groups. The gardens are playgrounds for children and places of meetings for neighbors. In the project activities animating public dialog and openness to co-operation of managing authorities with the citizens were implemented. Conditions strengthening pro-social attitude and joint responsibility for public space were created.
223 persons aged 1-92 benefited the project, mainly citizens of Bykowina.