The “Allmende-Kontor” – which can be loosely translated as the “office for community spaces” – is set to become the key address for urban gardening and community gardens in Berlin.

Berlin boasts an amazing number and diversity of mutually cultivated space that are used as common or joint land: intercultural gardens, community gardens, self-harvest gardens, guerrilla gardens, school gardens, rooftop gardens and – the smallest of them all – planted tree bases. They pose and answer key questions relating to urban society, in particular with respect to social, cultural and biological diversity, participative urban design, city ecology, supply and consumption, education, movement, nutrition and health, solidarity, integration and civic engagement.

The emerging “Allmende-Kontor” at Tempelhofer Freiheit is eager to create a contact and networking site – a reservoir of knowledge, a place to learn and a garden – for all of these new and existing initiatives, for interested individuals and anyone involved in community gardens and urban farming in Berlin.

The goal is to establish joint and garden-oriented use of free space in the city and to network the movement on all levels – with administrative and political authorities, as well. The Allmende-Kontor, which is being developed in an ecological manner, will provide advice to activists from the community garden scene and support for new and existing garden initiatives. Their means include sheer know-how, fundraising, PR and educational programs. A community-developed garden open to the public will grow – literally – around the Kontor and serve to showcase the potential beauty and diversity of urban gardening. A pool of resources relating to the borrowing of equipment will also be set up. And, as a contribution to biodiversity, the first Berlin seed bank – originating from community gardens – will emerge. This seed bank will preserve and, to a certain extent, flow back into the garden via exchange. The Allmende-Kontor at Tempelhofer Freiheit, in direct vicinity of the Neukölln neighbourhood, will be developed for everyone interested in getting involved with gardening at Tempelhofer Freiheit and in the entire city.

urbanacker.net was brought to life as an Internet platform by Berlin-based garden activists. Important trailblazers and project supporters include AG Kleinstlandwirtschaft, AG interkulturelle Gärten in Berlin und Brandenburg and workstation Ideenwerkstatt Berlin e.V. In addition to a number of garden initiatives, a number of other bodies are involved in the network, including the VERN e.V., the Interkultur foundation, Berlin 21 e.V. as well as many researchers and scientists.