Huerto del Rey Moro

Citizen Garden

Introduction

Huerto del Rey Moro Garden is 5,000 m2 and includes the park, the garden, and green spaces, at the back of the garden, there are the plots. The plots are of different types: family plots, communal ones to teach gardeners how to plant, this space is also used for training as part of European programs.

Activity Topic

promotion of citizenship, promotion of friendship, working together and shared decisionmaking, sharing knowledge and transmission, cultural and heritage garden, Cultural Heritage Asset, Defense of heritage

Organisation

Garden Huerto del Moro

Legal Status

Network supported by community efforts and local governance

Year of Establishment

In the 1980s

Location

C. Enladrillada, 36, Casco Antiguo, 41003 Sevilla

Huerto del Rey Moro Garden is located in the heart of the historic part of the city, is one of the oldest in Seville : it has been a garden since the 13th century, and thus benefits from heritage protection as a cultural heritage asset. The garden has a special status because it is not truly legal, the organization occupied the site that was abandoned and gradually developed its shared garden activities. It is now the largest green space in the heart of Seville and resists the government that has long sought to urbanize this area.
The social dimension of the garden is very important; it is indeed one of its characteristics: it promotes citizenship and the values of friendship as well as fraternity.
This philosophy is observed through the activities of the garden :

the garden is open to the outside, which is why it hosts birthday parties for children nunder 12 as well as schools for organizing outings or lunches.
it places great importance on the transmission of knowledge through a part of his garden dedicated to training.
Decision-making is collective, organized in the form of an assembly.

Activity Description

Aims and Outcomes

The garden aims to be a place of social experimentation and to reconnect with the Spanish tradition of sharing common goods that are not managed by public authorities but by civil society.

That is why, one of the goals of this garden is to develop citizenship, which is why its specificity lies in its reliance on a system of collective decision-making, with monthly assemblies on one hand and commissions on the other.

Decision-making is therefore shared and is not done by vote but through discussion and seeking compromise. The results are encouraging, the garden attracts many visitors and manages to grow.

There are also committees that make decisions about the daily operations of the garden and its organization: communication, plot distribution, etc. There is a committee solely dedicated to families, which is responsible for welcoming children, organizing events for them, birthday parties in the garden, etc.

The self-management that is promoted helps to strengthen the bonds between gardeners and to establish a lasting presence in the territory. Also, this decision-making mode helps to defuse conflicts if there are any. This is even more important given that the current government is opposed to the garden and wishes to challenge this assembly system.
This self-management system is linked to the way the garden was created. Although it has existed since the 13th century, the garden was the orchard of the House of the Moorish King. Then the site was abandoned, and a group of residents restored the existing houses and turned the garden into a shared garden.

This garden therefore raises the question of the appropriation of a site and how to make it thrive, to return it to the community while valuing the heritage. Indeed, through the maintenance of the site, the shared garden allows for the history of the site to be known and preserved. Moreover, since 1985, the Casa del Rey Moro has been declared a cultural heritage site.

Advantages and Benefits

This system of self-management and shared decision-making brings numerous advantages.

First of all, it allows for innovation in the operation of the shared garden, this governance model is unprecedented.

Next, this governance helps raise awareness among gardeners and volunteers about the importance of dialogue, seeking compromise, accepting others’ opinions, and pursuing the collective interest instead of personal interest. He raises awareness about citizenship and proposes a different decision-making method than voting, based on the desire to achieve unanimity within the group.

Thanks to this dialogue, tensions are dissipated because everyone is free to express themselves, to voice their opposition until the group finds a decision that suits everyone.

This system also allows for regular maintenance of the garden since all the gardeners and volunteers participate daily. The information is transparent, which increases trust among the gardeners and motivates them to continue their actions in the garden.

Required Competences and Skills

The skills necessary for implementing this mode of governance are the ability to engage in dialogue with people who may have opposing views, the ability to listen, and the willingness to prioritize the collective interest over personal interest. Also, a fairly solid structure and regular volunteers are needed to allow for the smooth running of a monthly assembly and committees. It also requires good relationships with the gardeners and volunteers, as well as great trust in them to manage the garden.

Evaluation

The results of this tool are observed in the longevity and sustainability of the garden. This community garden has existed since the 1980s, and despite tensions with local authorities, it manages to endure. Also, the reception of researchers to understand its self-management methods shows that the garden is renowned and inspires beyond Spain.

Conclusions

The example of this garden is fascinating because it places the sense of the common good at the heart of its actions. Indeed, whether it is through its desire to preserve this unique heritage site or through the choice of self-management. The intangible value of the garden is essential; it allows the residents to reclaim the cultural heritage of this garden, which has existed since the 13th century. Also, the self-management mode highlights the volunteers’ desire to make this garden a prominent place for citizenship. This functioning is, moreover, responsible for the existing tensions with the new local government, which wishes to take over the garden and rejects the system of assembly and commissions.

Advice / Recommendation

A recommendation for this garden could be to try to develop the heritage aspect by, for example, inviting art or history students, and by forming partnerships with museums. This would further strengthen its historical past.