Democratic Processes in Urban Agriculture: A Comparative Analysis of Community Gardens and Allotments in London

This article compares the roles of allotments and community gardens in democratising London’s urban food system. Drawing from ethnographic and participatory action research (PAR), it reveals a recent policy shift favouring community gardens compared to allotments, which has resulted in a net reduction in long-term urban agriculture space in London. The study contrasts these two trajectories of urban agriculture across five democratic processes: (1) fostering food security, (2) expanding health benefits, (3) reclaiming the commons, (4) building spaces of interaction and representation, and (5) decoupling from dominant regimes. While community gardens tend to perform well in terms of social inclusion and environmental education of local communities and marginalised populations, allotments tend to be more successful in terms of productive capacity and developing autonomy due to their relatively more secure tenure. However, both trajectories are increasingly challenged by the dynamics of neoliberal urban development and the withdrawal of the state from its welfare responsibilities. This article argues that both trajectories do not have to be mutually exclusive and that their coexistence is in fact necessary to develop a more resilient urban food system, one that realises the principles of food sovereignty, social justice, and agroecological urbanisms at the local level.