Growing a just garden - environmental justice and the development of a community garden policy for Hamilton, Ontario

Oct 19, 2026

Growing a just garden examines how municipalities use community garden policies to shape participation, access, and resource distribution. Using the Hamilton, Ontario policy-drafting process as a case study, the paper shows how an environmental justice framework can support the development of an effective, inclusive community gardening policy. It also analyzes how barriers inside the policy process can limit the meaningful incorporation of environmental justice concerns and can normalize inequitable outcomes. The study argues that stronger inter-departmental and community collaboration, plus routine use of an environmental justice lens, can reduce these harms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Environmental justice lens in community garden policy

Policy process barriers and inequity

Case study in Hamilton, Canada

This article was downloaded by: [North Carolina State University] On: 11 February 2015, At: 07:07 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Planning Theory & Practice Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: [http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rptp20](http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rptp20) Growing a just garden: environmental justice and the development of a community garden policy for Hamilton, Ontario Erika S . Jermé a & Sarah Wakefield a a Department of Geography and Programme in Planning , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada Published online: 18 Sep 2013. To cite this article: Erika S . Jermé & Sarah Wakefield (2013) Growing a just garden: environmental justice and the development of a community garden policy for Hamilton, Ontario, Planning Theory & Practice, 14:3, 295-314, DOI: 10 . 1080/14649357 .2013 .812743 To link to this article: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2013.812743](http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2013.812743) PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform . However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis . The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information . Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes . Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden . Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at [http://www.tandfonline.com/page/term](http://www.tandfonline.com/page/term)s-and-conditions Downloaded by [North Carolina State University] at 07:07 11 February 2015 Planning Theory & Practice, 2013 Vol. 14, No. 3, 295–314, [http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2013.812743](http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2013.812743) Growing a just garden: environmental justice and the development of a community garden policy for Hamilton, Ontario Erika S. Jerm´e and Sarah Wakeﬁeld* Department of Geography and Programme in Planning, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (Received 2 March 2012; ﬁnal version received 4 June 2013) The proliferation of community gardening, and the increasing recognition of its beneﬁts, has led many municipalities to develop community garden policies. Using the process of drafting a community garden policy in the city of Hamilton, Canada, as a case study, this paper illustrateshow an environmental justice framework could inform the creation of an effective, inclusive community gardening policy. At the same time, barriers within the policy process could mitigate against the meaningful incorporation of environmental justice concerns. The paper concludes with a discussion of how greater inter-departmental and community collaboration in policy development, as well as the more routine application of an environmental justice lens, could mitigate the ill effects of the inequitable distribution of environmental and other resources. Keywords: community garden; environmental justice; municipal governance; policy process 1. Introduction There is something compe

FAQs

What case study does the paper use to explore environmental justice in community garden policy?

The paper uses the process of drafting a community garden policy in the city of Hamilton, Canada.

What two aims does the paper pursue?

It illustrates how an environmental justice lens can inform an effective, inclusive community gardening policy, and it shows how aspects of the policy development process can produce and normalize inequality and injustice.

How does the paper suggest mitigating the negative effects of inequitable resource distribution?

It calls for greater inter-departmental and community collaboration in policy development and more routine application of an environmental justice lens.

Oct 19, 2026

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