By the close of 2023, Lisbon's 24 urban vegetable gardens and farms spanned 16.4 hectares within the city's total area of 10,005 hectares. Alongside these municipal plots, there are smaller vegetable gardens situated in 70 public schools, serving educational and communal supply purposes, with some featuring hydroponic cultivation.

Urban agriculture has been a part of Lisbon's landscape since Roman times, with reports of vegetable gardens and farms dating back to ancient eras. However, their proliferation accelerated in the mid-20th century due to rural migration to the capital and a burgeoning subsistence economy. The regulation of these spaces became imperative with the urban territory's increasing real estate development and the necessity for strategic planning. Environmental considerations also came to the forefront at the dawn of the 21st century.

Presently, the 21 operational municipal vegetable gardens encompass 9.7 hectares and are divided into 850 cultivation plots, allocated through public tender. Allocation prioritizes proximity to the citizens' residences and the park, as these gardens serve not only agricultural purposes but also foster community interaction.

Beyond vegetable gardens, Lisbon's agricultural landscape includes a Pedagogical Farm spanning 2 hectares, designed to bridge the gap between rural and urban life, a 2-hectare vineyard operated in partnership with a wine company, and a 2.7-hectare orchard managed in collaboration with the Monsanto Prison.

Many of Lisbon's arable areas are integrated into the city's green corridors, such as the Parque do Zé Pinto in Campolide, featuring a biodiverse rainfed meadow linked to the Monsanto Green Corridor. Rainfed meadows, unlike grassy areas, are ecologically sound as they do not require irrigation and are abundant in vegetation that enriches the soil with atmospheric nitrogen. Currently, Lisbon boasts 5 hectares of rainfed meadows, contributing significantly to urban biodiversity and ecosystem equilibrium. 

https://www.lisboa.pt/cidade/ambiente/estrutura-ecologica/parques-horticolas
https://informacoeseservicos.lisboa.pt/contactos/diretorio-da-cidade/parque-vinicola-de-lisboa
https://www.lisboa.pt/atualidade/noticias/detalhe/pomar-no-monsanto-recebe-as-primeiras-arvores
https://quintapedagogica.lisboa.pt/
 

Direct SDGs:

• SDG 12  Responsible Consumption and Production: Sustainable internal agricultural production for internal consumption with reduced ecological footprint.
• SDG 13 Climate Action: Citizen awareness and education for mitigation and adaptation to climate change and reduction of adverse impacts.
• SDG 15  Life on Land : Promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; preventing the loss of biodiversity.
   

1. What are the potential uses of vegetable gardens?
2. What is the primary criterion for allocating cultivation plots?
3. What benefits do rainfed meadows offer in comparison to grassy areas? 

* Horticultural Park – Set of urban gardens integrated into a homogeneous and delimited unit. It can consist of community and/or recreational vegetable gardens and also arboreal spaces.

Edu.In