Cultivating Resilience: The Contribution of Community Gardens during COVID-19 in Pomona, California
type: CreativeWork
description: This exploratory comparative mixed method case study provides an empirical contribution to our understanding of the different functions and meaning of community gardens to social-ecological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Spring of 2021, I conducted mixed method case studies on informal and formal community gardens in Pomona, California. Qualitative methods included open-ended questions relating to their experiences of community gardening during COVID-19. Quantitative methods included a survey that included demographic questions and questions that assessed loneliness to better understand the social connections embedded in the gardens. A total of 20 community garden participants and managers were interviewed. Three key findings emerged: 1) garden site characteristics, specifically growing food, may be a key contributor to differences in loneliness scores between formal and informal gardens; 2) the civic ecology practices observed in the community gardens in Pomona suggest that these informal and formal community gardens support sources of social-ecological resilience from the individual to community level; and 3) this study indicates the capacity for community gardens to provide a model for green infrastructure that fosters social-ecological resilience in the city. Considered together, these findings shed light on how the potential needs of some vulnerable groups, such as low-income individuals, could be addressed in the future of public green spaces, designs, and practices.
abstract: This exploratory comparative mixed method case study provides an empirical contribution to our understanding of the different functions and meaning of community gardens to social-ecological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Spring of 2021, I conducted mixed method case studies on informal and formal community gardens in Pomona, California. Qualitative methods included open-ended questions relating to their experiences of community gardening during COVID-19. Quantitative methods included a survey that included demographic questions and questions that assessed loneliness to better understand the social connections embedded in the gardens. A total of 20 community garden participants and managers were interviewed. Three key findings emerged: 1) garden site characteristics, specifically growing food, may be a key contributor to differences in loneliness scores between formal and informal gardens; 2) the civic ecology practices observed in the community gardens in Pomona suggest that these informal and formal community gardens support sources of social-ecological resilience from the individual to community level; and 3) this study indicates the capacity for community gardens to provide a model for green infrastructure that fosters social-ecological resilience in the city. Considered together, these findings shed light on how the potential needs of some vulnerable groups, such as low-income individuals, could be addressed in the future of public green spaces, designs, and practices.
author: Preciado, Juanita
keywords: community gardens, resilience, social-ecological
date published: 2021-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:39:50Z
provider: Claremont Graduate University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Claremont Graduate University