A community-driven initiative that makes urban public spaces more livable and green by discovering and harvesting existing fruit trees. In this way, we create edible oases for communities, where anyone can access the hidden abundance growing within the city. The focus is on collective harvesting, sharing, and rediscovering local resources, transforming the city from just a space into a nourishing environment.
Fruit tree map – for community harvest
A Hungarian community initiative maps and harvests public fruit trees, turning overlooked urban greenery into a shared, freely accessible food resource.
Transformation
It changes the perception transforming overlooked urban fruit trees as shared food resources and providers of freely accessible ecosystem services. Digital crowdsourcing, shared harvesting and tree planting may shift attitudes and practices from individual consumption and private ownership towards sharing and community stewardship. Municipal adoption could eventually support political transformation.
Equity
The mapped fruit is freely accessible, potentially improving access to fresh food independently of ability to pay. The initiative makes information about dispersed public resources available to everyone and allows citizens to contribute knowledge.
Biodiversity
Identifying and valuing existing fruit trees may encourage their retention and care, while planting additional trees can expand urban tree cover and provide food, shelter and connectivity for pollinators, birds and other species. Mapping different fruit types can also raise awareness of urban agrobiodiversity.
