In Northern Europe, urban gardening has long been more than a pastime. In Denmark and Sweden especially, allotment gardens—small cultivated plots often accompanied by modest cottages—have become part of the social fabric, blending landscape design, sustainability, and community well-being.
The Danish landscape architect Carl Theodor Sørensen is often regarded as the pioneer of this vision. In the 1940s, he designed the famous round gardens in Nærum, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Their circular layout created a sense of harmony within diversity, each plot independent yet part of a larger whole. Sørensen’s project has endured not only as a landmark of twentieth-century landscape design but also as a model of social sustainability, inspiring similar initiatives across Scandinavia. Today, the Nærum gardens are both a functioning community space and a tourist attraction, embodying the Nordic approach to green urban living.
Sweden developed its own strong tradition of allotment gardens, known as koloniträdgårdar. Stockholm alone has over 50,000 plots, with waiting lists that can stretch for more than a decade. These gardens are more than food-producing spaces: they are sites of relaxation, reading, social gatherings, and seasonal celebrations. For many Swedes, spending time in a small garden cottage surrounded by fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables provides a balance to urban life while reinforcing community ties.
The Nordic model shows how urban green spaces can function as microcosms of sustainability and well-being. Rooted in post-war necessity, these gardens have evolved into symbols of environmental consciousness and therapeutic value. They continue to influence urban planning across Europe, offering lessons in how nature, design, and community can coexist at the heart of modern cities.
