Aude Vuilliomenet

PhD Student Connected Environments at The Bartlett, CASA, University College London | UK

My first action as the mayor of my city is…a garden. A garden, but where? Anywhere. A little patch of green, a small pocket park, an abandoned flower bed. Anything, really. Really, anything? Anything. Anything can be a garden. Imagine, create and cultivate. Flowers, bushes, vegetables, trees, they will grow. Bees, caterpillars, butterflies, crickets, they will come. With a pinch of luck and a bit of rain, earthworms and slugs may also be seen. A garden full of life and nature, with the smell of alliums and fragrant tomato leaves. A garden to tuck straw under strawberries and look for little carrots to thin. Friendly and inclusive it would be. Where you learn from others and share your growing tips. Where communities are one and cultures are celebrated. A city garden full of things. Things to taste and appreciate. Things to touch and experience. Things to observe and grasp. Through the seasons, it will change, but beautiful it will be. Why would you not like a garden?