Urban Gardening and Wellbeing in Pandemic Era: Preliminary Results from a Socio-Environmental Factors Approach

Diana Harding, Kevin Muhamad Lukman, Matheus Jingga, Yuta Uchiyama, Jay Mar D. Quevedo and Ryo Kohsaka
Additional contact information
Diana Harding: Faculty of Psychology, Padjadjaran University, Jl. Raya Bandung Sumedang KM. 21, Sumedang 45363, Indonesia
Kevin Muhamad Lukman: LAMINA, Yayasan Lamun, Depok 16422, Indonesia
Matheus Jingga: PT Nojorono Tobacco International, Kudus 58311, Indonesia
Yuta Uchiyama: Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe City 657-8501, Japan
Jay Mar D. Quevedo: Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya City 464-8601, Japan
Ryo Kohsaka: Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya City 464-8601, Japan

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: The nature and impacts of living in urban settings are gaining their saliences in developed and developing countries alike, particularly during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the crisis, the wellbeing of urban society became intertwined with a so-called “new lifestyle”, which involved quarantine and working in a home environment. Facing such challenges, urban gardening is deemed as an alternative intervention to enhance residents’ wellbeing and the environmental sustainability of urban areas, including Indonesian cities. A preliminary study was conducted to monitor the wellbeing of urban gardening practitioners, as well as investigate the motivation and any association between gardening and wellbeing with the COVID-19 pandemic situation by analysing data from Indonesian metropolitan areas. The study utilized instruments of “satisfaction with life scale (SWLS)” and “scale of positive and negative experience (SPANE)” to investigate the subjective wellbeing of 67 respondents. Amongst others, we identified that urban gardening practitioners tend to be in positive moods and have better overall wellbeing; 52.24% of the respondents were highly satisfied with their life. Furthermore, we observed a variety of motivations to start gardening, with hobby and utilization of free space as prominent reasons, followed by other motivations such as environmental benefit and aesthetic. Integrating the environmental benefits of urban gardening and the implications for an individual’s wellbeing can be reflected for sustainable urban development and policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: subjective wellbeing; community perceptions; urban gardening; Indonesia; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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