Productive Urban Landscapes

Research and practice around the CPUL design concept

Researchers from the Wild Pollinator Project observe and record cultured and wild plant species in 18 community gardens in Berlin. (source: TU München and Museum für Naturkunde Update Ergebnisse 2021)

Spiel/Feld: The more plant species, the higher the number of wild bee species

The Wildbienenprojekt [Wild Pollinator Project], a collaboration of 18 Berlin community gardens – among them Spiel/Feld Marzahn [Playing/Field Marzahn] -, the National History Museum Berlin [Museum für Naturkunde Berlin], the Technical University of Munich [Technische Universität München] and the Technical University of Berlin [Technische Universität Berlin], will soon – in April – start into its…

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Sealed wild bees nest in a tree stump (source: Monika Egerer, Forschungs-Update für Gemeinschaftsgärten-Projekt März 2021)

Spiel/Feld Marzahn counts high number of plant species.

The research team behind the Wild Pollinator Project has just published the 2020 report about its work in and with 18 Berlin community gardens, including Spiel/Feld Marzahn. A scientific recording of numbers and types of plant species in the gardens was one aspect of the research aiming to better understand relationships between pollinators, pollen and…

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18 Berlin community gardens were part of the winning project, apart from Spiel/Feld also the Nachbarschaftsgarten Wiecker Straße. (source: Monika Egerer 2020)

Spiel/Feld Marzahn is part of project to win UN Biodiversity Award

Last week, the Wild Pollinators Project received an Award for Biological Diversity in the UN Decade contest by the German Offices of the United Nations’ Decade on Biodiversity. Spiel/Feld Marzahn has been one of the partners in the project led by the National History Museum Berlin [Museum für Naturkunde Berlin] and the Technical University of…

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The schoolgarden, a distinct part of Spiel/Feld, in April, with its new sun shading in place (source: Spiel/Feld www 2020)

Wild Pollinators Project starts at Spiel/Feld Marzahn.

Planned since several months, the Wild Pollinator Project (full title Bienen, Bestäubung und Bürgerwissenschaft in Berlins Gärten'[Bees, pollination and crowd science in the gardens of Berlin]) has just started in the neighbourhood garden Spiel/Feld to the Northeast of Berlin that Katrin had co-initiated in 2011. The project is a collaboration of Spiel/Feld with the National…

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Within the Playing/Field project, the Dorfplatz, a deck / bench / planting bed, was designed and built by TU Berlin students with help from resident-gardeners. (source: Tobias Birkefeld, Carlo Costabel, Peter Müller, Joshua Obliers 2014)

The Village Green at Playing/Field Marzahn is badly missed.

Yesterday, the first gardeners’ association meeting of the year happened at the community garden Spiel/Feld Marzahn [Playing/Field Marzahn] in Berlin, Germany. About 15 people came to discuss how best to prepare the new gardening season, what to plant, build and repair, how to engage with the neighbourhood and when to come together and celebrate. One…

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Berries Feast and music come together in a neighbourhood event. (source: Spiel/Feld Marzahn www 2019)

INVITE: Berries Feast at Spiel/Feld Marzahn, Germany

It is already the 4th year that the community gardeners at Spiel/Feld Marzahn celebrate their traditional Beerenfest [Berries Feast] at the same time as the Berlin-wide Fête de la Musique. Gardeners, neighbours and friends are invited to an afternoon and evening of music (instruments and singing welcome!) at the Großes Beet [Big Bed] led by…

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INVITE: Start of the gardening season at Spiel/Feld Marzahn

The first seeds are already in the ground in the “big bed” at the Spiel/Feld community garden in Berlin’s northernmost borough of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. And in two days happens the community association’s first Spring meeting. Please be invited to the gardeners’ meeting of Spiel/Feld Marzahn e.V. this Wednesday, 10th of April 2019, at 4pm. We want…

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The Big Bed at Spiel/Feld Marzahn seen in 2011 (source: Katrin Bohn 2011)

Berlin’s Spiel/Feld Marzahn association elects a new head

Last week, the neighbourhood association Spiel/Feld Marzahn e.V. held its annual general meeting in which the past gardening year of 2018 was celebrated and the new year planned. All attention centred around the 600 m² food-productive garden and its associated people, facilities and activities. Apart from providing the opportunity to grow fruit and veg outside…

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The 'Big Bed' occupies an area of about 600 m² in a much larger brownfield site surrounded by high-rise appartment blocks. (source: Katrin Bohn 2017)

Christmas season at Spiel/Feld Marzahn

Last week, the now already legendary Christmas party of Berlin’s community garden Spiel/Feld Marzahn happened in nearby community centre Felix. It’s a small event, but for the gardeners, neighbourhood activists and friends and supporters it is the one time in the year where all sit together, enjoy tea and the seasonal food everybody brought in…

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