Berlin Gardens Threatened by Construction

By Vanessa Richins

Germany has been leading the way in urban gardening for many years.

They started the current trend of green roofs back in the 1960s.

Michigan State University’s Green Roof Research Program states that “It is estimated that 12% of all flat roofs in that country are green and the German green roof industry is growing 10% to 15% per year”.

Berlin has been pioneering another current trend - urban farming.  Many of the 74,500 local gardens contain edible plants.  The fervor for local gardening began back in the World War 1 and 2 years.

However, Berlin’s senate, faced with the task of balancing a budget ridden with debt, says that some of the gardens may have to be bulldozed in favor of new construction.

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