Student Community Service

Co-Creating Urban Gardens: Enhancing the Community Well-being Shenzhen Technology University Shenzhen, one of China’s most populous cities, is synonymous with rapid urban development. To improve the quality of life and strengthen community ties in one of Shenzhen’s newly developed areas, students collaborated with residents, volunteers, NGOs, and local government agencies to design and build eight urban gardens in the Pingshan District over the course of one year. The gardens, which serve as critical sanctuaries amid the rapidly changing city, are located in strategic locations: at the intersection of old urban villages and new residential areas, within elementary schools, and next to high-density residential areas. From site selection to construction, each project relied on heavy community participation; the many community activities mobilized more residents and volunteers over time. Now that a model has…