The 9 Factors to thrive
The 9 Factors
are key determinants as to whether a community garden
or a community garden organization thrives or struggles
After four years of conversations with community garden organizations from around the world, we distilled nine factors that promote or impede success that came up again and again.
These aren't abstract factors.
They're practical, operational, and political realities facing every garden organization — regardless of structure, city, size, or budget.
Get these right, and gardens will thrive for generations.
Leave them unaddressed, and even the most beloved garden or network remains fragile.
This is The UGP's core framework. Our universal truths.
We use it to guide our workshops, forums, and peer conversations —
and we share it freely, because the stronger every garden becomes,
the stronger the movement becomes.
Transformational factors
organizational factors
foundational factors
No garden is strong in all 9 factors and that's ok
The value of this framework isn't perfection. It's clarity.
When you know where your organization is strong and where it's vulnerable, you can focus your energy, ask better questions, and seek the right support.
The UGP exists to help you work through every one of these factors — alongside peers facing the same challenges.
Community Gardens Australia’s membership in the Urban Garden Project is incredibly valuable. It builds on the insights and relationships developed through my Churchill Fellowship and is strengthening our organisation by helping us learn from how similar groups around the world support and grow community-led food initiatives.
The UGP connects us with a global network of community gardening organisations facing many of the same challenges and opportunities as Australia. It provides access to inspiring thought leadership, practical shared resources, and innovative ideas that will continue to strengthen our work supporting community gardens and local food systems nationwide.
-Naomi Lacey, President, Community Gardens Australia
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