ABSTRACT
This chapter draws the theoretical continuum of the political development of residents that evolves out of the interaction between urban residents and community gardens. The facets of community gardens are the foundation for molding the living environment in the image of its inhabitants. Past landscapes and spatial practices, elements of the environmental autobiography of gardeners, are being reconstituted by gardeners in the space of the gardens and in turn this reinforces a positive connection of gardeners with their living environment. While focusing on the interaction of individuals with the environment, the chapter emphasizes the more personal aspects of the interaction that are less dependent on other people. It illuminates those psychological processes of personal development that support and mobilize collective actions and political practices. Finally, the chapter contextualizes issues of identity and resistance as they pertain to the individual gardener within the macro-elements of culture and citizenship in the modern city.
