The construction of community gardens has become a movement in Shanghai and many Chinese cities. It aims to improve poorly maintained green areas or transform brownfields into green spaces, which may include community facilities. These initiative are facilitated by civil society organizations and local communities, often with the support of local governments. We have explored collaborative governance in the development of community gardens, including how key actors use social media to foster leadership through legitimacy, networking, knowledge sharing, and resource exchange. 

Gathering public inputs for a community garden project (Photo from the community garden leader)

In many old neighborhoods, greenspaces were either poorly maintained or in short supply. In response to this issue, in 2014, a university-based non-governmental organization (NGO) in Shanghai, called Clover, began developing resident-engaged community gardens in old neighborhoods and strategically used social media to promote this green initiative. The NGO’s initial goal was to establish 2,040 community gardens in Shanghai by 2040. However, the initiative quickly gained popularity and influence through social media, attracting interest from other cities, where more actors joined in to develop local community gardens. As of July 2022, it is estimated that over 3,370 community gardens have been developed nationwide. These gardens, which range in size from a few dozen to several thousand square meters, have become important public spaces for neighborhood improvement and community engagement.

In China, greenspaces as public goods have traditionally been provided by the government. This NGO-led grassroots initiative suggests a paradigm shift toward collaborative governance, engaging both governmental and non-governmental actors in program development and implementation. The rise and expansion of community garden initiatives in China have occurred on the margins of city-supported projects, functioning as shadow networks. While this is not unusual in other countries—where research on sustainability transitions and grassroots innovations highlights the transformative potential of civil society-led interventions—the Chinese case presents a unique aspect. NGOs’ use of social media to mobilize the public, organize collective actions, and scale up movements offers intriguing opportunities for further research into how these initiatives can reshape institutional structures.