The story of how Parma turned an empty piece of land into a piece of ‘edible paradise’.
The Picasso Food Forest is the first experimental site of a public urban food forest in Parma, and perhaps Italy. The project, started in December 2012, aims to create a public food forest whose fruit will be available to the residents of Parma. There is no point in just planting greenery.
A Swedish study for example, presented the following eight perceived sensory dimensions. These are important properties to improve the wellness benefits of green spaces and to reduce stress, for example.
Serenity: peace, quiet, care
Space: the experience of entering another world
Nature: admiration and amazement for nature
Wealth: a sense of variety and abundance
Shelter: Sheltered and safe
Culture: a fascination for what we have achieved as human beings
Verzicht: a look at the landscape, a feeling of openness
Social: social activities and interaction
A ‘food forest’ meets all conditions. In Parma, this “public park” was created to use more general terms, in which trees and plants not only provide aesthetic functions, shade and oxygen, but also provide food for the people living in the urban context and in the living environment. live off wild animals. In the meantime, this small ecosystem has grown. The young trees and the forest have conquered their place.
The project is now also over studied extensively. The benefits in terms of ‘heat control’ are also closely monitored. More info on their website.
