Will Allotment Gardening Save Us Again? Allotment Gardens during a COVID-19 Pandemic in a City with a Shortage of Plots

Abstract

Allotment gardening as element of green infrastructure and integral part of urban agriculture supports the city’s sustainable development and builds urban resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to revisit allotment gardening in a situation of unprecedented health crisis. Therefore, this study aims to recognise the importance of allotment gardens during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poznań (Poland), a city with a ‘famine of plots’ observed for years. A survey was conducted among allotment holders who had acquired plots during the course of the pandemic and in-depth interviews were conducted with the president of the Polish Allotment Federation of Poznań and the managers of the allotment gardens wherein we had identified the highest proportion of new allotment holders. Information was collected during field research, also using available statistical data. The methods used included desk research and a case study, interviews and a survey. The results of the study show that the pandemic caused a renaissance in allotment gardening. The increased interest in allotments triggered an increase in their price, thus further restricting access. A generational change in the allotment community was also noted, with young people appearing on allotments. However, the survey showed no change in the use of allotments: recreation is still their dominant function, with allotment holders focusing on cleaning and renovation work. For new allotment holders, the plot was a green refuge in times of isolation, a place for contact with nature, loved ones and family, and a safe space for relaxation. Our research indicates that allotment holders also appreciated its positive impact on their physical and mental health.. Moreover, the study indicates that despite the long-standing shortage of allotments in the city, only restorative allotment gardens are being created.

1. Introduction

Allotment gardening started in Europe in the 18th century and developed during the period of intensive industrialisation (in the first half of the 19th century). Allotment gardens (AGs) were dedicated to the urban poor, enabling them to improve their living conditions. The main function of the gardens was to produce food (especially vegetables and fruit) for individual needs and also to offer an opportunity to spend time outdoors [1,2,3,4,5].

Allotment gardening adapted to the social and economic situation. Its importance increased during wars and economic crises. At that time, crops grown on allotments supplemented food shortages and allotment houses became places to live [6,7,8,9]. In Central and Eastern Europe, allotment gardening became particularly popular during the era of the centrally planned economy, due to the problems of meeting the population’s food needs and the restriction of civil liberties. AGs were even used to raise small livestock, and the allotment was treated as a substitute for private property. Owning an allotment compensated for restrictions on travel abroad and, as a result, it became an attractive holiday destination [10,11,12,13]. The socio-economic transformation initiated in the 1990s was characterised by numerous relocations of AGs, a decrease in their number, an increase in vacant and abandoned plots, and reduced importance given to the production function of plots, along with a simultaneous dynamic increase in the importance of the recreational function [14,15,16]. In Western Europe, due to rising living standards and improved access to food, this process was already evident in the second half of the 20th century. With time, allotment gardening started to regain popularity as both a recreational and productive space, although the scale of cultivation varies [17,18,19]. Nowadays, attention is paid to the fact that allotment gardens, being an integral part of urban agriculture, can support all pillars of sustainable city development—ecological, economic and social [19,20,21]. The literature also emphasises that present-day AGs provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are an integral part of urban agriculture [22,23,24,25,26]. Therefore, they are of great importance in mitigating the negative effects of various crises. In the case of the climate crisis, there is a move towards using AGs to co-create an integral part of an effective and resilient green system within of the urban fabric. Considered a nature-based solution (NBS), these gardens perform cultural, recreational and economic functions, including ecological, environmental, educational and social, for city residents [27,28]. The unique potential of the AGs was to become apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented public health crisis that forced radical safety measures to be taken worldwide. Countering the spread of the virus became a political priority for all governments. Contingency plans were implemented, which included introducing lockdowns, border closures and movement restrictions, cancelling air and sea travel, closing some business activities, cancelling cultural events, and introducing remote forms of education and working. DDM (distance, disinfect, mask) became the basic principle of social life, e.g., [29,30]. Enforcing these stringent security measures disrupted the way social life used to function. Lockdowns kept people in their homes/apartments, with significant adverse consequences for physical and mental health, the quality of leisure, levels of education, interpersonal relationships, and also dietary diversity and food security. Space was sought to compensate for the deficiencies brought about by the pandemic. Gardens became a refuge for the physical and mental challenges of COVID-19 [31]. Individuals who owned gardens during the pandemic had improved life satisfaction and self-reported mental well-being compared to non-garden owners [32].

Research is currently being conducted to assess the impact of the pandemic on allotment gardening. Several studies have found that AGs were safe, multifunctional spaces that had a positive influence on health, including mental health and social relationships, while allowing contact with nature during this global health crisis [31,33,34,35,36]. COVID-19 was not just a challenge, but also created opportunities for horticulture development. Allotment gardeners had more time to work their plots. There was also greater community cohesion among the allotment community, as they took care of each other [37,38]. Moreover, allotment gardening fostered the sustainable development of cities, their resilience, and their food independence, as well as being part of urban agriculture and mitigating the functioning problems of supply chains caused by the pandemic [38,39,40,41,42,43,44]. As a result, AGs were highly appreciated by urban dwellers during the time of this global health crisis [34].

Undeniably, the COVID-19 pandemic created an opportunity to revisit allotment gardening in a situation of unprecedented crisis. In spring 2020, access to public space, including parks and forests, was limited in Poland, although AGs were not included in these restrictions. At that time, AGs became a sanctuary with access to nature, sun, and air and an oasis for safe recreation and social contact. Thus, this form of green space became a special element of the cityscape—an elite enclave, a privileged space accessible only to a select few people. A characteristic feature of Polish AGs remains their limited openness to urban residents: they function as largely closed areas used only by allotment holders and their relatives [23,45,46]. It can be assumed that in a city with a large shortage of AGs, the pandemic contributed to an increase in demand for allotments among urban residents, a rise in the price of allotments, the greater importance of cultivation, and a change in the attitude of municipal authorities towards allotment gardening.

The article aims to recognise the importance that AGs had during the COVID-19 health crisis in Poznań, a city with a ‘hunger for plots’ that has been observed for years. The article attempts to answer the following research questions:

• RQ1—Did the pandemic increase interest in allotments, and to what extent?
• RQ2—How has the pandemic changed the allotment profile?
• RQ3—How has the pandemic affected AGs’ function and how allotment land is developed?
• RQ4—What are the benefits of owning an allotment in times of crisis?
• RQ5—Has the pandemic affected the approach of municipal authorities to allotment gardening, and to what extent?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed attention to researching the urban allotment community and AGs’ function. It provided an opportunity to revisit the relevance of AGs in the context of urban resilience through the lens of health, social, and food crises. This article focuses on a city with a shortage of allotments. This will highlight the problems under study and contribute to filling an important research gap. The article contributes to the discourse on the functioning of allotment gardening in times of crisis. Furthermore, it expands the knowledge of Polish AGs during the pandemic, as little research has been conducted in this area [47,48,49].

2. Materials and Methods

Poland is among the leaders in global allotment gardening. In 2020 in Poland, there were 4600 AGs with nearly 906,000 plots, covering a total area of almost 32,000 ha (the average area of plots is 350.6 m²). The level of development of allotment gardening varies regionally (

Table 1. AGs by voivodship in Poland in 2020.

Voivodship	Allotment Gardens			Plots
	Number	Area (ha)		Number	Area
		Total	Average		Total (ha)	Average (m2)
Dolnośląskie	516	6169.4	12.0	148,740	4717.7	317.2
Kujawsko-pomorskie	394	2651.7	6.7	53,363	2013.1	377.2
Lubelskie	168	1268.3	7.5	29,642	999.3	337.1
Lubuskie	190	2095.9	11.0	44,548	1692.6	379.9
Łódzkie	303	1962.4	6.5	43,796	1515.0	345.9
Małopolskie	239	1207.1	5.1	28,026	930.7	332.1
Mazowieckie	451	3494.1	7.7	78,914	2709.5	343.3
Opolskie	103	1619.5	15.7	38,287	1308.8	341.8
Podkarpackie	160	1294.4	8.1	28,731	1052.1	366.2
Podlaskie	98	940.7	9.6	21,073	732.4	347.6
Pomorskie	251	2679.3	10.7	61,896	2175.3	351.4
Śląskie	651	4172.7	6.4	100,490	3496.9	348.0
Świętokrzyskie	79	807.2	10.2	18,639	608.7	326.6
Warmińsko-mazurskie	242	2228.6	9.2	48,788	1758.5	360.4
Wielkopolskie	505	4107.9	8.1	89,151	3231.6	362.5
Zachodniopomorskie	251	3487.4	13.9	71,816	2821.2	392.8
Polska	4601	40,186.6	8.7	905,900	31,763.4	350.6

Source: own work based on data from Statistics Poland. Available online: https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/BDL (accessed on 3 December 2023).

).

AGs consist of plots of land and common land and are managed by garden associations. They are used for subsistence horticulture and to meet the leisure, recreational, and other social needs of local communities [18]. The functioning of AGs and allotment organisations is regulated by the Act on Family Allotment Gardens of 2013 [50], the Statute of Polish Allotment Federation [51], and the Bylaws of the AG [52]. According to the regulations, the manager directs the work of the board of directors of a given AG and is responsible for the operation of the AG. The board is elected by the users of the plots and manages all matters of a given AG related to its day-to-day operation, including financial matters, order and cleanliness in the AG, establishing the right to the plots, overseeing compliance with the AG bylaws, recording the plots, managing and maintaining the AG infrastructure, and planning and implementing investments in the common area. Plots in AGs are not bought, but are acquired in two ways: from the AG board (allotment lease agreement) or from the allotment holder (allotment transfer agreement). The purchaser becomes the owner of the plants that have been planted and the facilities on the plot (they have a market value, colloquially referred to as the plot price) and obtains the right to lease the land [50].

This research was conducted in Poznań, which is located in Wielkopolskie Voivodship in western Poland (Figure 1). As Poland’s fifth most populous city (532,048 inhabitants) and its sixth largest in terms of area (26,191 ha), it is where the history of Polish AGs developed. Some of the first AGs in Poland were established here, and the union movement of allotment holders was born here [6]. In 2021, there were 84 AGs operating in its area (16.6% of the AGs in Wielkopolskie Voivodeship). They occupied 609 ha, which accounted for 2.3% of the total area of the city. The average area of Poznań’s AGs was 7.2 ha. They contained 17,672 plots, and the average plot size was 345 m². AGs complement the green system of the city of Poznań, supporting urban resilience.

In the first stage of the research, using the desk research method, a study of the scientific literature and the organisational and legal basis of allotment gardening was carried out. The website of the Polish Allotment Federation (PAF) and the websites of individual gardens in Poznań proved to be valuable sources of information. This made it possible to determine the level of development of Polish allotment gardening nowadays and to identify the problems related to how it functioned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the next step, a database was created based on information about new allotment holders in 2020 obtained from the Polish Allotment Federation of Poznań District (PAF Poznań). The data were statistically analysed to identify the AGs where the scale of change of allotment users was highest—the percentage of new allotment holders in relation to the total number of allotments of 7.5% or more in a given AG was taken into account. As a result, 14 Poznań AGs were included in a detailed field survey (Figure 2,

Table 2. Poznań AGs surveyed in 2020.

No	Allotment Garden	Established	Total Area of AGs (ha) *	Number of Plots	Average Area of Plots (m2) **
1	Kopczyńskiego	1945	3.1	125	246
2	Żwirki i Wigury I	1973	1.5	50	299
3	Pod Kasztanami	1984	3.7	105	350
4	Palacza	1943	2.2	66	339
5	Dębinka	1938	4.5	125	356
6	Wichrowa	1989	12.2	373	328
7	Pod Lipami	1976	24.6	674	364
8	Zagajnik	1981	8.4	164	515
9	Żwirki i Wigury II	1965	21.6	703	306
10	Energetyk I	1930	6.6	133	498
11	POMET	1945	5.1	108	470
12	Kolejarz—Edwardowo	1953	8.4	252	335
13	Budowlanych	1956	2.1	39	551
14	Roosevelta	1968	3.7	118	317

* sum of plot area and common garden area; ** total area and number of plots are included. Source: own work based on materials from PAF Poznań.

). Nine of them agreed to participate in in-depth surveys conducted with new plot users (Figure 2). The aim of these interviews was to identify the determinants of plot acquisition during the pandemic, to describe the pandemic’s impact on plot use and perceptions of plot benefits. The field research was conducted from August 2021 to July 2022. The survey questionnaire consisted of 21 closed and open-ended questions and a socio-demographic indicators. Using the data collected during the survey, a profile of the new “pandemic” plot holder was created. The profile took into account such characteristics as age, gender, nationality, level of education, professional activity, marital status, number of people and children in the family, type of household, material situation, type of residence, gardening traditions in the family, and frequency and type of stays on the allotment during the pandemic period. In order to determine the magnitude of the pandemic’s impact on the decisions made by plot users regarding the purchase of a plot and gardening activities, the survey questions used a 5-point Likert scale, which is most commonly used when measuring complex socio-economic phenomena and can detect even relatively subtle differences in the attitudes studied [53,54]. A paper form was given to new allotment holders with a request for them to complete it. Forty-nine questionnaires were returned. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis, with Statistica 13.3 software being used to calculate the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.

The next stage of the research (Figure 3) was to verify the information obtained from the questionnaire survey by conducting in-depth interviews with the president of PAF Poznań and the managers of all the gardens, where we identified the highest proportion of new allotment holders (14 AGs). The aim of these interviews was to identify trends and the extent of changes in and how AGs functioned in the new reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. Attention was also paid to how AGs are perceived by city residents and municipal authorities in times of crisis caused by lockdown. These issues were also raised in an in-depth interview conducted with the Chair of the Spatial Policy and Revitalisation Committee of Poznań City Council. This allowed the position of both the allotment community and the city authorities to be explored. The in-depth interview method provides insight, as it is an interview about the research objective [55,56]. Furthermore, the case study method, which refers to real phenomena and provides the opportunity to generalise on the basis of a well-documented case [57,58,59], is important in the research. Using a case study, an in-depth interview and a survey in this study facilitated a multifaceted description of the phenomenon in question.

Our study has some limitations, as it only concerns urban AGs located within the administrative boundaries of one city. In the future, the aim of analysis should be extended to include other large cities and AGs located in suburban and rural areas. From the formal point of view, the sample is not representative. However, there were several obstacles in the way of obtaining a larger sample size. The research was hampered by limited access to the garden spaces—without the key, one cannot enter the garden, and to visit a garden, it was necessary to make an appointment each time with the manager. Thus, direct access to new allotment holders was limited. The survey was often met with reluctance, the reasons being lack of trust and also the sanitary regime related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the data needed for the survey were treated by the respondents as confidential information and they refused to participate in the survey or to give some answers, using commercial confidentiality or personal data protection as a justification (e.g., price of plot, age, place of residence). We sought to overcome the limitation related to the non-representativeness of the survey by interviewing the president of PAF Poznań and the managers of all AGs where the greatest changes in the number of users were recorded during the period being surveyed. In addition, the information collected was verified against current material published by PAF Warsaw.

3. Results

3.1. Influence of the Pandemic on the Increase in Interest in Plots and Plot Prices

The 21st century has seen a decrease of almost 10% in the number of AGs in Poznań (Figure 4). The same trend applies to the area of gardens and number of plots (a decrease from 18,960 to 17,786—down 6.2%). This is the result of the liquidation of AGs in favour of the implementation of urban infrastructure investments. So far, this century, only three AGs (so-called restoration gardens) have been established. These were compensation for AGs that had previously been decommissioned and whose land had been allocated for urban developments. When allocating plots in the new gardens, priority was given to allotment holders from the liquidated AGs. Poznań is a city marked by the phenomenon of ‘allotment famine’; for years, there have been no vacant plots; all of them have formal users. Currently, the city has 30 inhabitants per allotment plot.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased interest in plots, especially among residents of large cities. Media reports spoke of an ‘allotment boom’. These showed allotment gardening and allotments in a new and attractive light, which further ‘fed’ the demand spiral:

• Coronavirus. Allotment prices up sharply. They are holding an auction to see who can bid more [60],
• A boom for allotment gardens! A piece of land worth its weight in gold [61],
• Poles fight for allotment gardens. Prices have skyrocketed [62].

Representatives of PAF Poznań confirmed the trend observed by the media, pointing out, however, that despite the reported increasing interest in plots, no register of vacant plots is kept. Our research clearly indicates greater interest in plots was influenced by the health crisis. According to the president of PAF Poznań, AGs became virtually the only place in the city where it was safe to be away from home. The advantage of having an allotment was quickly recognised by both allotment holders and those without one. Demand for allotments increased immediately, outstripping supply. As a result, their prices doubled or trebled. The expert from PAF is of the opinion that “young families with lower incomes find it increasingly difficult to find a plot of land at an affordable price. It is therefore necessary to find new land for AGs in Poznań. Discussions are being held by PAF Poznań PD with the municipal authorities on this subject”.

Between 2019 and 2022, the number of plots where the user changed hands in a given year fluctuated strongly (Figure 5). This was due to their limited availability. Due to the lack of vacant plots, new allotment users appear in those AGs where one of the ‘old’ users decides to give up a plot (usually due to age and health reasons). Changes do not occur in all Poznań AGs, as it depends on supply (Figure 6). Plots with an attractive location (surroundings with high environmental values) and favourable access were sought.

Interviews with the managers of the gardens that were surveyed also confirmed that allotments had become a desirable commodity. Almost all garden managers (93%) held the view that the pandemic had increased the interest for allotments—five people described their interest as very high and eight as high. In their opinion, on average, around 35 people were asking for an allotment in 2020. We observed a very wide variation regarding interest in acquiring a plot in a given AG (from 2 to 100 people). However, it is difficult to assess the level of interest accurately, since people are looking for plots on their own, either directly from AGs (individual notices posted on fences, gates, and on AGs’ notice boards) or on sales websites. There is also “word of mouth” activity, with allotment holders informing their friends about vacant plots. As a result of the growing interest, private advertisements also appeared on the PAF Poznań website. It was observed that no waiting lists are maintained for a vacant plot, neither in individual AGs nor at any organisational level of the PAF.

The increased interest in plots resulted in a jump in prices. Although Poznań residents were looking for plots both within and outside the city, there are no free plots in the entire Poznań agglomeration. However, they can be found in villages far from Poznań (80–120 km), mainly in gardens of low standard with unfavourable locations. The market values of plots varied during the pandemic (

Table 3. Market value (price *) of plots in Poznań PAF in 2021.

Specification	Price
	Minimum	Maximum
Poznań	10,000 PLN (EUR 2179)	100,000 PLN (EUR 21,786) and more
Poviat poznański	15,000 PLN (EUR 3268)	200,000 PLN (EUR 43,573) and more

* EUR exchange rate of 4.59 PLN monthly average for the period 1 January 2021–30 June 2022 according to the National Bank of Poland. Available online: https://www.nbp.pl/home.aspx?f=/kursy/arch_a.html (accessed on 3 December 2023); source: materials from PAF Poznań.

). Prices did not depend only on the location and the size of the plot, but also on its development status, primarily with reference to allotment houses. The prices of plots in the immediate vicinity of Poznań (Poznań poviat/district) were generally higher or comparable to those within the city itself. This is due to the shortage of plots in Poznań, the favourable location (close to Poznań, often in an environment of high natural importance) and sometimes the use of allotment houses as a place to live (either permanently or typically as a summer residence). The cheapest plots were those with very low or poor development (without a house or with a dilapidated one, and often a plot with neglected vegetation) and/or an unfavourable location. Plot prices are contractual and set by allotment holders.

The predominant opinion among AG managers was that plot prices had increased during the pandemic (86%). As many as 10 of them (71%) observed a marked increase in the price of ‘garden transactions’. This increase varied widely from 10% in AG Zagajnik and 40% in AG Pod Kasztanami to 300% in AG Żwirki and Wigury and 500% in AG Żwirki and Wigury II. The average increase was around 155%. According to the garden managers, this primarily came down to the condition of the plot. Lower prices were characteristic of plots with a low level of investment, although it is interesting to note that there was a higher price increase (146.7% on average) for such plots than for ones with a high level of investment (96.3%) (

Table 4. Market value (price *) of plots in PAF Poznań in 2021, according to AG managers.

The Level of Investment of the Plot	Average Plot Price
	before the Pandemic		during the Pandemic
	PLN	EUR	PLN	EUR
Low	7944	1731	19,600	4270
High	32,050	6983	62,900	13,705

* EUR exchange rate of 4.59 PLN monthly average for the period 1 January 2021–30 June 2022 according to the National Bank of Poland. Available online: https://www.nbp.pl/home.aspx?f=/kursy/arch_a.html accessed on 3 December 2023; source: own work based on surveys.

).

Surveys of allotment holders also confirmed a very wide range of plot prices. The minimum amount indicated by allotment holders was PLN 4500 (EUR 980) and the maximum was PLN 110,000 (EUR 23,965). The average price was PLN 25,400 (EUR 5534). Most often, the allotment holders assessed the plot they acquired as ‘moderately expensive’ (17 people, 36%) or ‘cheap’ (14 people, 30%).

The plots purchased varied in size, with the smallest covering 180 m² and the largest 730 m² (average size—368 m²). Their level of development also varied greatly. As many as 36.7% of respondents declared that they had bought an undeveloped plot (some even described it as ‘neglected’). The cheapest plots were not equipped with houses, or these were very small and in poor condition. The average surface area of a house was 21 m² (minimum—6 m², maximum—36 m²).

It is worth noting that even undeveloped plots, often even neglected plots that required additional funding and work to be made useable, found buyers. Arguably, for these new allotment holders, the price mattered. At the same time, some respondents were willing to pay considerable sums for a plot developed to a high standard.

Surveys conducted with new allotment holders show that 3 people (6.1%) had taken over plots from their parents, while the others (46 people—93.9%) most often searched for a plot on the Internet (70%), by asking friends and acquaintances (35%), or by visiting particular AGs (26%). Half of the respondents used several methods at the same time. The time taken to look for a plot of land varied widely—from a week to as long as 60 months (average—6 months).

A significant proportion of AGs managers confirmed PAF Poznań’s stance and identified the desire for a safe place to rest during the COVID-19 pandemic as the main aim for allotment buyers (13 votes—92%). They also observed that an allotment was considered as an investment: new allotment holders wanted to make money from the plot (three votes) or invested savings (one vote). Two managers mentioned the possibility of obtaining food from the crops grown on the allotment among the purposes of acquiring an allotment during the health crisis.

Nearly 70% of new allotment holders (33 people) confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic was the reason for purchasing a plot (Figure 7). However, they assessed the scale of the impact differently. Almost half (49%) stated that the pandemic had a great and very great impact on their decision to purchase a plot, and nine (18.4%) rated it as small or very small. The arguments they gave for buying a plot were as follows:

• the need for contact with people and nature (“the desire to have ‘own’ greenery”, “contact with people and leisure close to home”, “freedom, relaxation in the open air”);
• the need for rest and also mental relaxation (“to be occupied with something, thinking too much”; “the opportunity for recreation or relaxation in a more private setting”);
• housing/urban conditions (“it’s cramped at home”, “the hustle and bustle of the city”), sanitary restrictions (“closed borders and hotels”, “we used to travel a lot before, go from city to city, during the pandemic we settled in one place”, “during the hard lockdown it was the only way to holiday”);
• the need to invest in uncertain times (“money is lying around and losing value”; “the situation is uncertain, so you have to secure this money somehow”).

One-third of the respondents stated that the health crisis had no influence on purchasing the plot. These were people who had ‘taken over’ their parents’ plot or were looking for a plot beforehand.

Spearman’s correlation coefficient indicates (

Table 5. Impact of the pandemic on interest in allotments.

Variables	Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient
Gardening tradition in the family	0.044999
Plot search time	−0.387618
Plot area	0.027762
Price of the plot	−0.157209

Source: own work based on survey (n = 49).

) that those declaring that the COVID pandemic influenced the plot purchase made decisions in a short time (the higher the degree of COVID’s influence on the purchase, the shorter the plot search time). No linkage was found in relation to family gardening traditions, price, or plot area.

3.2. Profile of the New Allotment Holder

Both PAF Poznań and the AGs managers who were interviewed stated that the pandemic had resulted in a “rejuvenation” of the allotment profile. They pointed to a “revival and rebirth of the garden” through “the presence of young people and families with children”. This was also confirmed by the surveys (

Table 6. Selected socio-demographic characteristics of respondents.

Characteristic	Category	Number (n)	%
age	<24	1	2.1
	25–35	13	25.5
	36–50	24	51.1
	51–65	5	10.6
	66>	5	10.6
		47	100
education	basic	1	2
	professional	7	14.3
	medium	18	36.7
	higher	23	46.9
		49	100
professional activity	professionally active (full-time)	36	73.5
	professionally active (part-time)	5	10.2
	pensioner	6	12.2
	pensioner	1	2.0
	unemployed	0	0
	maternity/paternity leave	1	2
		49	100
profession	office worker	9	21.4
	employment in trade and services	6	14.3
	freelance profession	4	9.5
	company owner/manager	9	21.4
	researcher	2	4.8
	physical worker	9	21.4
	other	2	7.1
		42	100

Source: own compilation based on a survey (n = 49); in the case of age and occupation, not all respondents provided an answer.

). The new allotment holders were men and women (n = 26 men, 53.1%; n = 23 women, 46.9%), with an average age of 43 years (min. 24; max. 81; median 40, SD = 12.6). More than half (51.1%) of the respondents were aged 35–50 years. It is worth noting that almost 28% of the respondents were under 35 years of age. Only five people of retirement age (10.6%) chose to buy a plot during the pandemic. There were no foreigners among the respondents. The new allotment holders were characterised by a high level of education, with almost half holding a university degree (n = 23; 46.9%). They are predominantly economically active people (n = 41; 83.7%), usually working full-time. This was a very diverse group in terms of occupations. They ranged from self-employed or managers (n = 9; 21.4%) to office workers (n = 9; 21.4%) or manual workers (n = 9; 21.4%). New allotment holders tended to have a partner (78.6%) and be married (n = 24; 49.9%) or in an informal relationship (n = 14; 28.6%). They were both people with children (n = 25; 51.0%)—usually 1 or 2 (n = 24; 96%)—and people without children (n = 24; 49.0%). Respondents tended to form one-generation families (n = 38; 77.6%). Almost half of these households (n = 24; 49%) consisted of three to four persons. There was also a large proportion of one-to-two-person households (n = 20; 40.8%). Only five respondents (10.2%) had large families. A few households (n = 10; 20.4%) contained people with care needs (with disabilities and seniors). New allotment holders were in a good financial situation, —with % (n = 31), describing it as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ and 39.7% as ‘average’ (n = 18). No one stated that they were in a ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ financial situation. The respondents lived in multi-family housing (96%), above all from Poznań’s inner-city, high-rise housing estates (n = 36; 73.5%). For most of the allotment holders, the plot they had purchased was their first own space of this type (n = 41; 83.7%). However, it is worth mentioning that a significant proportion of respondents (n = 22; 44.9%) grew up in a family with a tradition of owning an allotment. During the pandemic, when sanitary restrictions were in force, the majority of new allotment holders (n = 35; 71.4%) were very often on their allotment—either every day (n = 12; 24.5%) or several days a week (n = 23; 46.9%). Almost a quarter visited it at weekends. The majority of new allotment holders declared that they did not spend the night on the allotment (n = 30; 61.2%). More than half of the respondents (n = 27; 55.1%) spent their holidays on the allotment, and a quarter of the respondents engaged in remote work on the allotment. An assessment of the impact of the pandemic on the allotment profile is presented in

Table 7. Impact of the pandemic on the profile of the allotment holder.

Variables	Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient
Remote working on the allotment	0.368466
Overnight stays on the allotment	0.271934
Holidays on the allotment	0.227254
Frequency of stay on the plot	−0.051318
Age of the allotment holder	−0.199971
Gender of the allotment holder	−0.040499
Education of the allotment holder	0.058725
Professional activity of the allotment holder	0.175416
Financial situation of the allotment holder	0.276582
Number of persons in the household	0.211580
Children in the household	0.241090
Seniors and people with disabilities	0.157875
Multi-generational family	0.188378
Type of permanent residence	−0.170246

Source: own work based on survey (n = 49).

.

3.3. Functioning of AGs and Allotment Land Development

The field survey and interviews with AG managers and the president of PAF Poznań showed that Poznań AGs were accessible to allotment holders and their relatives throughout the pandemic. During the lockdown period, mass events (e.g., Allotment Workers’ Day) were abandoned and administrative activities were carried out using more remote forms of contact (information on websites, online meetings). However, grassroots events organised by allotment holders (e.g., social gatherings on plots) and occasional events organised in the gardens’ communal facilities were noted. The vast majority of interviewees observed an increase in the number of new people from outside using the garden space (11 votes; 78%), mainly the family and friends of allotment holders, occasionally people living in the neighbourhood. Managers felt that the pandemic had brought some benefits to AGs (11 people). They claimed that the allotments “came alive—people spent more time at the allotment and got to know each other better”. They also identified as a benefit: “increased income from the allotments” (new allotment holders paid an investment fee); “improved aesthetics and functionalist development of the allotments”; and “generational change”. Only 5 people pointed out the risks to AGs associated with the pandemic: “an increase in the cost of rubbish and liquid waste disposal, because there were more people, whole families of 10–15 people would come together, spending the whole weekend there”, “children had to be kept safe in the plots”. Also inconvenient were the restrictions on gathering and the resulting problems of organising annual activities to integrate the garden community. As a result, experts mostly assessed that the pandemic had a positive impact on how the garden functions (6 votes; 42%)—“the garden became more alive”, “a lot of people remembered about their plots”, “more solidarity”, and “a refuge for allotment holders”. On the other hand, a negative impact was indicated by three interviewees (21%), emphasising “the lack of opportunities to organise activities to integrate the allotment community”. A further three interviewees considered that it made no difference (21%) (Figure 8).

According to experts, the form of allotment development has not changed: most allotments are still recreational. However, the pandemic led some allotment holders to grow vegetables, fruit or herbs (usually on a small scale, sometimes in pots). Such land development was the exception rather than the rule. Incidental cases of plots dedicated solely to cultivation were noted. The AG managers surveyed pointed out that intensive cleaning and renovation work was carried out during the pandemic. Some allotment holders used the money they would otherwise have spent on their holiday trips to invest in plants, leisure infrastructure and allotment houses. They had planned to fly to Rhodes, but the COVID-19 epidemic made them go to RODOS (a humorous, somewhat negative, play on words using the Polish term for recreational allotment—ROD) and relax by modernising their plots. Surveys conducted among new allotment holders showed that the type of allotment land development at the time of acquisition was mostly recreational and ornamental (38.5%), mixed (reactionary and productive: 26.5%) and productive (4.1%). It is worth noting that almost 41% of new allotment holders purchased an undeveloped plot, often of a low standard—“(...) the plot was neglected at the time of purchase, it performed no function, the allotment house was in a state of disrepair, we built a brand new one”, “(...) at the time of purchase the plot was completely neglected, overgrown”. More than half of the respondents changed the form of development of the plot (25 people; 53.2%), adapting it to their needs, or were planning to do so. Most often, they considered it necessary, for example, to “(...) tidy up and create a comfortable and nice place for relaxation”, and to organise “(...) more space for the child to play”. Occasionally, they were driven by “the desire to have their own fruit, berry bushes and vegetables”. As a result, the plots would be reactive/productive (63.3%) and recreational/ornamental (28.6%). The Spearman’s correlation coefficient indicates that those declaring that the pandemic had an impact on their plot purchase were more likely to change the use of their plot (0.224244). Only one allotment was intended to be a food production site (2%). Three allotment holders did not indicate a target form of development. The vast majority of respondents (71.4%) declared that the crops on the allotment (ornamental and useful plants) are grown using organic methods. There was no correlation between the level of impact of the pandemic on the purchase of an allotment and the growing of crops using organic methods (Spearman’s correlation coefficient was 0.119306).

3.4. Benefits of Owning a Plot of Land during the Pandemic

PAF experts agreed that owning a plot of land during the COVID-19 pandemic brought numerous benefits and was even a ‘privilege’. According to the president of PAF Poznań, plots “proved to be real medicine for the bad times”. It was a space where, provided the sanitary regime guidelines were followed, it was possible to “have a peaceful time with family, even in times of galloping infection rates”. Allotments proved to be “a safe place for allotment families longing to get out of their concrete houses”. Experts stressed that it was possible to “enjoy the benefits of being out in nature” on the allotment by only taking the necessary precautions (wearing masks at all times was not required, among other restrictions). For new allotment holders, particularly important benefits of owning an allotment during the COVID-19 era were having a safe place for recreation (69% of respondents) that also enabled safe gatherings with relatives (67%) (Figure 9). They felt that during this difficult time, the allotment was helpful in maintaining both mental health (68%) and physical health (61%). For half of the respondents, the opportunity to observe nature and have direct contact with it was an important benefit. It was much less common (36%) for allotment holders to perceive benefits in increasing their knowledge of nature, social integration with other allotment users, or having a place of isolation during a health crisis.

The president of PAF Poznań was of the opinion that the productive function of allotments had increased in importance. In his view, more allotment holders wanted to have their own vegetable and fruit garden: “people appreciated what an asset it was”. However, the survey showed that few new allotment holders considered the ability to produce high-quality food for their own consumption as an important benefit of having an allotment (only 19% viewed this as definitely important). Only four people (2%) saw significant benefits in achieving savings in expenditure on food.

Analysis of the impact of the pandemic on new allotment holders’ perceptions of the benefits of owning an allotment showed a weak relationship with only three variables (

Table 8. Impact of the pandemic in the terms of allotment holders’ perceived benefits of allotment ownership.

Variables	Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient
helps to maintain good physical health	−0.090889
helps to maintain good mental health	−0.101434
a safe place for recreation	−0.111722
safe meetings with family and friends	−0.074018
social integration (e.g., meetings with neighbours from the AGs)	−0.110491
a safe place for my family and I to isolate	−0.069613
savings on food expenditure	0.245568
savings on health expenditure	0.180822
savings on recreational expenditure	0.022330
organic, high-quality products for own consumption	0.177308
acquiring and extending horticultural knowledge	−0.163210
acquiring and extending knowledge of nature	−0.250712
compensation for having a small flat	0.348429
observation of and contact with nature	0.033844
capital investment (possibility to invest savings)	0.165137

Source: own work based on survey (n = 49).

). Respondents declaring that the pandemic impacted on their decision to purchase an allotment were more likely to indicate savings on food expenses and to view an allotment as compensation for having a small flat. Interestingly, it was found that as the impact of the pandemic on the decision to purchase an allotment increased, the importance of the benefits of acquiring and expanding natural knowledge decreased.

3.5. City Authorities’ Approach to Allotment Gardening in Times of Crisis

According to PAF Poznań, cooperation with the City of Poznań authorities has been good and has not changed its nature during the pandemic. The city supported the AGs financially in organising pro-health and cultural events. During the first stage of the pandemic, cultural activities in AGs were suspended. However, as soon as the restrictions were eased, with all the sanitary safety rules remaining in place, joint projects continued, including ‘White Saturdays’ (a health-promoting event of medical examinations and consultations), open-air concerts, and film screenings in some AGs. In 2018, for the first time, the City of Poznań co-financed AGs, focusing on constructing or modernizing the technical infrastructure. The condition for receiving funds is that the common spaces of the AGs are made accessible to the city’s residents and not just to allotment holders. Between 2018 and 2022, PLN 1.1 million was provided from the municipal budget (with 29 AGs benefiting). These funds were used, for example, to create new playgrounds and outdoor gyms. Repairs were also made to community centres, allotment houses, garden alleyways, water and electricity networks. These grants were also used during the pandemic, although the work was sometimes delayed. During the period of relaxed sanitary restrictions, the ‘Garden Season—let’s meet at the allotments’ programme was launched. The project’s aim was to promote AGs as green spaces of valuable natural and social value and to increase their accessibility to local residents. This resulted in a catalogue of good practices, which were to become an inspiration for the gradual opening of Poznań’s AGs to the local community [63]. The project was conceived by the Office for Project Coordination and City Revitalisation in Poznań. The activity was part of the international project “Connecting Nature”—Horizon Framework Programme 2020, of which Poznań is a partner.

The research showed that “at the AG level”, there is little perception of the city’s cooperation with AGs. Only three managers (23%) of the AGs surveyed said that the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive influence on how allotment gardening is perceived by the municipal authorities. They highlighted the importance of financial support to build or upgrade garden infrastructure. The majority of managers (53%) did not perceive a change in the city’s approach to the role of AGs in urban space. According to some of them, cooperation only takes place “at the district board level”. The remaining experts from interviewees (three persons—23%) did not comment on this issue. Some of the experts stated (five people) that under the influence of the pandemic, city residents’ perceptions of AGs had changed, and that this was reflected in a greater interest in acquiring a plot.

According to the chairman of the Spatial Policy and Revitalisation Committee of Poznań City Council, the pandemic has not so much changed attitudes towards AGs as “sharpened” the general trend of caring for urban green spaces and accessing urban green spaces by Poznań citizens. The change is taking place gradually and is mainly driven by societal pressure. Until a few years ago, economic motivations were evident with regard to AGs. The programme of transferring AGs from investment areas to new areas was supposed to generate net profits (selling land with investment value at an attractive price, making compensation payments to allotment holders). However, this programme ceased due to the problems the city has in acquiring land for AGs. Currently, only replacement AGs are being created in exchange for ones taken out of use. The chairman emphasized that new land for AGs is needed, and the city is currently looking for this in order to compensate for the loss of gardens decommissioned due to the development of service areas, housing, and transport investments necessary for the city to function. When faced with a choice of housing or AGs, the former comes out on top. With regard to those AGs located in parts of the city where there is little green space, the idea has emerged of opening them up to all residents. According to the chairman, strongly secured AGs are those included in planning documents.

The new Study on the Conditions and Directions of Development of the City of Poznań [64], which is currently being prepared, points out that “the functioning of AGs to date confirms that residents remain interested in their use. AGs are also perceived negatively as a sub-standard form of development, a source of air pollution emissions, not connected to the sewerage system, and at the same time closed and accessible only to a select few. This points to the need to look for ways to open up the gardens to residents or transform them into publicly accessible landscaped areas. In many existing gardens, the problem is the use of the allotments for year-round residence, or even for business, workshops, etc., which is associated with a number of nuisances, i.e., intensive development that violates the leisure character of AGs, noise and the destruction of access roads by cars, smoke, or soil pollution”. In the draft SUiKZP [64], which provides guidelines for the city’s spatial policy, AGs are classified as “areas with special conditions for construction and development”. For the AGs, the primary direction of use is defined—allotment gardening implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Act on Family Allotments of 2013 [50]. The complementary direction of use is also defined—use for transport and technical infrastructure areas and converting AGs into public greenery (e.g., parks, squares) and sports and recreation areas is permitted.

4. Discussion

The long-term shortage of plots identified in the study is not only peculiar to Poznań. A similar situation exists in London and many other UK cities among other urban areas, where the supply of plots has not kept pace with demand [65]. The pandemic has resulted in a kind of ‘plot boom’ in Poznań, as existing long-standing demand was exacerbated. A surge of interest in allotments during the health crisis was also reported in London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, and Sheffield [66]. The National Allotment Society in the United Kingdom reported that “councils are currently reporting a significant rise in interest in renting a plot, up by 500% in one borough” [67]. A similar trend has also been observed in Germany, where the increasing demand for plots over the years further intensified during the pandemic [38]. According to the German Allotment Garden Federation, it was greater than ever, with demand for plots at least doubling across the country. In some large cities (e.g., Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich), demand was four times higher than before the pandemic [68]. However, demand and waiting times for a plot of land varied in Germany and continue to do so. Large cities are characterised by very high demand and too small supply. Many cities outside the large conurbations, mainly in the western German Länder, have a relatively balanced relationship. By contrast, in structurally weak regions, especially in the country‘s post-communist east, where the population is less concentrated, there is an oversupply and some plots are not used. As a result, there are at the same time ‘allotment boom’ regions and areas where AGs are no longer needed. The consolidation process of German allotment gardening can be described as the development of AGs according to need [69]. Moreover, the supply of AGs in Tokyo is insufficient. AGs have become widely popular and not easily accessible and can be viewed as a limited space. The geographical location of AGs in the city, high land price, and high population density make them a luxury [70]. Today, many urban AGs are operating under the pressure of intensive investment processes. Both in Poznań and other European cities, the increase in the value of urban land contributes to their liquidation [15,71,72]. The number of AGs and the area they occupy is declining, generating growing problems of accessibility to plots in many places. For years, researchers have highlighted the increasing level of usurpation of urban AG land by developers and the need to protect urban allotment gardening [4,14,23,73,74]. The article shows that COVID-19 exacerbated the shortage of plots on the urban real estate market and caused a significant increase in prices, ‘bumping up’ their value. In addition, in Poznań these prices were found to be influenced by the long-term scarcity of plots, the state of their development and their location. Treating a plot as an investment was also evident. Similar observations were made by Janus [47], who conducted research in the most urbanised areas of the Silesia Voivodeship (Poland). He reported that some allotment holders have bought an allotment twice as expensive, admitting that this is a form of investment. In other Polish cities, allotment prices have ‘skyrocketed’ too. According to Błażewicz [75], ‘the last two years of the ongoing pandemic have become a special time for allotments. Such great interest in these inconspicuous gardens has probably never been recorded before.” In our survey, we observed a wide price spread in pandemic allotment transactions, which was mainly due to the level of investment in the plot’s land development. It should be noted that under current Polish legislation [50], no allotment user in AGs is an owner, but is only a leaseholder [10,18,76]. Despite this, new allotment holders were often willing to spend considerable amounts of money in order to buy back the right to use the plot. The return “into favour” of allotment gardening and the increase in allotment prices, especially in the largest Polish cities have attracted great media interest. It was reported that “the pandemic has changed everything” and Poles who were suddenly banned from forests and parks “went back to their roots”, intensively looking for allotments [77]. It was emphasised that a fashion for plots in AGs developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with plots becoming almost a luxury good; yet, at the same time, their stock was shrinking. Even a plot of land often neglected for years could find a buyer in no time at all, and plot prices were breaking new records, reaching “cosmic” levels [78]. According to Olszanka and Witkowicz-Matolicz [77], “the current boom in allotment sales has pushed buyers into auction-like scenarios, with even the most shambolic of properties bringing about intense bidding wars among potential buyers’. It was pointed out that “some people are going too far with the prices” for allotment rights, and some urban residents cannot afford them. It was mentioned that people who had sold a plot of land “for millions” during the pandemic had previously acquired it “for pennies or got it for free” [79]. This exacerbates inequalities in access to green space [80]. It has been signalled that some sales advertisements incorrectly state that the buyer acquires ownership rights to the plot [79]. There were also claims that during the pandemic, a plot in an AG increasingly became an ‘object of trade’, an element of the real estate market [78]. Unfortunately, there is a lack of comprehensive scientific research that can verify the signals coming from the media on the price formation of plots of land both before the pandemic and after the impact of this unprecedented health crisis. There is also a lack of comparable data on plot prices in other countries, as they have different rules for managing and leasing plots [4,19,22].

Our study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic modified the profile of the allotment holder primarily by causing a rejuvenation of this community. A similar trend was observed by Janus et al. [47] in analysing the functioning of AGs in the southern part of Poland. According to the PAF, until 10 years ago, the most numerous group among allotment holders were pensioners, i.e., 46.9% [81]. Moreover, research indicated that allotment holders in Poland tended to be older people [82]. During this period, a generational change in German allotment gardening was already observed [15]. It was increasingly noticeable because urban gardening was in vogue. The average age of German allotment gardeners has decreased in recent years. The main reason for this is a stronger demand from young households (mainly families with children), whose backgrounds are becoming more international. Furthermore, in large cities, allotment holders are often younger than in smaller cities [69]. We found that in addition to rejuvenating the profile of the allotment user, the pandemic also contributed to raising the educational level of Polish allotment users. As a result, they can no longer be seen as poorly educated. One characteristic of the allotment community remains its relatively balanced gender structure. A similar sex ratio was observed throughout Poland in the early 20th century [81] and also, for example, in Portugal [83]. However, some studies indicate that the gender structure of European allotment holders varies [2,84]. The residence of the study group was a multi-family development. The researchers emphasise that at that time, an allotment was a substitute for a home garden [83,85]. During the pandemic, new allotment holders made intensive use of the allotment. Schoen et al. [35] observed that where AGs remained open, they enjoyed high attendance. They noted that allotment holders from Poland and Germany spent more time on the allotment during the pandemic than before this crisis. At the same time, we observed that respondents did not work remotely from the allotment, which proves the recreational nature of this space—it was treated as a refuge, an escape from the difficult everyday life in the pandemic.

AGs in Poland were open during the COVID-19 crisis and their use was adapted to sanitary restrictions. Once again, in the history of allotment gardening, it has been shown that AGs adapt flexibly even to sudden and very difficult operating conditions. This is due, among other things, to the fact that AGs consist of individual plots and their users were able to use them while maintaining social distance. Our research indicates that the pandemic brought both benefits and threats to how they function. The renaissance in urban gardening was accentuated, while on the other hand, there were claims of problems related to managing this space (e.g., waste management and security provision). According to Szkup [48], in Poland, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the behaviour and recreation of AG users, but the impact was “(...) not as great as could have been expected”. Research by Schoen et al. [38] indicates that AGs were affected in various ways by COVID-19-related restrictions, and it is possible that in some countries, AGs may have to further modify their operations to resume offering pre-COVID-19 services to their regular customers. It was found that the pandemic did not have a fundamental impact on the form of land use in Poznań’s AGs, which are mainly recreational in nature. An increase in recreational use of plots was observed by Janus et al. [47] when investigating the perceived functions of AGs and their importance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. They found that the mode of use varied according to the age of the users; however, for middle-aged people (21–60 years), the recreational function was the most important. A typical feature of the pandemic time was that allotment holders carried out intensive cleaning and renovation work, which was largely associated with frequent visits to the plot. Schoen et al. [38] noted that while COVID-19 generated many constraints on AGs, it also created several opportunities for allotment holders to spend more time on allotment work. Development changes involved transforming undeveloped and neglected plots into usable plots. New allotment holders adapted them to their needs, focusing primarily on recreation. On the other hand, studies carried out in AGs of several cities in the Łódź and Lower Silesian Voivodeships by Szkup [48] and Szkup and Skop [49] show that the COVID-19 crisis did not have any impact on the way plots were developed. The differences probably due to the fact that we only included new allotment holders in our study, who had also bought undeveloped plots; therefore, changes in the use of this space were evident. The low importance of the productive development of plots observed in Poznań AGs in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic is surprising. The surprise stems from the fact that the importance of the productive function of AGs increases during periods of crisis, as is commonly reported in the literature, e.g., studies by Bell et al. [19], Camps-Calvet et al. [7], and Calvet-Mir and March [9]. While the consequence of the pandemic is a renaissance in allotment gardening in Poland, this did not involve an increase in the scale of cultivation. Allotments have become a highly desirable green retreat, providing opportunities for freedom and outdoor recreation with family and loved ones [78]. This may have to do with the health-related nature of the crisis and the overriding of other needs (the need for social isolation) or its low impact on food chains; there were no problems with food supply or shortages in shops in Poland. It is also worth mentioning that the PAF, recognising the trend of converting allotments into purely recreational sites and wanting to curb it, enacted an ‘Open Programme for the modern development and use of allotments to meet the needs of modern families’ [86]. Its aim was to restore the greater importance of food production in AGs and to encourage allotment holders to start utilizing the full potential of allotments. However, the effects of its implementation are not yet particularly visible, and the dominance of recreational function observed since the 1990s is still a characteristic of Polish allotment gardening [10,12,18,23,72,76]. Furthermore, in other countries, a long history of urban gardening has reduced cultivation, and AGs are largely used for recreational purposes [17,19,22,38]. Despite this, they retain a strong adaptive capacity to be converted into food production areas when necessary and have the potential to be rapidly repurposed into productive areas [3,87]. According to Langemeyer et al. [41], this may have influenced the increased popularity of AGs during the COVID-19 crisis. Our study does not confirm this, although it is undeniable that AGs perfectly ‘fit’ into the concept of urban agriculture. They are also relevant for sustainable urban development, as they can support environmental education [7,19,84].

Since the early days of AGs, allotment holders have derived numerous benefits from owning an allotment, benefits of a recreational, provisioning, and environmental nature, among other forms. Their importance was determined by both internal factors (the needs of the allotment holder) and external factors, e.g., the political situation, the level of socio-economic development, environmental conditions, and various extreme situations and crises [15,19,22,88]. The coronavirus-induced health crisis generated many negative effects of both an economic and social nature. It kept people indoors and limited human contact and access to public areas, including parks and forests, resulting in fear and induced depressive states [89,90]. Numerous studies indicate that human contact with nature has a beneficial effect on health and has therapeutic value. The beneficial effects of forest therapy and horticulture, including allotment gardening, on human wellbeing have been documented [91,92,93,94,95,96]. In the era of the pandemic, the allotment proved to be a real medicine for bad times for Poznań allotment holders. The same was true in the UK, among other countries. According to the National Allotment Society [67], the threat of COVID-19 made allotments important for maintaining mental and physical health. For their users, the allotment was a place of activity and hope for reassurance and revival, which will have implications for functioning outside the allotment gate. Before the pandemic in Poland, among the most important benefits achieved by allotment holders were obtaining cheap and healthy vegetables and fruit, an attractive place for relaxation and socialising and cultural events, compensation for a small flat, and also contact with nature [81]. Our research indicates that for the new allotment holders, who were mainly represented by the young generation (about 80% are under 50 years of age) during the COVID-19 health crisis, the allotment was above all a safe space for recreation and meetings with relatives, and was helpful in maintaining both mental and physical health as well as offering the possibility of direct contact with nature. Janus et al. [47] also found that AGs were important places not only for food production, but also for maintaining mental health, social capital and engagement with the environment. AGs were perceived as a coping strategy for the stress generated during the lockdown. They emphasised that this was key with young people (under 30), who declared that their allotment enabled them to escape “from pandemic problems to their own COVID-19 free spaces”. In our survey, we proved that allotment holders now have a more youthful profile, with more than a quarter of new allotment holders being people aged 35 or under. The interest among younger people in allotments during the pandemic may be related to the lower resilience to stress in this age group. This is supported by studies by Theodorou et al. [36], Li and Wang [97], and Palgi et al. [44], who reported more anxiety symptoms in precisely this group of subjects. For this reason, hortitherapy appears to have particular relevance in building the resilience of modern cities. We found that during the pandemic (especially during the period of greatest austerity), plots were a luxury good available to the few (scarcity of plots, still low openness of AGs to outsiders), and the benefits of ownership were enjoyed by the few. According to Janus et al. [47], they were particularly important because these were private spaces free from COVID-19 restrictions. Inequalities in access to plots of land had been observed before, e.g., [11,23,98], but COVID-19 exacerbated them further. A similar view is taken by Sowińska-Świerkosz et al. [28], who point out that Poland’s AGs in effect provide direct and personal ecosystem services to only a limited percentage of citizens. During the pandemic, access to public green spaces was banned for several weeks, exacerbating feelings of exclusion among many urban residents and revealing environmental injustice in the availability of green spaces [99,100].

AGs are undeniably part of a multifunctional urban landscape, providing a wide range of ecosystem services. This study indicates that the pandemic did not modify the city government’s approach to AGs, but it did draw attention to the public need for access to urban green spaces. While the city supports the gradual opening of Poznań’s AGs, it does not offer new areas for allotment gardening to residents. AGs are not only a place for recreation and food production; they are an important part of the city’s green infrastructure, affecting the quality of life of its residents. Unfortunately, the insufficient amount of land designated for AGs in urban space is a problem for many cities [17,19,71,98]. Local authorities in all developing urban centres have to deal with increasing competition for land, conflicting demands for land use, and limited urban finances in order not to lose these valuable green components [37,65]. According to Egerer et al. [29], AGs seemingly rose as a lifeline during the pandemic, acting as a coping strategy to deal with stress and provide food security during periods of uncertainty. Urban policy needs to support them, as landscape multifunctionality is increasingly seen as a signpost in landscape design, planning and policy, especially in the context of sustainable and resilient cities. The health crisis made AGs spaces particularly needed and also part of the solution to many problems within the health, economy, and environment of urban communities [47]. Langemeyer et al. [41] highlight the importance of AGs in the context of ensuring urban food security. They are of the opinion that COVID-19 should be another reminder that planning for the future of cities must also take into account unlikely scenarios of change and that even in cities in the global north, food security issues cannot be left out of the urban planning process. It is worth mentioning that in the Poznań agglomeration, the pandemic allotment boom triggered a precursory reaction from the development community. In 2022, one of the companies specialising in the construction of complex housing estates included 28 eco-plots in its offer in one of the municipalities near the city [101]. These serve as places to grow organic crops and meet the leisure and recreational needs of the estate’s residents and to raise the ecological standards of the surrounding area. This initiative confirms the observations of Giedych and Poniży [102], who observed that AGs combine cultural, recreational, and economic functions (for their users) with the ecological and structural–spatial role of the urban community. This means that AGs are important in implementing the idea of the sustainable development of cities.

5. Conclusions

COVID-19 destabilised the social and economic life of cities, but at the same time, it provided another opportunity to look at the meaning and functioning of contemporary allotment gardening in a crisis situation. The coronavirus pandemic demonstrated the value of allotment gardening.

RQ1—We found that during the pandemic there was a resurgence in allotment gardening in a city with a permanent shortage of plots. The coronavirus pandemic, the related bans on movement, and the closing of outdoor and indoor recreation areas meant that the dream of having one’s own allotment was ‘dusted off’. Demand for allotments increased rapidly, making them a desirable ‘commodity’. As a result, there has been a significant increase in their prices throughout the conurbation. Time will tell how long the plot boom will last. It is important to keep an eye on this process, especially as Europe is currently facing an economic crisis, which could trigger another wave of demand for plots. ‘Garden’ transactions are a niche in the Polish real estate market but one that is not well recognised and requires multi-faceted, in-depth research. In Poland, an allotment is a kind of social benefit. According to legislation, it serves to provide the public with access to places for recreation, cultivation and subsistence food production. What is worrying is the sharp increase in the price of allotments along with their permanent scarcity, which can lead to allotments being treated solely as investments and objects of speculation and trading.

RQ2—Research shows that the pandemic modified the profile of the plot holder; particularly evident were changes in age structure (the allotment holder community becoming younger) and education (an increase in education level). Our analysis shows that COVID-19 influenced the decision to buy an allotment among new users of the AGs surveyed.

RQ3—Our research indicates that Poznań AGs operated under a sanitary regime that primarily modified their organisational activities and significantly reduced their socio-cultural activities. Allotments were a lifesaver and a green oasis for the urban community, but in large Polish cities, access to them remains limited; they are mainly used by the allotment community. Although Poznań’s AGs are also opening up more and more to other residents, the ‘level of openness’ is still too low. In addition, the availability of plots has been limited by the pandemic price spike. Increased interest in purchasing an allotment can be read as an appreciation of the recreational function of AGs in the absence of access to metropolitan green infrastructure.

RQ4—The impact of the pandemic on allotment development and on the perception of the benefits of allotments was not as great as assumed. New allotment holders focused on recreation and cleaning and renovation work. For them, the allotment was a green refuge in times of isolation, a place for contact with nature, loved ones and family, and a safe space for relaxation. Our research indicates that allotment holders also appreciated its positive impact on their physical and mental health. Staying in an allotment provided a sense of contact with nature and security in difficult times.

RQ5—Our research has shown that AGs are still a necessary and attractive element of metropolitan space, and that removing them would have negative consequences (exacerbating scarcity, further price increases). The study indicates that improving the availability of plots of land requires first and foremost the creation of new AGs and not just opening up existing AGs. With a view to implementing the idea of sustainable development and increasing the city’s resilience, the municipal authorities should foster or even initiate the development of allotment gardening in the immediate vicinity of residential areas and ensure that AGs are more open to the needs of the whole urban community. It is necessary to appreciate the multifunctionality of this space, whose functions include enabling food production (urban agriculture), fostering a reduction in anthropogenic environmental impact, and contributing to improving the quality of life in the city, while not requiring specific competences from allotment users. Undeniably, these are great assets of AGs, which should not only be recognised in times of crises.