CitySeeds

Maria Sturm, lecturer within the Global Project and Change Management program at HZ, is nominated for her commitment to CitySeeds in the Middelburg district of Dauwendaele.

CitySeeds is an urban agriculture project in which space in a neighbourhood with many high-rise buildings is used for a social food garden and a pick-your-own forest. Its essence lies not only in growing food, but especially in strengthening social connection.

Vulnerable families gain access to fresh, free food, while at the same time a network emerges in which residents get to know and support each other.

Strong bottom-up approach

What makes the initiative special is its strong bottom-up approach. Instead of plans being imposed from above, ideas come directly from the neighbourhood itself. Residents, volunteers, students, and organisations work together to actually implement these ideas. Maria plays a key role as chair and connector between education, research, and the community, ensuring that knowledge and practice reinforce each other.

The impact of CitySeeds is tangible and growing. In 2025, 579 bags of ecologically grown vegetables were distributed, while at the same time a steadily tighter community is emerging. Residents take more ownership of their living environment and develop new initiatives that contribute to the neighbourhood. As a result, not only more greenery emerges, but also greater engagement and resilience.

Change through interaction

What often starts with a simple idea or an empty plot of land grows into a place where people meet and collaborate. It is precisely in that interaction that change arises: people who did not know each other before build something together that belongs to everyone.

Maria shows that the food transition is not only about making plans and talking, but above all about doing. By giving space to grassroots initiative, an environment emerges in which social and ecological value grow hand in hand.