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A participatory process is a sequence of participatory activities (for example, first filling out a survey, then making proposals, discussing them in person or online, and finally prioritizing them) with the goal of defining and making a decision on a specific topic.

Examples of participatory processes: a process for electing committee members (where candidates are first nominated, then debated, and finally one candidate is selected), participatory budgeting (where proposals are submitted, evaluated from a financial perspective, and voted on based on available funds), a strategic planning process, the collaborative drafting of a regulation or standard, the design of an urban space, or the development of a public policy plan.

1) I have read the rules, which outline the elements to consider when designing your Pocket Garden.

2) I’ve identified a space managed by the City that I’d like to cultivate

How can I tell if the space I’m interested in is maintained by the City?

I go to map.lausanne.ch: the space is managed by the City of Lausanne if the owner is the Municipality of Lausanne or the municipal public domain.

3) I contact (if necessary) neighbors to submit a collective project

Submit an individual or group request?

If the space is small, submit an individual request
If the space is larger and can accommodate several people from the neighborhood, submit a group request

Professionals from the Parks and Public Lands Department will meet with you on-site and then review your request with the other relevant departments, based on the following criteria:

Compliance with standards regarding safety, visibility, and fire department access
Other uses identified for this space (events, games, etc.)
Work scheduled for the near future
Access to water
Need for a soil analysis
etc.

Following the feasibility study, three options are possible:

The project is not deemed feasible, and your request is rejected;
Further details are required; you will need to refine your project;
Your project is accepted—congratulations! The City of Lausanne will issue you a permit to plant greenery!

Has my project been approved? I’ve been offered a landscaping permit! I’ll sign it and return it to the Parks and Public Lands Department of the City of Lausanne.

If it’s a community pocket garden, I open my project to the rest of the neighborhood by organizing an informational session. The Parks and Public Lands Department advises me and helps me with the organization.

If I wish, I can receive a starter kit to set up my Pocket Garden:

Kit 1 (for everyone)

An ecological gardening class, potting soil, and seeds for native wildflowers
Signs to place in your garden

Kit 2 (for Pocket Gardens in Containers)

A planting container
Potting soil to fill your planter, delivered near your garden, along with seeds of native wildflowers

I can then prepare my seedlings to start growing my pocket garden for a one-year term, renewable!

Pocket Gardens

#Jeune, Adulte, Senior, Nature, Jardins Apply for your greening permits!

Start date / End date

13 Apr 2021 / ?

Current phase

About this participatory initiative

With “Jardins de poche,” let’s help Lausanne rediscover its true nature!

What are “Les Jardins de poche”?

These are small gardens created and tended by residents, associations, merchants, businesses, or other stakeholders in Lausanne who wish to care for a space currently maintained by the City, such as:

around the bases of trees;
lawns, embankments, or small green spaces;
planters placed in plazas, parks, sidewalks, or impervious surfaces.

Would you like to create and maintain a Pocket Garden in your neighborhood?

Be sure to read the user guide and rules before submitting your request! If it is approved by the City of Lausanne, you will receive your permit to plant!