Kolonihave / Koloniträdgård
Scandinavia
A Kolonihave is a small garden (between 200 and 400 m2) usually located within walking/cycling distance from the urban center, sometimes even right in the middle of it.
In a Kolonihave you may find a Kolonihus, a simple wooden shelter (around 30 m2) used as storage for gardening equipment, rarely suitable for staying for any long period of time (in fact, it is only allowed to live in a Kolonihus during the summer), yet big enough to have coffe and hygge when taking a break from the grey danish weather.
Such gardens are built next to each other in clusters of at least 5 plots, creating wide green areas with a strong sense of community, where people like to grow vegetables, gather to celebrate birthdays, or just find peace in nature.
Historically, the Kolonihaver (plural of Kolonihave) were thought as an escapism for working families from the dense, inner-city. During the soft transition between farming and urban life, whilst the relationship between humans and nature evolved from necessity to healthy habit, the use of such urban gardens slowly shifted from survival to recreational.
Nowadays, it´s mainly the middle class that rents or owns colony gardens, especially citizens who live in city-apartments: in that sense, such green spots become a sort of detached garden that can be reached within short distance from your apartment.
