Urban green spaces, health, and wellbeing: social value estimation of a community garden in Slovakia

This study estimates the social value of community garden solutions co-designed and co-deployed in Nitra, Slovakia, under the IN-HABIT project, focusing on health and well-being. An extended social return on investment (SROI) framework was tested with community garden users, volunteers, and project implementers. A stakeholder-informed process developed a theory of change, identifying key outcomes, including improved health, psychological well-being, and environmental awareness. Two valuation approaches are compared: one involving direct stakeholder input through contingent valuation and Scholten’s Value Game, yielding an SROI of 2.15 Euros per Euro invested. The second approach, based on financial proxies, resulted in a higher ratio of 4.27 Euros, emphasizing the importance of local context in valuation.