Design as a tool for experiential food education: Research into practice through a proximity-based therapeutic garden

This paper examines the role of design as a catalyst in experiential food education through the Curortò project, a therapeutic garden established within the G. Di Cristina Children's Hospital. Grounded in a theoretical framework that integrates experiential learning, participatory pedagogy, and sustainability, the study reinterprets food as a vital medium for reconnecting individuals with their environment and local heritage. Employing a participatory action research methodology, the project involved hospitalised children, healthcare professionals, educators, and local community actors in a collaborative design process aimed at transforming the conventional hospital setting into a dynamic educational ecosystem. The intervention, inspired by local traditions and historical practices of urban agriculture, utilised recovered materials and hands-on cultivation activities to foster agroecological awareness and enhance cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. Detailed observation, field diaries, and qualitative interviews provided evidence of significant improvements in children's understanding of seasonal food cycles, resource management, and circular economy principles, accompanied by reduced stress levels and increased operational autonomy. The project further demonstrated the potential of design to mediate complex interactions between food, nature, and social innovation, thereby fostering collective responsibility and community resilience. As a contribution to the literature, the research proposes a comprehensive, multidimensional conceptual model that articulates how design can reconfigure care environments and promote sustainable food practices. This model encapsulates the transformative processes observed within the Curortò project and offers valuable theoretical insights for future applications in contexts characterised by vulnerability and the need for social innovation. • Design enables situated food education in therapeutic hospital environments. • The project applies PAR to co-design multisensory learning environments. • A conceptual model maps design’s systemic role across education and proximity. • Food is reframed as a relational medium in fragile urban and institutional contexts. • Children learn food systems through cultivation in a therapeutic hospital garden.