Underused spaces in cities offer great potential for more biodiversity in the neighborhood. But between apartment blocks and lawns there is often little space for wild plants and animals, which are rarely taken into account in urban planning. Therefore, fallow areas play an important role, where many plant species can develop undisturbed in the meantime. Besides common ruderal plants, these places could also provide space for special plants that not only attract insects such as wild bees, but also enhance the quality of life for everyone in the neighbourhood. They just need to be planted.
The project Selvacity aims to transform Bolzano into a biodiverse, colourful city. Through the use of Guerrilla Gardening actions, numerous abandoned spaces around Don Bosco are to be used to plant wildflowers together. The project started on a littered field that has been unused for 13 years. During the process, local residents were involved in educative workshops, biologists were interviewed and plant studies were made. As a result, a Guerilla Gardening group, a reproducable workshop, a toolkit and a campaign for the new movement were created. This movement aims to convince the city of Bolzano to include more nature-oriented areas in urban planning.