This paper discusses the concept of the kleingärten, a system of allotment gardens present in almost all German cities. It focuses on their social relevance and on their potential for building the green infrastructure, as a way to improve the quality of urban environment. These gardens, which could be called green lungs, are in most cases part of the city's real estate and leased to groups of people who want to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers. The movement of kleingärten, supported by a strong institutional framework, created these gardens initially to help workers in large industrial cities to increase food security and improve outdoor leisure opportunities, insuring an improvement in their quality of life. Today, almost 150 years later, the movement has become a significant part of German culture. Offering leisure and outdoor recreation opportunities for a large part of the population kleingärten became a striking element of the urban landscape in Germany. Due to the leisure opportunities, landscape and urban significance and political force the kleingärten movement is interesting for gaining a deeper insight.
Kleingärten; Germany; Allotment gardens; Urban landscape; Green spaces