Inner city living can often mean cramped accommodation with little access to outdoor space. With this in mind, a project in Manchester, UK, is offering people the chance to book a garden for an hour at a time. Plot is a private urban garden that explores the notion of access rather than ownership.
Plot is part of Manchester's Dig The City urban gardening festival that runs from August 2nd - 10th. The festival features gardens created around the city, pop-up picnics, music, markets and activities for children.
The Plot garden itself was created by digital agency magneticNorth. The project was inspired by the societal shift in preference towards streaming and paying for access to goods rather than buying and owning them. magneticNorth saw that this model could be applied to green spaces where, particularly in cities, availability can be limited.
"Plot explores the idea of turning outdoor space into a service and, like on-demand TV or music, gives people the chance to use a garden at a time that works for them," explains magneticNorth CEO Lou Cordwell in a press release. "When the sun is shining it’s human nature to want to be outside and sometimes you want to enjoy that time in a private space on your terms. We look forward to seeing how people use the space."
The garden is secluded away on the roof of Manchester's Victorian Barton Arcade building. It provides a place for people to read, meet friends and hold meetups, such as for book clubs. There is enough space for group exercise classes and there is also Wi-Fi available so that people can work or simply peruse the web at their leisure.
Plot is free to use and can be booked via its website. It is open from August 2nd - 10th. You can follow what's going on at Plot via its Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Source: magneticNorth
