Sheffield is a city known for its greenery. From parks and woodlands to community gardens and allotments, opportunities to grow food are all around us. Yet until recently, no one had mapped these spaces in detail, and much of the city’s urban horticulture remained hidden. That’s changing with the launch of the ShefFood Community Growing Map, a new resource that shows where people can grow, learn, and connect through food in Sheffield. The map is the outcome of a collaborative project called Mapping the Past, Present and Future of Urban Horticulture in Sheffield, led by the University of Sheffield and Regather, with partners including the University of Alberta and funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The project set out with a simple but ambitious goal: to build a detailed picture of Sheffield’s food-growing landscape, understand the challenges faced by growers, and explore ways to expand opportunities for urban horticulture in the city. Growing food isn’t just about plants; it is about health, community, learning, and sustainability. By uncovering who grows what, where, and how, the research team aimed to make these benefits more visible and more accessible to everyone.
To do this, the team used a range of creative and participatory research methods. An online survey allowed growers of all scales to share their experiences. In-person workshops brought people together to discuss challenges and possibilities. And for commercial growers who could not attend conventional workshops, the researchers held “dig-alongside” interviews, meeting people in the fields and allotments where they work. These approaches ensured that the map and research reflected the real voices of Sheffield’s growing community, capturing the diversity of people and projects that make urban horticulture thrive.
The findings reveal both challenges and opportunities. Behind Sheffield’s leafy image, growers face real barriers. Allotment waiting lists are long, and not all plots are easy to access. Land and food policy can feel unfavourable or slow to change. Many growing initiatives are volunteer-led, underpaid, or undervalued, and climate change adds new pressures through extreme weather events. Funding, training, and knowledge-sharing are often hard to access, while ensuring inclusivity across class, culture, and ability remains a persistent challenge.
Yet alongside these challenges, the research uncovered a wealth of potential. Sheffield’s growing community is inventive and collaborative, finding ways to expand urban horticulture despite the hurdles. Growers highlighted the benefits of networking and knowledge exchange, supporting allotment networks, and increasing training opportunities. Linking community projects with commercial enterprises, connecting with local colleges, and engaging young people in real-world horticulture experiences were seen as powerful ways to strengthen the sector. Infrastructure improvements, collective approaches to land, and prioritisation of suitable land for horticulture were also suggested as steps that could help the city grow its food-growing capacity sustainably.
The new ShefFood Community Growing Map makes all of this tangible. Now live on the ShefFood website, the map lists a wide range of growing spaces, helping people find the right place for them. Community allotments allow groups to share plots and the harvest, while council-owned and private allotments offer individual plots for families or gardeners. Allotment societies organise events, manage plots, and act as a bridge between growers and councils. Community farms provide opportunities to volunteer, learn, and participate in sustainable food production. Community gardens, often tucked into urban neighbourhoods, bring residents together to grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs while building social connections.
With the map, anyone, from a seasoned gardener to someone just curious about growing food, can see what’s nearby and start planning their own journey. Want to try out a plot with friends, join a community farm, or volunteer on a garden project? The map points the way, making Sheffield’s urban horticulture more visible and accessible than ever before.
While the map is a great tool, the project’s research reminds us that growing food in cities is about more than just access to land. It is also about learning, sharing, and creating sustainable opportunities for people to engage with nature and each other. The findings highlight the importance of supportive local authority policies, collaboration between communities, and robust national frameworks to ensure that Sheffield’s urban horticulture can flourish for years to come.
For the general public, the takeaway is simple: growing food is something anyone can connect with. Whether you are looking to improve your wellbeing, learn new skills, meet like-minded people, or contribute to a greener city, Sheffield has a wealth of opportunities. The Community Growing Map is your guide to discovering them. Even if the growing season is winding down, autumn and winter offer time to explore local parks, learn about soil, plan for spring, and start thinking about joining a growing project in the new year.
Urban horticulture is about people as much as plants. It is about creating spaces where communities come together, knowledge is shared, and food is grown sustainably. By exploring Sheffield’s growing spaces, you can be part of that story, whether by joining a community garden, volunteering on a farm, or simply planning your own patch of green. The new ShefFood map makes it easy to find your place in Sheffield’s rich horticultural landscape, and to start growing your own connections as well as food. Visit https://sheffood.org.uk/growing-composting/ to learn more.
