“We Don’t Meet [Any]where Else, Just Here”: Spatiality of Social Capital in Urban Allotments

Unlike many other types of urban micro‐publics, allotment gardens provide a spatial opportunity for everyday social contact and encounters between heterogeneous user groups who share common interest. While these micro‐publics have an evidenced capacity generating capital, scholars questioned the extent to which capital accessed within garden transcends its physical boundary—and thus relevance micro‐public integration by fostering resource transfers socially‐distant members population. In this article, we investigate whom what ties resources extend beyond boundary into domains life (i.e., scaling transfers) in Vantaa, most multicultural city Finland. Utilizing mixed‐methods approach, integrated crisp‐set qualitative comparative analysis thematic explore configurations gardener characteristics relate different transfers. We found that although new contacts—including boundary‐crossing contacts—were formed micro‐public, they little potential across difference, some cases even sparked intergroup tensions. These findings illustrate despite interest shared individuals alone is not necessarily sufficient foster positive encounters, or otherwise. To improve and, more broadly, deepen connections network, facilitated intercultural dialogue relevant institutions needed.