I think it is a good idea to allow some sort of outlet for urban dwellers to connect with nature.
I currently live in Toronto, and there are a handful of places around the city where there are garden plots for city apartment dwellers. However, these are simply garden plots, with no buildings located on the plots. I think most have a connection to a watertap for irrigation purposes. Sometimes, the garden plot owner/renter will create an overhead trellis for shade, but that would be the extent of any building. Oftentimes these plots exist underneath an electrical grid right-of-way, or along a plot of land that is otherwise unsuitable for residential housing development. I drive by a couple of them on my way to work.
An example can be seen at this link,
Example of Garden Plots in Suburban Toronto
Residential development is unsuitable at this site, as it is underneath an electrical grid, as well as being too close to oil storage tanks.
The only problem is the relatively isolated location, but avid gardeners are willing to take a bus or bike to the garden plots.
In Europe, I noticed "homes" on garden plots beside railways or canals, when I used to live in The Netherlands.
I was always curious about them, as I used to see people at some of them quite regularly, but it I was never sure if they were actually living there, or only simply visiting on a regular basis.
Are these European garden plot homes equipped with electricity and running water?
I'm curious if someone could live in one of these places year-round?