At allotment is a parcel of land rented or loaned to people by the city for the purposes of gardening. These exist in the States as well (though not nearly at

At allotment is a parcel of land rented or loaned to people by the city for the purposes of gardening. These exist in the States as well (though not nearly at the level and cultural significance as in the UK) as "community gardens," and exist in many other countries as well. I don't think any of the cities that provide these parcels for gardening would allow people to simply build a house and live there instead.