HT301 What Is Urban Horticulture?

Horticulture Menu | Exercises/Labs | Teacher's Guide | Glossary

 
   
Matches these 2015 National AFNR Career Cluster
Content Standards:
CRP.01.03, CS.01.01, CS.01.03, CS.02.02, CS.04.01, 
CS.04.02, ESS.02.01, NRS.02.03, NRS.02.05, NRS.0
4.01, PS.03.04, PS.04.01.

MAIN IDEA: What role does horticulture play in cities and towns?

Most Americans live in or near cities and towns. The 2010 United States Census found that 93.7% of
Americans live in or near metropolitan areas, with only 6.3% living in rural areas. While it is easy to
think of agriculture as crops and animals produced in the "country," there is a great deal of
agriculture taking place in cities, towns and even large metropolitan areas across our nation. This
lesson and others in this series will explore the agriculture found in urban areas.

WHAT IS IT?

"Urban" refers to cities and towns, while the word "horticulture" refers to the art and science of
cultivating flowers, fruits, vegetables or ornamental plants. So urban horticulture can be defined as
the art and science of cultivating flowers, fruits, vegetables or ornamental plants in cities or towns.

Organized efforts at improving urban horticulture have been present for a long time in the United
States. One example is the City Beautiful movement of the 1890s and early 1900s. The City
Beautiful movement sought to make cities more beautiful as a way to improve social problems, to
model U.S. cities after admired European cities, and to encourage the wealthy to work and spend
money in urban areas. A 1901 plan for Washington, D.C., envisioned a mall at the core of a grouping
of national monuments and government buildings. That grass-covered mall, stretching from the U.S.
Capitol building to the Washington Memorial, is still used today for inaugurations, free concerts,
protest marches and many other gatherings of all sorts.

Tree City USA is another long-time, well-known advocate for urban horticulture. The Arbor Day
Foundation sponsors this effort along with the USDA and the National Association of State
Foresters. More than 3,500 communities currently participate in this program to manage tree
resources in urban areas. AgEdNet.com lesson HT305 Tree Cities has more on this program.

WHO DOES URBAN HORTICULTURE?

It turns out that many, if not most, of the people who live in cities and towns are involved in urban
horticulture in some way. Governments establish and maintain public parks and athletic fields and
sponsor community gardens. Businesses sell plants, fruits and vegetables in urban settings. Many
businesses maintain landscaping and plants to beautify their properties. Homeowners grow trees,
lawns, vegetables and flowers. Even apartment dwellers might plant a small container garden, grow
houseplants or enjoy cut flowers.

WHEN DOES URBAN HORTICULTURE TAKE PLACE?

Urban horticulture takes place all year long. People in cities and towns continue to use parks and
trails throughout the year. Homeowners maintain their plantings through all four seasons. Those
living in cold climates use the off-season to plant seedlings and plan the next year's garden crop.
Houseplants continue to add color and greenery regardless of the outdoor temperatures.

Business efforts continue throughout the year as well. Hydroponic growers deliver tomatoes and
salad greens from January through December. Nurseries produce poinsettias for sale in winter and
bedding plants for summer gardens. Florists provide tulips in the spring, roses for Valentine's Day,
and cut flowers year-round.

WHERE DOES URBAN HORTICULTURE TAKE PLACE?

Planning for public urban horticulture often takes place in zoning commissions or local planning
boards. These groups set aside areas of the city for parks and recreation. Some urban areas
intentionally add walking trails or "green space" areas for everyone to enjoy. Green spaces are
areas of grass, shrubs, trees and other vegetation set aside for recreation or beauty in an urban
setting. These green spaces allow city dwellers to walk, bike, sit on the grass to enjoy a book , eat
lunch outdoors, play Frisbee or watch wildlife.

Many cities offer exceptional examples of urban horticulture in arboretums, formal gardens, botanic
gardens and park plantings. These may be privately funded and open to the public through fees or
public spaces anyone can access at no cost. An arboretum is a plot of land where bushes and trees
are grown, studied and displayed. A botanic garden is a collection of living plants for the purposes of
research, conservation, display and education and is often housed in a greenhouse.

Private efforts also contribute to urban horticulture. Every time a homeowner mows the grass,
prunes a tree or prepares a flower bed, the whole community benefits. Creating an inviting, green
setting increases property values for everyone. Businesses also contribute by landscaping around
their buildings and including growing plants inside their workspaces. Their employees benefit, but so
does the community.

There are many other opportunities to become involved in urban horticulture, even if you do not own
land. Community gardens may be available where you live. These typically offer garden plots
individuals can rent for a growing season in order to produce fresh vegetables.

Many cities use volunteers to plant and maintain flower beds in public spaces. Sometimes parks or
botanic gardens provide training and service opportunities for people willing to lead tours or help with
trail maintenance. You can learn more about this topic in AgEdNet.com lesson HT307 Community
Involvement in Urban Horticulture.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

In an initiative funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the University of Kansas-
Wichita identified environmental, health and economic benefits for green spaces. You can read more
in their fact sheet listed under Internet Resources. It does not take an expert to use, enjoy and
appreciate what urban horticulture provides in cities and towns. Here are a few examples.

 Environmental benefits include providing wildlife habitat, reducing air pollution and

lowering surface temperatures. Green spaces also soak up and filter rainfall, reducing
erosion, flooding and water pollution.
 Health benefits include better mental health. Being outside and seeing something
green has a "feel-good" aspect most people can recognize and appreciate. There are also
physical health improvements linked with green spaces because people tend to use these
areas for more physical activities and exercise.
 Economic benefits of local green space for biking and walking trails may reduce use
of automobiles and transportation costs, while decreased temperatures can lower air
conditioning costs. Although not mentioned in the university's research, community gardens
and private gardens can also provide fresh, economical fruits and vegetables for city
residents.

Many urban horticulture experts mention sustainability and biodiversity as important benefits of city
plantings. Sustainability means managing resources so they will not be used up or permanently
damaged. Biodiversity is short for biological diversity, the variety of living things in an ecosystem.
You can learn more about urban sustainability in AgEdNet.com lesson HT302 Sustainability in the
Urban Landscape. Green and growing spaces in cities and towns also provide a welcome sense of
peace and beauty for those who work, live or visit there.

HOW TO LEARN MORE

Many Land Grant colleges and universities offer advice on growing gardens, trees, shrubs and
flowering plants through the Cooperative Extension System, commonly called Extension. The
information they provide is based on local research and suggests varieties developed for specific
local growing conditions. Some may offer demonstration gardens showcasing recommended
varieties. Land Grant institutions are found in every state, and were established by the federal
government to promote 1) agriculture and mechanic arts education, 2) research and 3) Extension
services. Learn more about Land Grant universities by reading AgEdNet.com's Wednesday Special
10/22/08 -- Land Grant Institutions.

Extension is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (NIFA). Extension office experts provide useful, practical and research-based information
to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers and others in rural areas and
communities of all sizes.

The Master Gardener Program, organized by Land Grant institutions, is another great resource for
local information. Master gardeners are trained to give local advice to home gardeners. Specifics of
the program vary by state. In some states, participants are required to volunteer a set number of
hours and take a certain amount of continuing education each year. In other states, participants are
not required to volunteer to teach others what they have learned, but the cost for the classes is
reduced if they do. You can learn more by reading AgEdNet.com's Wednesday Special 04/30/08 --
Master Gardeners.

More general plant-growing information is available in numerous books and magazines as well as
from internet sources. You may need to adapt their advice to consider local soil conditions, climate
zone and rainfall levels.

BOTTOM LINE: Plants and trees in urban green spaces offer many environmental, health and
economic benefits in cities and towns. The Extension system and the Master Gardener Program are
just two of the ways to learn more about urban horticulture.

INTERNET RESOURCES:
** Arbor Day Foundation - Tree City USA
https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/?breadcrumb=homepage

** Cornell University - Urban Horticulture Institute

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/

** The Madison Sustainability Plan: Fostering Environmental, Economic and Social Resilience
https://www.cityofmadison.com/sustainability/documents/SustainPlan2011.pdf

** Michigan State University Extension - Benefits of Plants: Life as We Know It, Live It and Pay for It
http://www.canr.msu.edu/news/benefits_of_plants_life_as_we_know_it_live_it_and_pay_for_it

** North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension - Gardening

https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/

** U.S. Department of Agriculture - Urban Agriculture Toolkit

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/urban-agriculture-toolkit.pdf

** U.S. National Arboretum

A national arboretum established in 1927
https://usna.usda.gov/

** University of California-Davis - Agricultural Sustainability Institute - Urban Agriculture

https://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/ucsarep/research-initiatives/fs/supply/urban-agriculture

** University of California-Davis - California Center for Urban Horticulture

https://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/

** University of Illinois Extension - Chicago Urban Gardening

The day to day experiences of a University of Illinois Extension Urban Horticulture Educator in
Chicago, Illinois
http://my.chicagobotanic.org/

** University of Illinois ACES News- Researchers Call for Urban Greening to Improve Mental Health
https://aces.illinois.edu/news/researchers-call-urban-greening-improve-mental-health

** University of Kansas School of Medicine - The Wichita Initiative to Renew the Environment Green
Space Fact Sheets
http://wichita.kumc.edu/wire/fact-sheets.html

** University of Washington - Botanic Gardens

https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/

** University of Washington - Green Cities: Good Health

Links on the left side of the page present information on many aspects of the benefits of urban
greenery.
http://depts.washington.edu/hhwb/Thm_Livable.html