URBAN AGRICULTURE

URBAN AGRICULTURE

 The opportunity for food growing in urban

areas represents a huge untapped resource.
 It has been shown that the amount of space
available in urban backyards in Vancouver, for
example, is equivalent to the amount of active
farmland in the entire province.
 Whilst it is highly unlikely that all such spaces
would be used for food growing, there remains a
huge potential for food growing at the various
scales and using different models of ownership
and management.
 URBAN AGRICULTURE

 Urban agriculture is agriculture

which occurs within the city.
 In most cases high yield market
gardens for fruit and vegetable growing.
 Found on the ground, on roofs, facades
fences and boundaries.
 Can include small animals.
Stefano Boeri’s Forest city china (proposal)
URBAN AGRICULTURE
Urban agriculture is the production, distribution and marketing of
food and other products within the cores of metropolitan areas
and at their edges.
(source:American Planning association 2011)

Urban agriculture
Within city – Market Gardens – Multi cropping – Roof gardens – vertical
gardens – small animals – aquaculture.
Bosco Verticale (Vertical forest-Italy)

Peri-urban agriculture Urban-rural fringe–

Peripheral low-density suburban areas –
Larger in size.
 URBAN AGRICULTURE

Spaces which accommodate urban food growing projects take on many different
forms.
 Allotments (Middle England)
 Rooftop gardens
 Vegetable plots (Cuba)
They may be located on large tracts of open space where, for example, one can find
allotments and community orchards, they may be one component of a community garden,
or they may include small patches of space in gardens or even window boxes.
 VARIOUS TYPES - LAND USAGES OF URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes
Community gardens - managed and used by local communities or neighborhoods
for recreation and education.
• sometimes found on unused or abandoned urban sites, or in grounds of public
buildings, e.g. public housing, hospitals, retirement homes.
• often have a small building for use by the community.
City farms and urban farms - similar to a community garden, but with animals,
usually horses, goats, sheep, pigs, ducks and chickens.
Home gardens/back gardens - plots found behind detached or semi-detached
houses, traditionally used for leisure and/or vegetable growing.

Community Gardens

Home Gardens
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes Urban Farm / City farms
VARIOUS TYPES LAND USAGES OF URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes
Allotments (United kingdom) Schrebergärten : (Germany)
Similar to allotments, but not only for food growing, also used as
Plot of land made available for individual, non-commercial
weekend leisure gardens, often with a small summer house.
gardening or growing food plants. Such plots are formed by
subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several Generally bigger than allotments but with similar situation and
hundred land parcels that are assigned to individuals ororganization
families. Organiponicos (Cuba)
A System of urban agriculture using organic gardens. It often
Parcelas and Huerto intensivos (Cuba)
consists of low-level concrete walls filled with organic
Similar to allotments, though an individual plot may be
matter and soil, with lines of drip irrigation laid on the surface of
larger and may be farmed by a family or group of
the growing media.
individuals.
Autoconsumos
similar to Organiponicos, but located within state enterprises with
the main purpose of supplying food for employees, their yield is
less than for an Organoponico.

Allotments Parcelas and Huerto intensivos Schrebergärten Organiponicos

TYPOLOGY OF SPACES - URBAN AGRICULTURE

Guerrilla gardening

Mobile farm
 FOOD AND URBAN DESIGN

 WHY URBAN FOOD?

 Agriculture - chemically dependent farming techniques
 Rural agricultural areas have been reduced to biologically impoverished
wastelands
The increased disconnection between consumers and producers of food
means that urban populations have little connection with food
production and thus have a limited knowledge of the issues associated
with it.
 WHY URBAN FOOD?

Urban agriculture can result in environmental, social and economic

benefits. There are three primary environmental benefits from organic
urban agriculture
 Preserving biodiversity,
 Tackling waste and
 Reducing the amount of energy used to produce and distribute food.
NEEDS FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE
Utilization of space - In cities with tall buildings,
even though Land is expensive the roof is left
unused.
Food supply - Since 50% of world’s population
lives in cities, vegetable farms can produce up to
10% of city consumption.
Less transportation - Less or no transportation
between producer and consumer results not only
in less preservation but also less pollution. Roof farming Compost heap/pit
Food security - Since transportation and storage
is not needed. As the producer and the consumer
are closer, Harmful pesticides and fertilizers
aren’t used.
Reduce organic wastes - Compost heap can be
setup near urban farms and organic waste and
can be used as fertilizers instead of transporting
to the incubator to burn.
Educate the community - Younger generation to
learn to appreciate the environment, about the Community works
Journey of food from farm to plate . Local market / Direct supply
 BIO DIVERSITY ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source:Blue-Green systems,IWA Publishings
One of the major co-benefits of urban agriculture lies in its contribution to the urban environment, green
infrastructure and the related ecosystem services.
Urban agriculture
contributes to the ecosystem
services of green infra
Structure as a provisioning
service for food, energy and
raw materials, as well as
through a range of other
ecosystem services

Brighton and Hove, England.

 GROW DAT YOUTH FARM
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

 Hurricane Katrina - economically

challenged neighborhoods
 Tulane University School of
Architecture’s applied urban research
and outreach program,
 Tulane City Center, joined forces with
New Orleans City Park and
 Nonprofit organization New Orleans
Food and Farm Network. seven recycled shipping containers into a
structure that contains an education facility
and office space
 GROW DAT YOUTH FARM
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Link for details:

 https://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/ulx-city-crops/
 https://growdatyouthfarm.org/our-story
 https://www.archdaily.com/245235/the-grow-dat-youth-farm-seedocs-
mini-documen
 https://small.tulane.edu/project/grow-dat-youth-farm/ taries-on-the-
power-of-public-interest-design
CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPE
 CONTINUOUS LANDSCAPE

 Continuous landscape is -a current idea

in urban and architectural theory - a
network of planted open spaces in a city
which are spatially continuous, such as linear
parks or inter-connected open patches,
sometimes referred to as an eco-structure
or green infrastructure.
 PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPE

 Productive urban landscape is open urban

space planted and managed in such a way as to
be environmentally and economically productive
 for example, providing food from urban agriculture,
pollution absorption, the cooling effect of trees or
increased biodiversity from wildlife corridors.
 CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPE

Overlaying the sustainable concept of Productive Urban Landscapes

with the spatial concept of Continuous Landscapes proposes a new
urban design strategy
“Continuous Productive Urban Landscape (CPULs)”
This could change the appearance of contemporary cities towards an
unprecedented naturalism.
 CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPE

 CPULs will be city-traversing open spaces running continuously through

the built urban environment, thereby connecting all kinds of existing
inner-city open spaces and relating, finally, to the surrounding rural area.
 Vegetation, air, the horizon, as well as people, will be able to flow into the
city and out of it.
Continuous Productive Urban Landscape
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes, Bohn & Viljoen.

Green corridors provide a continuous

Identifying continuous
network of productive open space

An established city
containing routes for pedestrians and
cyclists. A variety of fields for urban

landscapes
agriculture and other outdoor work/leisure
activities are located within the network and
serve adjacent built up areas.

Continuous landscape
An enormous walking landscape running
through the whole city.

Productive landscape Identifying productive

Open urban space planted and managed in

Feeding the city

such a way as to be environmentally and
economically productive, like providing food
landscapes

from, urban agriculture etc.

 CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPE

Depending on their individual

settings and the urban fragment
used, CPULs will read as parks
or urban forests, green lungs or
wilderness, axes of movement
and journey, or places for
reflection, cultural gathering and
social play.
 CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPE

 CPULs will be productive in various ways,

offering space for leisure and recreational
activities, access routes, urban green lungs, etc.
 But most uniquely, they will be productive by
providing open space for urban agriculture, for the
inner-urban and peri-urban growing of food.
 The urban land itself, as well as the activity happening
on it, will become productive: occupants will act and
produce on the ground and with the ground
 CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE URBAN LANDSCAPE

 CPULs do not exist yet. However, several types of urban agriculture do

already, and will always, exist as :
 city farms, market gardens, allotments, back gardens, community gardens, etc.,

 Such structures would form individual components of the new CPULs,

with the advantage of open islands now being connected to a widely
accessible regional landscape, making them urbanistically more
meaningful.
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES BY WHICH URBAN AGRICULTURE IS PRACTICED
Source: Blue-Green systems, IWA Publishing
Soil less cultures and Hydroponics Soilless culture is a technique to grow plants without soil, using inert media (e.g.
rockwool, clay pebbles, coconut fibres) or no media, and supplied with a
nutrient solution (i.e. water and soluble nutrients).
• Among the newest hydroponic technologies are ‘aeroponic systems’, drip
irrigation and nutrient film technique.
• The most frequently cultivated species are vegetables, herbs etc.

Aeroponics • Aeroponic systems nourish plants with nothing more than nutrient-laden
mist. The concept buildsoff that of hydroponic systems.
• Aeroponics simply dispenses with the growing medium, leaving the roots to
dangle in the air, where they are periodically puffed by specially-designed
misting devices.
• In aeroponics systems, seeds are “planted” in pieces of foam stuffed into tiny
pots, which are exposed to light on one end and nutrient mist on the other.
Source: wkipedia
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES BY WHICH URBAN AGRICULTURE IS PRACTICED
SOURCE: BLUE-GREEN SYSTEMS, IWA PUBLISHING
Aquaponics - The effluent from the fish (or other aquatic organisms) production unit
supplies the horticultural unit with water and nutrients for plant growth.
• Pest and disease management focuses on prevention and is based on principles of
integrated pest management and organic agriculture.
• A well manages system with 300 gallon fish tank will produce 10Pounds of vegetables
per every square foot of space.

Vertical Forming
Source: wikipedia

Aquaponics

Vertical farming - Living organisms (animals, plants, fungi and other forms of life) that are
cultivated for food, fuel, fiber and other products or services are artificially stacked above each
other, vertically.
• vertical farming can contribute to the effectiveness of the arable area for crops by
constructing a high-rise buildingwith many levels on the same footprint of land.
• These systems are very efficient in terms of land use due to reduced dependency on land
resources
• Soilless culture and hydroponics can add inputs to that direction, with considerable savings on
water, minerals and phytochemicalsthrough the sustainable cultivation croppingsystems.
 WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS TECHNIQUES BY WHICH URBAN AGRICULTURE IS PRACTICED?
Source:Blue-Green systems,IWA Publishings
Micro farming - is small-scale, high-yield, Rooftop farming
sustainably-minded farming, generally
conducted by hand in urban or suburban
areas.

• Rooftop farming can be a viable option for

urban agriculture on account of decreasing
agricultural land, especially in Indian cities.
• Green roof systems retain 60-100% of the
storm-water they receive.
• It can play a significant role in urban
Micro farming

environmental management and enhance the

continuously deteriorating quality of air while
offering organic and fertilizer-free produce.
WHAT IS PERMACULTURE?
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes & blog.agrivi.com/post/what-is-permaculture
The term permaculture means permanent agriculture. ‘Permaculture has evolved into a system for the conscious
Coined by Bill Mollison in 1970s. design of sustainable productive systems which integrate
Permaculture is a term used to describe an intentional system housing, people, plants, energy and water with sustainable
of agriculture and settlement that aims to reflect the financial and political structures.’
Interrelationships and sustainability of natural ecosystems. | Observe and interact | Catch and store energy |
 It can be seen in contrast to intensive agriculture, which | Obtain a yield | Apply self regulation and accept feedback |
eventually leaves land unfit for farming, gradually reducing the | Use and value renewable resources and services |
amount of land suitable for human habitation. | Produce no waste |
| Integrate rather than segregate | Use and value diversity |
 Permaculture is an attempt to best use land so that
generations in the future can continue to make use of the
land in productive manners, allowing for personal
subsistence.
- It draws from several disciplines including organic
farming, agroforestry, integrated farming, sustainable
development, and applied ecology.

Layers are one of the tools

used to design functional
ecosystems that are both
sustainable and of direct benefit
to humans.
NEW INNOVATIONS IN URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes

Floating farms - Proposal for Singapore

• Loop shape enable the vertical structure to receive more sunlight without having
significant shadows.
• System will aim for zero food waste by using a data management system to track
how much food people are buying, so the farm can automatically adjust production.
NEW INNOVATIONS IN URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes

Dragon fly
Proposal for Newyork by Vincent Callebout

• 123 stories of urban farming with room for cattle, poultry

and 28 different varieties of crops

• Utopian super structure of research labs, housing,

communal areas, orchards, farms and production areas.

• Dragon fly has steel and glass set of wings to maintainproper

soil nutrient levels and reuse bio-waste.

DRAGONFLY, A NOURISHING VERTICALY CULTIVATED

CENTRAL PARK
NEW INNOVATIONS IN URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source: Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes
Rotary volksgarden
• Designed to hold 3” root medium
• Accomodates space for upto 80
plants
• Chain driven and roates at about 24
hrs per day.
• Watering and light timers are
present.
The green wheel - NASA
• We can manage the amount of light
control the temperature and check
the water level with a smart phone
• All plants are arranged around the
light source that lies at the center of
the wheel, helping to reduce
lighting consumption.
• The wheel’s gravity effect
supposedly helps optimize herb and
Source: Wikipedia vegetable production.
Kitchen cultivator
• Grows 7 varieties of herbs and
microgreens at once
• Automatic watering cycles
• 7 days a week growing support
• Basically, hydroponics built into
kitchen island on wheels
Hyundai nano garden
• Light water and nutrient supply
are controllable
• Users can decide the growth of
speed
• Also functions as an air purifier
eliminatingsmells.
 SUBSTRATESTHAT ARE USED FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source:Blue-Green systems,IWA Publishings
Urban soil is often exposed to many strong influence which result in contamination and deterioration.

1. Peat 4. Pyrolysis biochar

Biochar resulting from the pyrolysis of
Result from anaerobic organic matter. It can be used as a soil
decomposition of peat mosses amendment or as a part of substrate
under waterlogged conditions. mixture.

2. Compost 5. Coarse sand

The result from the aerobic Coarse sand is preferred as a substrate
decomposition of plant for plant growth and rooting cuttings
material. while fine sand is preferred for seedling
production.

3. Vermi-compost 6. Rock wool

Rockwool is often used in soilless
Results from the composting cultures, providing advantages (sterile,
process using various species of inert and consistent in performance)
earthworms and organic but also limitations (lacks nutrient
materials, such as plant and food buffering capacity) in its use.
waste Source : Wikipedia
SUBSTRATES THAT ARE USED FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE
Source:Blue-Green systems,IWA Publishings

7. Light expanded clay aggregate 10. Perlite

A volcanic based inert,
LECA (ISO 10–20) is a building material
lightweight mineral with high
made of clay,burnt and converted into
Porosity. It has a pH of 7.0–7.5
small, porous, hard-surface Spheres.
and contains no minerals
available for plant needs

8. papers 11. Zeolite

Are usually formed by the
Retain moisture and degrade to form metamorphosis of volcanic rocks.
compost Zeolite is used as a growing
media component.

12. Vermiculite
A natural clay mineral with water
3. Coconut husk Coconut husk acts as a good medium molecules within its structure
to grow plants, absorbs more water layers. Vermiculite has a pH of
thus keeping the medium wet 7.0–7.5, low electrical
always, contains high lignin conductivity (EC), and contains
content and hence it is resistant to potassium (K) and magnesium
bacterial and fungal growth. (Mg).
CONCLUSION
Source:Blue-Green systems,IWA Publishings
In 2050 about 50% of all people on earth are living in cities Air-pollution - Suspended particulate matter has the most
and will need clean water, food, energy, social space, significant effect on crop yields and the quality of the crops.
meeting points, relax areas and knowledge pools. Therefore it is necessary to assess the suitability of produce
Land use and planning grown near pollution sources for human consumption and also
It is now of great importance to integrate urban food identify causal links between a specific pollutant and damage to
production and other food system activities into urban crops.
planning, thereby linking sustainable food provision and
circular resource processes to infrastructural productive
urban landscape development
Water usage
A better understanding how irrigation is used in the urban
farming is needed to reduce pressures on limited freshwater
resources, based on the knowledge how to use it efficiently
based on economics, yield, environmental and social issues,
aesthetics and safety for human health criteria.

Education - Combined circular food systems aquaculture and

plant production together in the same system are entirely new in
the perspective of food production techniques and can also be
implemented widely in education and knowledge transfer.
GLOSSARY
 ECOLOGICAL INTENSIFICATION

 an increase in local urban biodiversity

 Ecological Intensification worked by prioritising environmental urban layers, which
were either connected to open space use, or to implementing sustainable
technology and activity patterns.
 Usually, these environmental layers were then superimposed with other locally
appropriate layers, such as economic, social, cultural, historical, etc.
 COMMUNITY GARDENS

 Community gardens are managed and used by local communities or

neighbourhoods for recreation and education.
 Sometimes found on unused or abandoned urban sites, or in grounds of public buildings, e.g. public
housing, hospitals, retirement homes.
 Often have a small building for use by the community, in particular children and disadvantaged
groups.
 City farms and urban farms are
 Similar to a community garden, but with animals, usually horses, goats, sheep, pigs, ducks and
chickens.
 Their significance is educational rather than productive, although a limited quantity of produce may
be generated.
 https://growdatyouthfarm.org/our-farm
 https://colectivonola.com/Grow-Dat-Youth-Farm
 http://www.seedocs.org/projects/grow-dat-youth-farm/
 https://inhabitat.com/new-orleans-golf-course-transformed-into-citys-
biggest-urban-farm-with-an-eco-campus/