Urban Agriculture

As cities grow, they generally fill in all open areas with development, or leave them as park space.  Agriculture remains on the exterior in rural areas, and may provide food and other resources to that specific city.  Urban agriculture is as simple as it sounds--agricultural practices in the urbanized area.  Rather than fill all areas in with development, or as lots are vacated, agricultural practices can remain.  

What is the value of urban agriculture?

It is still debatable, and likely always will be, if urban agriculture is the most efficient and economical use of land in an urbanized area.  But it is also very logical, and 'sustainable'.  

The general reasoning used for urban agriculture is to have food grown cl0ser to the population consuming it, thereby reducing costs for transporting the goods to the consumer.  In addition, urban agriculture has been toted as a community revitalization measure through community gardens, which can be run by local community members, which then sell their produce/goods at a local farmer's market.  Urban agriculture, if conducted sustainably, can also be good for the environment.  An agricultural area, for all intensive purposes, is a green space with a pervious surface.  Environmentally, and assuming it is done in sustainable ways, this is better than paving it with a parking lot, or building a structure that has an impervious roof.  The pervious surface allows rainwater to infiltrate into the soil, rather than be directed toward a storm sewer, which empties into the local streams.  This prevents flash flooding from occurring downstream, thereby lessening the harmful impact of flash floods on the stream cross-section.  It also prevents pollutants from rooftops or asphalt from reaching the stream ecosystem, and harming the aquatic life.  Ultimately, there is a need for more pervious surface in the urban environment.

In order to not be a successful, urban agriculture must have community support.  Its benefits must be accepted, or it will fail.  It will also likely require a land trust of sorts, or other government dedication of the land as community open space.  Otherwise, if the land is truly owned by an individual or organization, it could easily be resold for development purposes.  Urban agriculture must also use sustainable practices.  Fertilization methods should emphasize natural systems.  Plots should incorporate a variety of produce, so as to mimic the diversity of natural systems.  Crop diversity should also be practiced in rural agriculture, as monocropping is generally bad for nutrient cycles, insect issues, and competition.  

Several cities are beginning to value this concept, especially older rust-belt cities, and other industrial cities.  Detroit has experienced massive exodus of population over the past half-century, consequently leaving abundant vacant land within several miles of the city center.  The city has embraced this land, returning some of it to agriculture, while allowing other plants to regenerate as ecological systems.  Pittsburgh has also lost population and is embracing urban agriculture, and urban ecology.  

New ideas and concepts are emerging to urban agriculture as well.  That will come in another post though.