Urban agriculture? A new impetus for the Salutogenic Environment!
This week’s lecture explored four main points with us：
1.Understanding the relationship between health and the environment
2.Exploring contemporary issues of health and well-being
3.Exploring theoretically viable approaches (how the built environment can support more active lifestyles)
4.Evidence to check which interventions really work and interesting future developments
As it happens, this fits in well with our group’s design theme for this term, Urban agriculture, and I would like to combine the two and explore them together.
Urban farming has recently become a hot new topic of discussion, due to the growing awareness of the demise of agricultural land.In the long evolution of society we can see that agricultural land has played a very important historical role, but with the rapid development of society it has begun to be neglected.In this semester’s design course I have focused on allotment planting and conducted research on it which I would like to share with you.
Allotment Gardening
However, with increased awareness of nature conservation, agriculture is being mentioned again, especially in the context of the current pandemic.A standard allotment should be 23.77m ✖ 10.97m, which is approximately 250㎡, or the size of a doubles tennis court. And the type of allotment agriculture should contain fruit, vegetables, ornamental plants and animals (hens, rabbits, bees, etc.).
Benefits
1.Social Capital
In the distribution process the elderly have more opportunities to engage with the community and they contribute to it, which makes them feel the value of their existence and reduces their sense of isolation。
2.Mental well being
Gardening helps prevent and alleviate mental illness and makes people more independent and confident.
3.Health activity
Getting sedentary people to exercise properly helps the elderly maintain a good gait and cognitive ability, and studies have shown that more exposure to sunlight can boost vitamin D levels.
4.Fresh,local Seasonal Produce
Properly distributed planting will ensure that a family’s weekly food is more natural and healthy.
5.Sense Of Achievement
By planting people can gain new growing skills and knowledge, and it is better to grow your own than to buy it from outside.
6.Contact With Nature
People can experience the changing seasons as they plant, learn about the ecosystem and, as they get deeper and deeper into nature, become motivated to protect the environment. Dutch studies have shown that for every ten per cent increase in exposure to green space, there is an improvement in health of five years younger.
7.Allotment During The Pandemic
It can be a refuge during an epidemic, allowing for moderate exercise during the closure and maintaining social interaction with people of the same interest at a safe distance.
SPRING SUMMER
AUTUMN WINTER
How to allocate?
- People use the app, register their information and the community makes the allocation
- The community uploads vacant plots through the app and people make reservations.
How to manage?
The community posts information through the app, interested people apply, vote for the committee and the elected committee members are trained in relevant courses with the help of the community.
We can divide the activities into three main categories based on urban agriculture:
- Farming:
The farm follows the organic ecological planting orientation of the 24 solar terms and combines modern agricultural high technology to achieve organic fruit and vegetable production such as field planting, substrate planting, hydroponic planting and aerosol cultivation as well as the planting of flowers and plants.
- Agronomy:
The farm hopes to evoke the beauty of nature for all customers. They offer parent-child classes such as nature painting art and creative farm handicrafts in the planting studio to promote the concept of living in harmony and beauty.
3.Nong Nurture:
Planting is a platform for natural science and practical education and training for modern urbanites. Through food and nature courses, you will be able to experience rice planting, fertilisation ……, cognition of plants and animals, exposure to and learning about the soil and natural seasons, and a heartfelt love for nature in the guise of a farmer.
As urbanisation accelerates, more and more people are moving from the countryside to the cities every year. Most people live in multi-storey flats and have less and less contact with nature, which is precisely what makes people increasingly eager to enjoy the days when fresh food was produced by working with their hands on the land. According to research data, searches for vegetable seeds have shown a marked increase in the last two years, behind which urban farming is quietly on the rise!
We study urban design in order to create beneficial environments for people, and in my opinion urban agriculture is one of the good answers.
Reference:
1.https://www.nsalg.org.uk/allotment-info/
2.http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1321
E-mail:zhouhuangyunuk@163.com
I agree with you that it is important to take advantage of the modern facilities offered by large cities for agricultural production and serve the city closely to meet the higher needs of urban dwellers. Urban agriculture makes good use of urban rooftops and small spaces. As you have described, urban agriculture has a wealth of functions. First, the development of urban agriculture can bring economic benefits to communities and regions. And urban agriculture injects a new approach to the city’s ecology—for example, education, ecology, recreation, holidays. Urban agriculture contributes to the development and survival needs of cities. Secondly, urban agriculture is an important initiative for sustainable urban development.
I believe that the functions of urban agriculture can be divided into three areas: ecological processes, living functions and social services. First, urban agriculture is a significant component of the urban natural environment and ecosystem, providing a green and open space for urban residents to get closer to nature. Urban agriculture is an effective measure to address the problems of urbanisation and promote sustainable urban development. Advanced technology supports the preconditions for the development of urban agriculture, driven by urban economic development and the rising incomes of citizens. Secondly, the greatest joy for community residents should be to be able to taste seasonal fruits and vegetables grown by their own hands.
Thank you for such an interesting blog. I really liked the idea you presented about urban farming and the allotment method using the smart app. I would like to elaborate more on this.
So, to talk about a little history of urban farming, it became popular after the first and second world wars as the food imports were cut off and there was an urgent need for the nation to sustain itself by its own efforts. The government initiated major food-growing campaigns to turn parks, wastelands, and garden lawns into productive vegetable plots, and in the Second World War over 50% of manual workers kept a garden or allotment. Domestic hen-keepers produced about a quarter of the country’s eggs, while pig-keeping provided an important source of meat. And currently, during the pandemic we have seen a lot of times the fresh produce import is cut off or is delayed and during hence having urban farms can make the city self- reliant.
Moreover, the allotment association in the community is responsible for collecting rents, laying down rules and regulations and maintaining the site. Self-management can drastically improve the quality and uptake of plots on the site and create community engagement as well as a sense of belonging.
Additionally, almost all city farms in the UK are affiliated with the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, a charity that works to promote and support community farming and gardening. Some plants and flowers which can be grown in the UK are grapes, aubergines, potatoes, cauliflowers, cabbages, tomatoes, etc.
Also, the Soil Association, a long-established charity that promotes organic agriculture and sets organic standards in the United Kingdom, supports urban food production as part of its campaign to promote local food links between producers and consumers. More specifically, it is developing its Food Futures initiative which brings stakeholders together to develop a strategy for creating a local food economy for their area. It is looking to set up Food Futures groups in several locations in London as well as elsewhere throughout the country. The Henry Doubleday Research Association runs a Grow Your Own Organic fruit and vegetable campaign. Hence, with the use of such good initiatives, we can try developing more urban farms.
References:
1. Growing successful urban agriculture in the UK-
Authors: Joy Carey and Katrin Hochberg, October 2019
2. Series on Urban Food Security- Case Study 2 URBAN AGRICULTURE IN LONDON
by James Petts
3. Directory of Funders Funding Fair 5th March 2020 – Alnwick Castle
4. The contribution of small scale food production in urban areas to the sustainable development goals: a review and case study-
Elizabeth Nicholls · Adrian Ely · Linda Birkin · Parthiba Basu · Dave Goulson