Urban agriculture: structure, functions, future challenges

Urban agriculture: structure,

functions, future challenges

Dr Renata GiedychDepartment of Landscape ArchitectureWarsaw University of Life Sciences

Background

• More than 50% of the world's population lives in

cities

• Over 800 million people worldwide depend on

food grown in cities

• Circa 20% of the world’s food is produced in

urban areas

• Low income urban dwellers spend between 40%

and 60% of their income on food each year

Warsaw University of Life SciencesDr Renata Giedych

Urban agriculture: structure, functions, future challenges

Urban agriculture in nutshell



EDUCATIONCULTURE

HEALTH

REC

REATION

ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT

FOOD SECURITYSOCIAL INCLUSION

LEISURE

MA

RKE

T PRODUCTION

CRISIS

MITIGATION

SU

BSI

ST

ANCE LIVEHOO

DS

EN

TERPRISES

Ca

ba

nn

es,

200

6

Food security



URBAN FARMDetroit

htt

p:/

/blo

gs.

wo

rld

wa

tch

.org

/

URBAN CROPSKibera slum, Nairobi

Leisure



COMMUNITY GARDENTempelhof Community Garden, Berlin

htt

p:/

/in

ha

bita

t.c

om

/

EDIBLE PLAYGROUNDView Park, Prairiy

htt

p:/

/ww

w.e

de

np

rairie

ne

ws.

co

m/

Economic development



ROOFTOP FARMBrooklyn Grange Farm, New York

htt

p:/

/ww

w.b

roo

kly

ng

ran

ge

farm

.co

m/

VERTICAL FARMSky Greens Urban Farm, Singapore

htt

p:/

/in

ha

bita

t.c

om

/

Benefits and risks of UA

• Mitigation of powerty

• Creationg sense of community

• Reduction of household waste

• Reduction of urban heat Island

• Reduction of ecological footprint

• Sustaining wildlife

• Contamination of crops



Urban agriculture in Poland

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Wa

rszaw

a

Łó

dź

Kra

kó

w

Ka

tow

ice

Lub

lin

Rze

szów

Kie

lce

Po

zna

ń

Szc

zec

in

Wro

cła

w

Byd

go

szcz

Toru

ń

Gd

ań

sk

Agricultural lands

Other areas



• Farming is becoming less

important in comparison

to other functions

• Local initiatives in

infancy stage

• Allotment gardens as

main manifestation of

urban agriculture

The share of agricultural areas in cities

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Warszawa

Łódź

Kraków

Katowice

Lublin

Rzeszów

Kielce

Poznań

Szczecin

Wrocław

Bydgoszcz

Toruń

Gdańsk

Gdynia

Decrasing of urban agricultural areas

Municipal policies



Existing agricultural areas Planned land use changes

Spatial policy of Piastów

Local initiatives



htt

p:/

/me

tro

msn

.ga

zeta

.pl

APIARY ON ROOFTOP

Hotel Hyatt Regency, Warsaw

htt

p:/

/kw

iatk

ibra

tki.p

l/w

p-c

on

ten

t/

COMMUNITY GARDEN

Konopacki Palace Garden, Warsaw

Allotment gardens general facts



4941 - number of allotment gardens colonies

43426,6 ha - total area of allotment gardens

350-500 m2 - average size of allotment plot

967 766 - number of individual allotment plots

4 000 000 - number of users

88% - the share of urban allotment gardens in total

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Changes in numberof allotment gardens colonies

Problems of AG development



MUNICIPAL POLICY Allotment gardens are seen as a relict of a bygone era

CHANGES IN LEGISLATION relaxation of allotment gardens protection rules

OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE claims of former owners of the land

URBAN PRESSURE allotment gardens are seen as a reserve

for the urban development

HIGH MARKET VALUE OF THE GROUND pirice of the AG located close to the city centers

Functions of AG



Social Economic Environmental

Decree on

allotment

gardens

1946

raising the level of the

health

raising the

economic level of

the AG users through

the production of

horticultural crops

Workers

allotment

gardens

act

1949

the use of free time for

the benefit of health

improving of the

financial situation of

AG users through the

production of crops

for own use

Workers

allotment

gardens

act

1981

provide a place for

active recreation

improving living

conditions by

cultivate crops for

own use

Familly

gardens

act

2005

forming a healthy

human environment

satisfy the needs of

leisure and

recreational activities

cultivating crops for

own use

protection of the

natural environment

raising the

environmental

standards

Final remarks

• UA in Poland is not yet considered as a

tool of sustainable development of the

city

• It should find place in municipal

policies as a measure to improove the

quality of life

• UA can play an important role in

building more resilient and livabe cities



Thanks for your attention!contact: [email protected]

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Urban agriculture: structure, functions, future challenges