15 Multifunctional Urban Landscapes: The Potential Role of Urban Agriculture …
299
pressure on urban open spaces (Schmidt 2016; BMUB 2015; Siedentop 2010). The
bigger the city and the greater influx it experiences, the more this situation is exacerbated. This is especially true for cities that experience a high influx of newcomers
and are particularly appealing to young people (Simons and Weiden 2016). Growth
dynamics, and therefore the pressure on open spaces, are particularly high in such
cities. Then again, limiting settlement development on the outskirts of the city leads
to the securing of land for UA initiatives located in those areas, because it reduces the
excess planning of agricultural land on the outskirts. UA is thus largely influenced
by the availability of land (Berges et al. 2014).
The situation is opposite in shrinking cities, where there is ample land for UA
(Dams 2012). In this respect, for example, the structural availability of brownfield
sites in former industrial regions may potentially promote UA, whereas cities in
prosperous metropolitan regions exhibit higher land prices and commercialisation
pressures, making it more difficult for UA initiatives to develop and persist. Although
this finding primarily relates to urban gardens located in urban areas, it can also be
applied to peri-urban areas. UA in peri-urban areas runs the risk of farmland being
converted into building land. After all from the urban planner’s perspective, periurban agricultural areas were long regarded as land reserves for urban development
concepts and planning processes (LWK NRW 2012).
The quality of land and its suitability for growing food is also of crucial importance. The availability of other resources such as water, organic waste and soil are
the determining factors in this case. Then it could be the case, especially with innercity areas, that soil has been contaminated by previous industrial use, for example,
preventing food production or necessitating complex soil remediation measures
(Specht and Siebert 2017; Howe et al. 2005).
There are also doubts concerning the independent economic viability of UA
projects because they are often a recreational activity and therefore do not have
to be economically sustainable (Schulz et al. 2013). The economic capacity of UA
and its actual contribution to the food system are also cast into doubt. Compared
to conventional farming, the contribution of UA to providing food for the urban
population is considered minimal (McEldowney 2017).
In spite of the limitations described, it has been shown that UA may potentially
be beneficial to a variety of broader development goals such as sustainability, quality
of life, food justice and urban resilience (Horst et al. 2017).
15.4 Conclusion
Urban agriculture (UA) has long been the subject of civic and scientific debate. In
connection with sustainable land management, UA is especially considered in the
context of urban development with the simultaneity of suburbanisation and reurbanisation processes (Schulz et al. 2013; Piorr et al. 2018). The functions and services of
UA are manifold. UA has a positive impact on sustainable urban development, e.g.
by reducing food miles; economic benefits are created by increasing regional added
299
pressure on urban open spaces (Schmidt 2016; BMUB 2015; Siedentop 2010). The
bigger the city and the greater influx it experiences, the more this situation is exacerbated. This is especially true for cities that experience a high influx of newcomers
and are particularly appealing to young people (Simons and Weiden 2016). Growth
dynamics, and therefore the pressure on open spaces, are particularly high in such
cities. Then again, limiting settlement development on the outskirts of the city leads
to the securing of land for UA initiatives located in those areas, because it reduces the
excess planning of agricultural land on the outskirts. UA is thus largely influenced
by the availability of land (Berges et al. 2014).
The situation is opposite in shrinking cities, where there is ample land for UA
(Dams 2012). In this respect, for example, the structural availability of brownfield
sites in former industrial regions may potentially promote UA, whereas cities in
prosperous metropolitan regions exhibit higher land prices and commercialisation
pressures, making it more difficult for UA initiatives to develop and persist. Although
this finding primarily relates to urban gardens located in urban areas, it can also be
applied to peri-urban areas. UA in peri-urban areas runs the risk of farmland being
converted into building land. After all from the urban planner’s perspective, periurban agricultural areas were long regarded as land reserves for urban development
concepts and planning processes (LWK NRW 2012).
The quality of land and its suitability for growing food is also of crucial importance. The availability of other resources such as water, organic waste and soil are
the determining factors in this case. Then it could be the case, especially with innercity areas, that soil has been contaminated by previous industrial use, for example,
preventing food production or necessitating complex soil remediation measures
(Specht and Siebert 2017; Howe et al. 2005).
There are also doubts concerning the independent economic viability of UA
projects because they are often a recreational activity and therefore do not have
to be economically sustainable (Schulz et al. 2013). The economic capacity of UA
and its actual contribution to the food system are also cast into doubt. Compared
to conventional farming, the contribution of UA to providing food for the urban
population is considered minimal (McEldowney 2017).
In spite of the limitations described, it has been shown that UA may potentially
be beneficial to a variety of broader development goals such as sustainability, quality
of life, food justice and urban resilience (Horst et al. 2017).
15.4 Conclusion
Urban agriculture (UA) has long been the subject of civic and scientific debate. In
connection with sustainable land management, UA is especially considered in the
context of urban development with the simultaneity of suburbanisation and reurbanisation processes (Schulz et al. 2013; Piorr et al. 2018). The functions and services of
UA are manifold. UA has a positive impact on sustainable urban development, e.g.
by reducing food miles; economic benefits are created by increasing regional added