Women farmers in Accra, Ghana function in spaces that are delineated by gendered social, political and economic structures. It is essential for planners and policymakers to understand the gender dynamics involved, so as not to increase burdens on women's productive and reproductive roles on urban farms. This thesis problematizes the solitary subject of urban women in development, situating them into the context of Accra's urban and peri-urban spaces. My research draws on feminist theory to highlight the intersectionalities of women in Accra and the way that their individual experiences are impacted by homogenous development frameworks. The case study examines the role of urban and peri-urban agriculture in addressing the needs of women farmers in Accra. The findings of this study acknowledge various forms of empowerment and autonomy that women experience as urban farmers in Accra, and they highlight how the hybridity of urban agriculture is challenging mainstream urban development.

0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

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Master of Landscape Architecture / Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jason S. Brody / Kansas City is currently under achieving in its capacity of divert recyclable and compostable solid waste from city landfills. The city recycling system provides free access to single family residents, but it does not provide access to high density residential and commercial land uses commonly found Downtown. To solve this dilemma, KCDC has studied the current solid waste systems in the city, and developed its [re]considered proposal through a MARC Solid Waste Management District grant to improve Kansas City waste diversion. This is achieved through a system of links, clusters and nodes which will help to promote and facilitate greater recycling (KCDC 2015 Fall Studio 2015) Compost | KC seeks to answer if the organic nodes as proposed in can effectively compost residential organic waste in down town Kansas City. As part of this system, the organic node at 12th and Holmes functionally demonstrates the potential feasibility and benefits of residential compost of organic solid waste. Through the site design, the proposed organic node creates an integrated system of residential organic waste collection, processing and utilization. Collected form a 15 minute radius the waste is processed into a rich organic compost that is used in various ways to improve soil quality for stormwater management, carbon sequestration, and increased biomass production in and around the site. To compost the organic waste, the site contains a series of in-vessel composting drums, agitated compost piles connected to greenhouses, and an external maturing pile visibly demonstrating and educating the public composting benefits. Managed through a local non-profit organization, compost is used to grow a variety of produce and nursery stock sold to help fund the site management. Organic waste is brought to the site by organized collection with apartment complexes and free public drop-off points. By incentivizing access, ease and appeal of composting in Kansas City for residences, the organic node at 12th and Holmes achieves the goals of both the site design and [re] considered proposals. By meeting those goals, the organic node helps to increase organic waste diversion and increase education and awareness about the benefits of composting in downtown Kansas City.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Richard A. Little, for the Master of Science degree in PLANT, SOIL AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, presented on 2018, at Southern Illinois University. TITLE: COMPARATIVE FERTILITY EVALUATION FOR PEPPERS AND MELONS ON AN EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOF. MAJOR PROFESSORS: Karen Stoelzle Midden Co- Chair, Dr. S. Alan Walters Co-Chair, Dr. Brian P. Klubek. With the continued expansion of urban centers around the world comes a growing population of urban dwellers who need a reliable supply of produce that is healthy, safe, and locally grown. Urban green roof agriculture provides an alternative growing space to supply healthy and affordable produce to local markets and helps to address food security. However, there have been few studies done on the fertility requirements for fruits and vegetables grown in an extensive green roof environment. The growing media of most extensive green roof systems are composed mainly of light weight clay aggregate and contain a low amount of organic matter. Appropriate fertility treatments are required to optimize the potential for green roof agriculture. This research study evaluated 6 treatments for ‘Sweet Hungarian’ Peppers (Capsicum annuum, L.) and 4 treatments for ‘Savor’ Charentais Melons (Cucumis melo var. Cantalupensis, L.) grown in a three-inch extensive green roof medium located on the Southern Illinois University campus. A randomized complete design was used for both fruit crops. Each treatment for both the melons and peppers were replicated three times. Each pepper and melon plot contained 4 plants. The treatments applied to ‘Sweet Hungarian’ Peppers were: (1) Limited (reduced) fertility (Organic Miracle GrowTM at bi-monthly intervals-200 mls of solution/12 ft2 Plot); 2) Bonemeal at 6 Tbsp/12 ft2 Plot (applied at planting and flowering); 3) Bloodmeal at 6 Tbsp/12 ft2 Plot (applied at planting and flowering); 4) Bonemeal at planting then sidedressed with bloodmeal at flowering (6 Tbsp/12 ft2 Plot); 5) OsmocoteTM applied once at planting and once at flowering (3.8 oz/12 ft2); and 6) Standard granular fertilizer (13-13-13) with a broadcast application of (1.9 oz/12 ft2) complimented with a sidedress of (13% N by volume calcium nitrate at 1.9 oz/12 ft2) at flowering. The Charentais Melon treatments were: (1) Limited (reduced) fertility (Organic Miracle GrowTM at bi-monthly intervals-200 mls of solution/15 ft2 Plot); 2) Standard granular fertilizer (13-13-13) with a broadcast application of (2.4 oz/15 ft2) complimented with a sidedress of (13% N by volume calcium nitrate at 2.4 oz/15 ft2) at flowering; 3) OsmocoteTM applied once at planting and once at flowering (4.75 oz/15 ft2) 4) vermicompost at 25% of medium by total volume of 120L plot complimented by a sidedress of bloodmeal (7.5 Tbsp/15 ft2) at flowering. Watering was applied daily through drip line irrigation as needed. Plant vigor and active chlorophyll content, monthly from June to August, were recorded with a chlorophyll radiospectrometer. At harvest, the weight and yield were recorded for each plot number. In addition, nutrient composition of the green roof medium was analyzed for each treatment at the beginning of each year of replication. The objective of this research was to identify differences between a set of fertility treatments for the optimization of green roof food production and to reduce fertilizer use. The data from the three year study was analyzed using JMP statistical software. Year by treatment interactions were detected (P ≤ 0.05) for Pepper weight and yield parameters. OsmocoteTM and conventional 13-13-13 treatments outperformed the organic treatments. OsmocoteTM had higher yields than any other treatment for all three years. For the melons, environmental factors made the data inconclusive. However, the results suggest that OsmocoteTM and Vermicompost may have shown some positive interactions among the test parameters such as weight and yield.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Urban food insecurity in Zimbabwe is a serious stumbling block to the attainment of sustainable urban livelihoods. The casual factors of the urban food crisis in the country include widespread poverty, an unstable economic environment, a reduction of viable employment opportunities and climate-related shocks. The cash-based nature of urban livelihoods, coupled with the economic crisis in Zimbabwe has generated a serious challenge for urban households as basic food prices have increased to such an extent that most urban dwellers experience difficulties in purchasing food. In a context of high poverty and unemployment, urban agriculture has emerged as a food security and livelihood diversification strategy for many poor urban households. Whilst there is a growing body of literature focusing on urban agriculture in Zimbabwe, it has largely focused on community and allotment gardens. There has, however, been little empirical investigation of home-based (or backyard) agricultural production. While backyard gardens have always existed, they have grown in response to poor economic conditions and adverse livelihood conditions. The Bulawayo Municipal Council Agriculture Policy has facilitated this expansion, especially the growth of poultry production. This study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the contribution of home-based agricultural production in promoting household food security and livelihoods in Bulawayo. A mixed methods approach was utilised for the purposes of the study. In the quantitative part of the study, 99 households were randomly sampled whilst 10 purposively sampled interviews with urban farmers, 3 key informant interviews and 1 focus group discussion were employed for the qualitative part of the study. The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, which was used as a theoretical framework of the study, helped to unpack the various livelihood diversification strategies and asset portfolios that poor people depend on for their well-being. Contrary to our initial assumption, the results of the study revealed that 71 percent of the households in the study area were food secure. The findings of the study reveal that home-based urban agriculture is an important food security coping strategy in Bulawayo. The high levels of food security in Bulawayo should however, not be solely attributed to the practice of urban agriculture as 75 percent of the respondents bought their food from supermarkets and other shops. Urban agriculture thus plays a complimentary role to household food security in Bulawayo.

Agriculturalists in Lebanon are exposed to a wide range of vulnerability factors that have direct impacts on farmers’ livelihoods. To evaluate the effects of those factors and the livelihood challenges they breed, this research analyses how two agricultural activities shape farmer livelihood vulnerability, namely urban agriculture and fruit and vegetable value chains. First, I analyze how vulnerability factors influence urban agriculturalist livelihoods and assess if urban agriculture is an adequate solution to lower their livelihood vulnerability. Second, I analyse how various actors partaking in fruit and vegetable value chains are exposed to different vulnerability factors and how this impacts their individual livelihoods. Conceptually, the urban agriculture component of this research builds from the vulnerability framework and sustainable livelihoods approaches scholarships. The agricultural value chain section engages with literatures centered on the vulnerability framework, sustainable livelihoods approaches and value chain analysis. This thesis concludes that the main vulnerability factors associated with urban agriculture relate to physical, financial and human capitals, and that urban agriculture is not an adequate tool to reduce the livelihood vulnerability of urban agriculturalists. I also conclude that social, financial and human capital barriers significantly affect agricultural value chains actors’ livelihoods. Overall, the vulnerability of the different actors is linked to their socioeconomic status, which dictates the amount of human capital they possess, thus their ability to adapt to changing conditions and external stressors. I posit that human capital is key to both urban agriculture and agricultural value chains, as this asset dictates the vulnerability of individual livelihoods and Lebanese agriculturalists’ ability to sustain their livelihoods.

Community gardens (CGs) have been well studied in several North American cities, but less is known about them in places with emerging CG movements. There are no existing studies on CGs in Miami and the total number of CGs in Miami is unknown, but in the past five years there has been rapid increase in interest on this topic from a variety of stakeholders and organizations. To add to the empirical knowledge of CGs, the author conducted case studies on the six highest profile projects. This exploratory research consisted of 12 semi-structured interviews and analysis of government records and published documents. The findings indicate CGs are very diverse in both their locations across socio-economic areas as well as the spatial strategies of their organizers. The multiple meanings of community and the multiple scales at which CGs are organized illustrate the complexities of such projects. Although CG advocates promote them as ways to achieve community self-reliance, recent critiques have argued that CGs offer some benefits but cannot redress large-scale inequalities. Perhaps these inadequacies are due in part to assumptions that localities are produced exclusively by their residents. This study draws on geographical theory to argue that a relational approach to scale may lead to a more accurate practice and help establish CGs as permanent parts of cities. It concludes that CGs are highly complex and are not simple solutions for community development, and that more care is needed in their advocacy.

As North American cities begin to age, our impermanent building methods inevitably lead to urban decay. Much of the housing stock has an expected lifespan and although this can be extended with proper and regular maintenance ultimately, much of this housing will face the bulldozer. Consequently, we are constantly engaged in the continuing cycle of urban revitalization, striving to keep our cities new and novel. This requires an immense amount of reinvestment and for some neighbourhoods, this is not an issue. This is not the case however for neighbourhoods considered to be ‘in distress’ which, face challenges not seen in more affluent areas. Revitalization efforts in at risk areas need to be more sensitive in their approach as they can displace, gentrify, and otherwise exacerbate the problems. This practicum is an exploration of that approach to renewal in grass roots fashion, using urban agriculture as a means to building community. / February 2009