[pt] A implementação de agricultura urbana, na forma de Quintais agroecológicos, pode ser considerada uma estratégia de adaptação às mudanças ambientais geradas a partir da urbanização. A prática da agricultura urbana traz benefícios sociais, econômicos e ambientais, já que diversas famílias a utilizam como fonte secundária de renda, de alimentação, como atividade de relaxamento, empoderamento social e cultural, regulação climática e manutenção da biodiversidade. Entretanto, essa atividade sofre com a falta de regulamentação legal e de incentivos, gerando insegurança e enfraquecimento da mesma e dos benefícios acimas citados. Nesse contexto, o fortalecimento da prática faz-se necessário através do reconhecimento e da legalização da mesma, a partir de leis que regulamentarizam a atividade, permitindo a retirada de créditos ou criação de projetos visando a maior produtividade dos quintais e engajando a população. Dessa maneira, o objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o potencial da implementação da agricultura, na forma de Quintais Agroecológicos, servindo como estratégias de adaptação das cidades às mudanças ambientais e expansão urbana, tendo como área de estudo a colônia Juliano Moreira, Zona Oeste do Município do Rio de Janeiro, escolhida por estar inserida em um contexto de expansão urbana e apresentar a prática de agricultura urbana em sua organização. / [en] Urbanization can be considered as one of the essential processes of land-use change (Grimm et al., 2008). This process intensifies as the population grows globally, and the number of people living as cities increases. The process of urbanization of cities, besides altering the landscape, has an intense impact on the environment, as well as economic, social and environmental challenges, such as climate statistics, pollution, food and energy scarcity (Engel 2011; Cloutier et al.; 2014; IPPC 2014; Lin et al., 2015; FAO, 2016). In this sense, a change in the form of urban growth is necessary, reducing the negative impact of the urbanization process and increasing the resilience of urban systems (Newman; Jennings, 2008; Perks, 2011), which can be reached from themes such as sustainability. or sustainable development, much discussed over the last few years (Hassan; Lee, 2015). Sustainability is linked to a conscious and dynamic urban development process relating social, environmental and economic foundations, creating growth strategies and minimizing the negative impacts of urbanization, the appropriate use of resources, and the creation of resilient and sustainable environments efficient for future generations (Cloutier, et al, 2014). Urban planning and sustainability have been gaining ground in global discussions (Ziegler, 2009). They refer not only to a process of urban network management and the determination of land use functions but also territorial planning for the conservation and maintenance of resources, and the integration, articulation and cooperation among the various actors of society (Shmelev; Shemeleva, 2009; Ronconi, 2011; Stigt et al., 2013; Bento et al., 2018;).

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Lee R. Skabelund / Inner city areas of many major American cities have fallen victim to “urban decay.” In many instances the result is abandonment. Nevertheless, the inner city can be redeveloped by landscape architects and others to provide a place to live, work, learn, and play while displaying sensitivity to the environment. Such developments can be wisely designed by following planning/design guidelines that follow sustainable design principles. The neighborhoods of the 5th Ward in St. Louis, Missouri are the victims of an aging industrial city. Many neighborhoods are troubled with socio-economic problems such as unemployment, low housing values, lack of educational services, scarcity of fresh, reasonably priced food, and elevated crime rates. The socio-economic problems listed above have been major factors in extensive depopulation and disinvestment since the mid 20th-century. “Today, as never before, conditions are ripe for parks to reenter the urban planning agenda. This opportunity exists because so much inner-city land that was once actively used now lies fallow and can be reused for intelligently planned parks, because so much suburban land has been developed without adequate public open space that there is now a huge suburban constituency to support park development, and because so much undeveloped land is now subject to recently enacted legislation intended to protect the environment.” (Garvin 1996, 30) The overall goal for this project is to create a productive uses for the 5th Ward’s vacant land in order to encourage economic and social growth. This can be achieved through investments in urban agriculture and accessible community space. This project serves as a potential solution for renewal of lost urban community infrastructure that includes parks and agricultural cropland. Implementing recreation and urban agriculture on vacant land could help spawn a rebirth and sustain a vibrant and economically-viable community fabric.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / László J. Kulcsár / In the United States, many are critical of agricultural policies and economic incentives that support large-scale food production and the dominant actors in the mainstream agrifood system. Critics point out that at the same time agribusinesses and very large-scale farmers receive support, there are those in poverty who struggle to meet their food needs. Critics question what that relationship should be between civil society and the agrifood system. A variety of activities are addressing concerns of social injustices in the system. For example, participation is increasing in civic and urban agriculture. Civic agriculture is the interrelated activities of small-scale, socially and environmentally sound practices of food production and consumption that aim to increase community sustainability. Urban agriculture is food production in and near cities. By focusing on Kansas and the Kansas City metropolitan area, this dissertation addresses the following questions: How do the relations between civil society and the U.S. agrifood system impact the level of fairness in the system? To what extent are urban agricultural activities fostering fairness in the agrifood system, including access to fresh foods, civic engagement, and fulfilling careers, while also benefiting the environmental health of the city? Survey and interview data collected by a research team on agriculture in Kansas sets the context for my examination of urban agriculture in Kansas City’s urban core. In addition to participant observations and primary and secondary data analysis, I conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with growers (27), food advocates (4), community organizers (4), and governmental employees (3). In Kansas City, many of the activities and programs in place are building community, strengthening civil society, and promoting food justice for the poor and for people of color, for example, in food deserts, which are locales where people particularly face challenges in meeting their food needs. While some participants are more focused on their immediate communities and less so on overt widespread change, others feel a part of a social movement aiming to change the agrifood system. Diverse people from various social classes and races are increasingly becoming involved in growing food and food advocacy to expand fairness in the system.

This professional report addresses 1) where urban agriculture is developing in cities and why; 2) the primary constraints affecting the development of long-term commercial urban farm operations within the boundaries of large metropolitan cities; and 3) how cities are planning and creating policies for commercial urban agriculture under different environmental, economic, and land-use constraints. Using case studies from Austin, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana, I address these questions through a qualitative analysis of current efforts to reform land use policies for urban farming, existing literature, and interviews with practitioners, farmers, policy makers, and planners. The history and context of each case study is addressed, honing in on specific environmental, social, regulatory, economic, and land use barriers to commercial urban farming. / text

<p>Den snabba utvecklingen och urbaniseringen i stora delar av Kina har ett flertal konsekvenser för miljön. Yangtzedeltats ytvatten är till stor del eutrofierade, delvis p.g.a. diffusa förluster från jordbruket. I denna studie har kväve- och, till viss del, fosforflöden och förluster från två odlingsrutor i ett intensivt odlat grönsaksfält i ett tätortsnära område i Nanjing, med hög tillförsel av organiskt gödsel, undersökts med hjälp av den fältskaliga simuleringsmodellen GLEAMS. GLEAMS parametriserades och kalibrerades mot mätvärden av jordens vatten- och kväveinnehåll. Ett scenario med minskad kvävetillförsel simulerades sedan.</p><p>Simuleringen av vattenhalten i de olika horisonterna var inte utmärkt. Den simulerade mängden mineralkväve i marken var avsevärt lägre än den uppmätta. Detta kan bero på en felaktig simulering av mineraliseringen av organiskt kväve eller en för långsam nedbrytning av gödsel. Det är också möjligt att felen i vattensimuleringarna bidrog till underskattningen av mängden mineralkväve i marken. Simuleringarna på de båda odlingsrutorna gav liknande resultat, förutom att ruta B hade 20% större förluster av N via simulerad erosion och läckage. För fortsatt simulering av alternativa odlingsmetoder bör modellens parametrisering förbättras, särskilt vad avser parametrar kopplade till gödselns mineralisering.</p> / <p>Many parts of China are going through a rapid development and urbanization resulting in various environmental impairities. The Yangtze Delta Region surface water bodies are affected by eutrophication, partly caused by diffuse losses from agriculture. In this study, nitrogen, and to some extent also phosphorus, flows and losses from two plots in an intensively cultivated vegetable field in a peri-urban area of Nanjing, with a high input of organic fertilizer, were analysed by the use of the field-scale simulation model GLEAMS. The GLEAMS model was parameterized and calibrated against measurements of soil water and nitrogen content in two plots. A scenario with a reduced input of nitrogen was then simulated.</p><p>The resemblance between simulated and measured water content in the different soil layers was quite poor. The simulated inorganic nitrogen content in the soil was significantly lower than the measured during great parts of the simulation period. This could be due to an inappropriate simulation of the mineralization of organic N under these conditions, or an underestimated decomposition rate of manure. It is also possible that the poor water simulations contributed to the underestimated inorganic N content in the soil. There were similar results for the two plots, except for an unexplained 20% increase in leaching and erosion losses of N in Plot B. For simulation of scenarios to find best management practices, the model parameterization should be further refined.</p>

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / DeAnn Presley / Steve Thien / Interest and participation in urban agriculture is growing in many cities throughout the United States. Urban gardeners and farmers produce food on various types of urban lands. Common soil contaminants of urban areas limit the amount of land on which food may safely be grown. The objective of this study was to assess and meet the informational and technical assistance needs of urban gardeners and farmers as well as students enrolled in the introductory soils science course at Kansas State University on the topics of urban soil quality and contamination. A needs assessment survey of urban gardeners and farmers was conducted in four communities; Tacoma and Seattle, Washington, Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri, Manhattan, Kansas, and Gary, Indiana. The survey generated information about what urban gardeners and farmers know, think they know, and want to know about urban soil quality and contamination. Eighty-eight percent of respondents indicated that they do not have knowledge of the best management practices to minimize health risks involved when growing food crops on soils contaminated with lead, cadmium, arsenic or organic contaminants. Our results suggest that urban gardeners and farmers require and want information and guidance on soil testing for common contaminants, interpretation of testing results, and best management practices for growing food on mildly contaminated soils. The students enrolled in the introductory soil science course at Kansas State University are future agricultural and environmental professionals who need skills to address urban soils issues. Most of the students in the Agronomy 305: Soils course are not Agronomy majors. Furthermore, an increasing number of Agronomy 305 students come from urban and suburban communities and/or have interest in working in urban environments upon completion of their undergraduate degree. An urban soils laboratory was developed in response to the future workforce demands as well as the demographics of students enrolled in the Agronomy 305 course. Throughout the semester students evaluated the physical, chemical, and biological properties of a soil from this urban community garden. Reaction of students to the new urban soils lab offering has been positive with 72% of students enrolled in the course reporting that they have interest and need in learning about the urban soil issues covered in the lab course. Overall, student responses about their learning experience in the urban soils laboratory course were positive, indicating that incorporating urban soil principles enhanced their soil science education. Students who participated in the urban soils lab are better prepared, as future agricultural and environmental professionals, to address the educational and technical assistance needs of urban growers.

Magister Artium - MA / Cape Town has arguably the most diversified urban agriculture sector across the country. Nevertheless, the desired gains of urban agriculture are barely realized. The organization of urban agriculture, specifically the nature in which urban farmers are organized in relation to supporting actors, is identified as a significant factor in influencing the success of the activity. Surprisingly, the literature on the organization of urban farmers and supporting actors in Cape Town is scanty. It is on this basis that this study aimed to investigate the organization of urban farmers and their relationship with supporting actors in Mitchells Plain. Informed by the social capital theory, a case-study approach was employed where both the qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were utilized to meet the study objectives. A random sampling technique was used in the selection of the 60 respondents for a questionnaire survey. Purposive sampling was employed to select the key informant respondents which included knowledgeable urban farmers, Non-Governmental Organization officials, a Research official and a Provincial Department of Agriculture official. Secondary data collection was achieved through a systematic review of scholarly literature and policy documents. The statistical software IBM SPSS 25 was employed to process and analyze quantitative data through descriptive and inferential techniques. For qualitative data, thematic analysis was conducted to process the transcribed interviews whilst a hermeneutic approach was used to analyze secondary data. The study findings show that urban farmers are organized into loose and largely fragmented informal networks within Mitchells Plain. Although these forms of networks in their current state are beneficial to household farmers, community farmers require more formal networks to operate optimally and receive resources beyond non-governmental organization assistance. Moreover, the study discovered a lack of meaningful coordination of activities between the supporting actors involved in urban farming initiatives which militate against the success of urban agriculture activities in the community. Consequently, the study recommends that supporting actors need to develop functional partnerships to enhance the impact of urban agriculture activities. Also, community farmers are encouraged to affiliate with formal networks while household farmers simply need to enhance informal networking amongst themselves to improve activity coordination and resource access from supporting actors.

Magister Artium - MA / Hunger is more than just a feeling, it is the lack of access to safe nutritious food, which in turn may result in anger towards government, low performance, sadness and a limited will to survive. Urban agriculture has been identified as a source of livelihood for many urban residents and could fundamentally change food insecure cities like Cape Town. The Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) is one such place with an enormous amount of potential to assist the City of Cape Town (CCT) to overcome food insecurity challenges. The PHA is the focus of this thesis that aims to determine the impacts that housing and industrial developments in the PHA have had, and might have in the future, on food security in the Greater Cape Town Area (GCTA). The specific objectives of the study are as follows: (1) To investigate the urban agricultural distribution of the PHA; (2) to investigate agricultural facilitation, people empowerment and the use of land for agricultural purposes; (3) To determine the level of access to food for people within and around the PHA; and (4) To examine the links between the urban agricultural food sector and food production. Mixed method research was employed, hinging on the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) as the conceptual framework. Snowball sampling was used to select 68 participants who were interviewed. One key finding of the study showed that the PHA had a significant value to the participants, many of whom called the place ‘home’. Another finding is that urban agriculture provides fresh food produce to many local residents. In-depth discussions with officials and farmers, both commercial and small-scale farmers in the PHA, revealed that the PHA is a valuable portion of farmland, and contributes significantly towards food security in and around the PHA. With the use of the SLA as the conceptual framework, the study contributes towards other livelihood outcomes dependant on urban agriculture to improve access, availability and stability of food security within the PHA. Although urban agriculture is a minimal contributor to food security in the PHA, there are other benefits enjoyed by low-income communities such as food aid given by farmers to assist low-income housing communities, educational opportunities to enhance small growers in the PHA, small-scale community garden outreach and employment.

This study examines the potential contribution market research could make to planning urban farm locations. Substantial research identifies access to healthy foods as a significant barrier for under-served communities. Under-served communities are those struggling with food insecurity, poor nutrition and poor community cohesion. Urban farm locations could be more strategically planned to connect healthy food access and other secondary benefits to these vulnerable communities. This market research based methodology is applied to Portland, Oregon, using GIS data to map where future urban farms should be placed. The final product of this study is a prioritized list of potentially suitable sites in Portland, Oregon, for a future urban farm. This methodology could be applied in other urban areas to increase access to healthy foods among under-served communities.

Com a modernização da agricultura, uma consequência foi o grande êxodo rural que ocorreu no Brasil e na América Latina na segunda metade do século XX. Dessa maneira os alimentos começaram a viajar maiores distancias, consequentemente encarecendo os preços, principalmente dos mais perecíveis, como as hortaliças. Nesse contexto surge a agricultura urbana ocupando espaços vazios urbanos e produzindo alimentos frescos próximos a centros consumidores. O presente trabalho foi realizado no município de Piracicaba, onde existe uma grande quantidade de hortas urbanas; também motivou o início deste trabalho a existência de quintais agroflorestais urbanos, e o conhecimento dos benefícios ambientais que trazem para as cidades de maneira geral, partindo do pressuposto de que existem diversos benefícios ambientais, sociais e econômicos na agricultura e agrossilvicultura urbana. Pensando na questão ambiental, os quintais agroflorestais urbanos podem parecer insignificantes inicialmente, pela própria dimensão física limitada; entretanto, em conjunto eles desempenham uma grande função ambiental, promovendo infiltração da água das chuvas e melhorias no microclima, além do acréscimo de biodiversidade ao ecossistema urbano. As hortas urbanas têm seu potencial ambiental, entretanto a questão estéticas, sanitária e de segurança alimentar são mais facilmente visualizadas, pois efetivamente aumentam a oferta de hortaliças frescas a preços acessíveis dentro das cidades, melhorando a alimentação da população. Entretanto, a questão dos agrotóxicos dentro do ambiente urbano é uma discussão um pouco complexa, que também deve ser trazida em nível de política pública. O presente trabalho parte da hipótese de que políticas públicas que contemplem a multifuncionalidade da agricultura e agrossilvicultura urbana e periurbana trariam o efeito positivo dessa prática para dentro dos municípios. O presente trabalho para da hipótese de que uma política pública de saneamento favorece uma agricultura multifuncional dentro da cidade. Essa tese é dividida em capítulos que constituem artigos. O primeiro capítulo quantifica em área os quintais agroflorestais urbanos dentro da cidade, mostrando que 20% da cobertura arbórea urbana está contida em quintais agroflorestais. O segundo capítulo faz uma análise de dados referentes a classe social de mantenedores de quintais permeáveis nas residências, mostrando que aparentemente a classe média tem menor tendência a manter quintais permeáveis. O terceiro traz um diagnóstico das hortas urbanas de Piracicaba, e a tipificação dos agricultores, como subsídios para conversão para agricultura ecológica. O quarto capítulo faz uma análise de uma política pública ligada com hortas urbanas dentro de Piracicaba, mostrando seus pontos fortes e fragilidades, entre os pontos fortes se destacam o emprego de mão-de-obra, o efeito paisagístico, de limpeza, estética e saneamento e a produção de hortaliças frescas próximas do mercado consumidor reduzindo custo energético com transportes, e das fragilidades a presença de aplicação de defensivos agrícolas dentro da área urbana. Para contemplar a multifuncionalidade das hortas urbanas é importante a existência de políticas locais que contemples a diversidade de aspectos ecológicos econômicos e ambientais da agricultura e agrossilvicultura urbana. / With the modernization of agriculture, a consequence was the great rural exodus that occurred in Brazil and Latin America in the second half of the twentieth century. In this way the food began to travel greater distances, consequently increasing the prices, especially of the more perishable ones, like the vegetables. In this context, urban agriculture occupies empty urban spaces and produces fresh food close to consumer centers. The present work was carried out in the municipality of Piracicaba, where there is a great amount of urban gardens; also motivated the beginning of this work the existence of urban agroforestry yards and knowledge of the environmental benefits they bring to cities in general, based on the assumption that there are several environmental, social and economic benefits in urban agriculture and agroforestry. Thinking about the environmental issue, urban agroforestry yards may seem insignificant initially, by their own limited physical dimension; however, together they play a major environmental role, promoting infiltration of rainwater and improvements in the microclimate, as well as adding biodiversity to the urban ecosystem. Urban gardens have their environmental potential, however, the aesthetic, sanitary and food safety issues are more easily visualized, since they effectively increase the supply of fresh vegetables at affordable prices within cities, improving the population\'s nutrition. However, the issue of pesticides within the urban environment is a rather complex discussion, which must also be brought to the public policy level. The present work is based on the hypothesis that a public policy of sanitation favors a multifunctional agriculture within the city. This thesis is divided into chapters that constitute articles. The first chapter quantifies in the area the urban agroforestry quintals within the city, showing that 20% of the urban tree cover is contained in agroforestry yards. The second chapter analyzes data on the social class of permeable backyard keepers in households, showing that the middle class seems to be less likely to keep backyards permeable. The third brings a diagnosis of the urban gardens of Piracicaba, and the typification of the farmers, as subsidies for conversion to organic farming. The fourth chapter presents an analysis of a public policy linked to urban gardens in Piracicaba, showing its strengths and weaknesses, among the strengths are the employment of labor, the landscape effect, cleaning, aesthetics and sanitation and the production of fresh vegetables close to the consumer market, reducing energy costs with transport, and from the weaknesses the presence of agricultural pesticides in the urban area. In order to contemplate the multifunctionality of urban gardens, it is important to have local policies that contemplate the diversity of the ecological, economic and environmental aspects of urban agriculture and agroforestry.