While the globalized restructuring of manufacturing economies has marked many cities in the Midwest as places in decline, urban residents continue to mold the changing landscape to meet their needs and desires. Gardening is one socio-spatial practice that has expanded within the spaces left behind by a shrinking population and vacated industrial, commercial and residential properties. But not enough researchers have grappled with the social and political aspects of gardening. Gardens in general, and vegetable gardens in particular, sit at the nexus of a range of human constructs: urban land use, aesthetics, property law, social and class structure, economy and food. More specifically, little has been written on the distinguished history of urban gardening in Muncie, especially within the context of the “Middletown Studies” sociological tradition. Qualitative GIS represents an emerging mixed methods approach to geographic inquiry and a promising venue for an embedded exploration of gardening. Engaging with several “channels” of data collection, including participant observation, I use such an approach to combine fieldwork, spatial analysis, ethnographic inquiry, and an archival survey into an examination of how urban gardening in Muncie relates to broader economic forces. I ask what roles does gardening play in the physical landscape and social sphere of the south side of Muncie. / Department of Geography

Joseph Fels, a wealthy Philadelphia soap manufacturer, subscribed to Henry George's single tax economic theory that considered land a natural resource to be used for the good of all citizens. A hefty single tax levied on land values was intended to replace all other forms of taxation, in effect forcing landowners holding property for speculative purposes to use their land productively or make it available to others. In theory, wealthy land monopolists would be forced to pay an equitable share of taxes while the amount paid by the working class would be lowered to a proportionate level. Following the Panic of 1893 and the ensuing four year depression, urban gardening programs were established in major urban areas to support unemployed workers. In 1897 Joseph Fels helped to establish and finance the Philadelphia Vacant Lots Cultivation Association, and later, the Vacant Lots Cultivation Society in London, in addition to several farming colonies in the English countryside. He also financed several experimental living communities based on the single tax: Fairhope in Alabama, Arden in Delaware, and Rose Valley in suburban Philadelphia. In addition, Fels supported single tax candidates, and corresponded with national and international reformers including Samuel Gompers, Booker T. Washington, Beatrice and Sidney Webb, and George Bernard Shaw. Fels was an equitable employer, a philanthropist, and a reformer who campaigned fervently for the rights of the working class until he died in 1914 at age sixty. / History

La presente propuesta describe los aspectos necesarios para llevar a cabo un negocio de kits de jardinería urbana para un público objetivo de hombres y mujeres pertenecientes al NSE A, B y C1 que se encuentran en un rango de edades de 18 a 55+ años, inicialmente de Lima Metropolitana; cada kit de autocultivo contará con una serie de herramientas base donde la variable de diferenciación se dará por el tipo de kit (terrario, hortalizas o aromáticas, mini huerto y plantas carnívoras), colores de la caja trupan y la utilización de insumos ecológicos. Las fuentes de ingreso serán generadas por las ventas de los kits ya mencionados y el contacto con los clientes y/o usuarios se llevará a cabo a través de redes sociales, página web y vía telefónica. Con respecto a la relación con los clientes, aplicaremos algunas encuestas virtuales a nuestros usuarios para recibir feedbacks y mejorar el producto ofrecido. También, realizaremos actividades de fidelización al cliente tales como descuentos, sorteos, etc. con la finalidad de que contribuyan con la idea de ir modificando y mejorando poco a poco las propuestas de kits. La inversión requerida para llevar a cabo la propuesta de negocio es de S/26,771.72. Nuestro punto de equilibro es de 64 unidades, lo cual nos indica que ese es el promedio de unidades de kits que se deberá vender mensualmente para cubrir los costos. Con un valor de ventas promedio de S/. 3,085, ingresos mínimos que se deberán generar mensualmente para cubrir todos los costos. / This proposal describes the aspects necessary to carry out a business of urban gardening kits for a target audience of men and women belonging to the NSE A, B and C1 that are in an age range of 18 to 55+ years, initially from Metropolitan Lima; Each self-cultivation kit will have a series of basic tools where the differentiation variable will be given by the type of kit (terrarium, vegetables or aromatic, mini orchard and carnivorous plants), trupan box colors and the use of ecological inputs. The sources of income will be generated by the sales of the aforementioned kits and contact with customers and / or users will be carried out through social networks, website and telephone. With regard to the relationship with customers, we will apply some virtual surveys to our users to receive feedbacks and improve the product offered. Also, we will carry out customer loyalty activities such as discounts, raffles, etc. in order to contribute to the idea of gradually modifying and improving kit proposals. The investment required to carry out the business proposal is S / 26,771.72. Our balance point is 64 units, which indicates that this is the average of units of kits that must be sold monthly to cover costs. With an average sales value of S /. 3,085, minimum income that must be generated monthly to cover all costs. / Trabajo de investigación

No description available.

In the summer of 2016 I worked at The Moore Street Market Farm run by Oko Farms LLC., New York City’s first and largest outdoor urban aquaponics company. Aquaponics is a method of farming that combines the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants in a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship. While the industry is in its infancy, aquaponics is acknowledged to have great potential to change the future of farming for sustainability, as it uses less water than traditional agriculture and can be implemented almost anywhere. This thesis examines current challenges to the industry and the potential future applications of aquaponics in urban environments, through discussion of current developments in aquaponics in Europe; Growing Power’s use of aquaponics for community benefit in the Milwaukee; as well as in the case-studies of Oko Farms and Agtech aquaponics companies in New York City. While eventually concluding that implementations of aquaponics for profit might not be viable in the long run, this thesis ends with a short discussion on hypothetical successful applications the industry could thrive in.

There is substantial optimism for urban agriculture as a form of alternative agriculture that can enhance the food security of individuals within our food system. However, productivity and efficiency of this form of agriculture are not well understood in the literature. This research is the result of a case study of Guelph where fifty gardeners were selected and asked to complete a garden diary in which they recorded their production and input costs (land, labour and capital). The results indicate that the average vegetable gardener in Guelph is not able to achieve high yields but their inputs of labour and capital are quite high. Further investigation of motivations and barriers found that production was not a major motivation for vegetable gardening, but that there were numerous other benefits involved. This suggests that backyard gardening is not a viable food security strategy.

The thesis presents an exploration into the relationship between food and planning in Helsinki and Stockholm. It looks at the top-down side of planning and the bottom-up side of urban gardening to investigate how food and urban gardening are taken into consideration in the official planning; how two urban gardening initiatives, Dodo's Kääntöpöytä and Trädgård på spåret, are involved in shaping their city; and what the relationship between the two sides is. The study is qualitative and uses case study approach, netnography, interviews, questionnaires, planning documents, and observation to answer the research questions. The literature review includes food systems and planning, urban agriculture, and planning theory on public participation, urban forms and sustainability. Urban food planning cannot be said to exist in either city yet, but Helsinki has a relatively recent strategy that aims to improve the food system and accommodate more urban gardening, and urban gardening is increasingly allowed in both cities. The gardening organisations, Dodo and Trädgård på spåret, are involved in planning in different ways, but both wish to promote urban gardening as a sustainable strategy. The relationship between the two sides is generally positive, and both initiatives are in line with their city's goal of becoming more sustainable.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Daniel Schugurensky.

This thesis is based upon the phenomenon known as urban community gardening, and examines it with regards to conflicts within an intended environment. The theoretical section is based on a school of thought that holds nature as something that exists in both science and humanities, and which can be observed within the social world. As opposed to nature and society being divided, this part will address the term 'socionature', which comprises a current post-anthropocentric stream of humanities and social sciences. Essentially it stays on the theory of conflicts. The research posits answers to the question of how gardeners justify and reasonably support their activities at an urban community garden called "Smetanka garden" in Vinohrady, Prague. Two of the outcomes were: the cultivation of strong neighbourly relations; and encouragement of recreational family outings. The Smetanka garden was closed in 2017. The thesis sees the conflict that occurred around the closure as a socionatural conflict. One question is, what were the arguments for closing the garden? The main argument stated that the land should be used for construction of sports facilities to serve the schools nearby. Furthermore, the community garden was only meant to be temporarily from the beginning. Proponents maintained that the garden...

The paper reports on a study of how urban gardening can be implemented in the urban planning for the area, how urban gardening can be used as a tool for a more sustainable city, as well as to understand the role of cafes in encouraging the residents of the Stockholm, both directly and indirectly, to engage in sustainable consumption practices. This project will look at how urban gardening tools can be used within Stockholm to increase sustainable consumption practices. The final outcome, of which, will be a mobile herb garden that travels to different cafes in urban areas of Stockholm, with suggestions as to what could be included in the area to maximize the environmental and economical benefits. Through participatory design approach a range of urban gardening practices has been included in the suggested plans including mobile gardens, community gardens, and growing local foods to maximize the benefits for both the residents and the planet. As a designer and discerning consumers I tried to start to look beyond the pure surface in this project and reveal the potential of urbanization especially by looking closer at “what is” in this case, the impact of cafes can play on encouraging citizens to sustainable consumption and that can be shared as surplus in an urban area in central Stockholm which can be prototyped and be read as a case study to “ what if “.