The Youth for EcoAction (YEA) Program is a project of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg involving youth at risk in after-school programming. The program focuses on urban agriculture and gardening projects and was developed using the circle of courage model of youth empowerment. This research used participatory methods, including participatory video to analyze the program and its benefits. The YEA program creates positive change in the lives of participants and at a community-wide level. These benefits include skill building and job training, improved self esteem, nutrition and food security, increased environmental awareness and behaviour, and greater community strength. Youth serving agencies, community development organizations and government policy makers should look to the YEA program as a model for youth empowerment and community revitalization. This thesis also explores benefits of participatory research, specifically participatory video, and documents the personal learnings and journey of the author from researcher to practitioner.

Integrated organic waste management, based on the door-to-door collection and decentralised processing of organic waste for urban agriculture, can be conceptualised as a socio-ecological process of re-circulating environmental amenities for social equality and environmental sustainability. In this thesis, a framework for participatory integrated waste management is presented, based on the findings of an empirical study carried out in the Brazilian city of Diadema, in 2008. The results reveal that the capacity exists for the collection and processing of organic waste, while civil society is sufficiently mobilised to ensure a reliable supply of good quality food waste. The quantity and quality of the resulting fertiliser helps enhance community food security through direct production for self-provision, reciprocal distribution networks, and increased income generation. Barriers include conflict over land and insecure political support. Such insecure support is characterised by the paradox of Brazilian politics, whereby rhetorical support for social policies contrasts their neoliberal implementation. This thesis addresses the ways in which the national political paradox affects the potential for integrated organic waste management in Diadema, paying particular attention to the need for combined social and environmental policies, the political culture of project implementation, the rhetoric of public participation versus neoliberal policy enforcement, and the contested nature of deliberative decision-making spaces. The thesis concludes with suggestions for progressive policy reform, such as a remuneration agreement with the recyclers and firm land tenure arrangements with the gardeners.

This study uses the concepts of everyday politics and cultural resistance to explore how young people are experimenting with ‘free spaces’ in which to develop alternative ideas and practices within the food justice movement. Through a case study of the Spring Ridge Commons – a youth-generated free space – this research describes how youth are redefining relationships to place and to people by practicing alternative foodways like urban foraging; creating decommodified food sources; sharing skills and knowledge through peer-to-peer networks; building community through relationships of mutual support; and experimenting with non-hierarchical governance. Such practices have potential implications for child and youth care such as: reconnecting youth and adults through shared practice and meaningful work in “real life” politics and community building, reconceptualizing 'youth' and 'adult' such that both have greater access to acts of cultural production, and creating experiences of democracy in everyday life. / Graduate

This thesis addresses resilience for the future of Canadian suburbs, through the lens of buildings and food, particularly against the backdrop of peak oil and climate change. Food access is an integral part of how a city sustains itself. There is growing evidence that the current global food system, the one that feeds many cities today, is “broken” or at least at risk. It has, in the past, produced an abundance of food. It has also brought along a number of unintended consequences, has neglected to embed equitable distribution patterns, and when faced with peak oil and climate change, risks some form of collapse. This thesis focuses on the food distribution question. It suggests a new food system model for the City of Mississauga that couples the region's local systems with global networks in a set of local/global relationships. The research portion of this work provides an overview of the dynamic historical and present relationship between food and city infrastructure, touches on the issues facing suburban resiliency today, and investigates the challenges facing the food retail industry. It then draws lessons from large-scale typologies of urban agriculture being proposed in recent years by architects and urban designers. This work, specifically at the design stage, identifies the suburban supermarket as a local catalyst for transformation. Today, the City of Mississauga is not food secure – that is, it does not rely on a safe, adequate, sustainable, or appropriate food supply. This thesis investigates how local and sustainable food systems can be integrated into the urban fabric and systems sustaining suburbs today. It further seeks to build on existing conditions, and answer how the suburban big-box typology, preferred by retailers, can contribute to food security.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1995. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 534-557).

Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An ever changing urban environment, limited economic opportunities and rising poverty, have brought into sharp relief the need for strategies that support the livelihoods of the poor. Urban areas are complex and dynamic systems. No town or city is immune from either external forces (globalisation) that dictate the need to adapt, or to internal pressures (the natural growth pattern of an urban population and rural-urban migration) that collectively can precipitate growth or decline. The formal sector cannot, in most instances, fulfil the need for secure, regular employment in the urban areas, which leads to increases in unemployment, gradual breakdown of basic services - visual evidence includes large squatter settlements in and around urban centres - and the not unlikely increase in food insecurity. There is no doubt that the future of urban centres is dependent on the effective absorption of the increasing number of urban dwellers into its environmental, economical and social structures, and public policy plays an important role in the success of this process. The important contribution of urban agriculture in bolstering food security of urban households raises critical planning issues. The spatial integration of our settlements is critical; it holds the potential to enhance economic efficiency and social development. Spatial strategies should be combined with economic and environmental programmes to form an integrated approach towards development. Urban agriculture could possibly catalyse broader developmental processes such as local economic development, whereby disadvantaged communities could potentially secure the benefits of employment and increase food security. The provision of opportunities for urban agriculture not only makes it possible to meet the food needs of the urban poor, but to also ensure sustainable human settlements. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die lig van 'n dinamiese stedelike omgewing, beperkte ekonomiese geleenthede en toenemende armoede, beklemtoon die nood aan strategieë wat die arm stedelike gemeenskap bevoordeel. Stedelike gebiede is ingewikkelde en dinamiese sisteme. Geen dorp of stad is vrygeskeld van eksterne invloede (globalisasie), óf van interne invloede (die natuurlike groeipatroon in 'n stedelike gebied en migrasie van platteland na stede) wat kollektief groei of verval van stede kan aanhits. Die formele sektor kan in die meeste gevalle nie aan die behoefte van vaste werksaanstelling in stedelike gebiede voldoen nie. Dit lei tot 'n toename in werkloosheid en die geleidelike afbreek in fundamentele basiese dienste - ooglopende bewys hiervan sluit die groot plakkerskampe in en om stedelike sentrums - en die nie onwaarskynlike toename in voedseltekorte. Daar is geen twyfel dat die toekoms van stedelike sentrums afhanklik is van die absorpsie van toenemende stedelinge in hul omgewings-, ekonomiese- en sosiale strukture, en openbare beleid speel 'n kardinale rol in die suksesvolle verloop van hierdie proses. Die belang van die bydrae van stedelike landbou tot die rugsteuning van versekering van voedselsekuriteit in stedelike huishoudings kompliseer beplanning geweldig. Die ruimtelike integtrasie van ons nedersettings is belangrik; dit het die potensiaal om ekonomiese vaardigheid en sosiale ontwikkeling te verbeter. Strategieë om ruimte te optimaliseer behoort gekombineer te word met ekonomiese- en omgewingsprogramme, om sodoende geïntigreerde benaderings tot ontwikkeling te vorm. Stedelike landbou kan moontlik n katalisator vir verreikende ontwikkelingsprosesse soos plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling wees, waar minder-bevoorregte gemeenskappe werksversekering en -geleenthede het en daar ook voedsel-sekuriteit is. Die voorsiening van geleenthede vir stedelike landbou maak dit nie net moontlik om die behoefte aan voedsel van minder-bevoorregte stedelinge te bevredig nie, maar verseker ook langdurige, volhoubare stedelike nedersettings.

A presente pesquisa surge a partir da reflexão sobre o sistema atual de produção de alimentos e abastecimento das cidades e as consequências geradas no ambiente e na saúde da população. Há um movimento para o retorno da produção de alimentos nas cidades, onde a maioria da população mundial habita, tanto com a finalidade de reduzir os impactos ambientais da agricultura industrial, quanto para proporcionar o acesso equitativo a alimentos mais saudáveis e com preços mais acessíveis. O desenvolvimento sustentável busca sistemas resilientes de produção visando à existência de cidades mais seguras e autossuficientes. Uma cidade autossuficiente é aquela que consegue gerar infraestrutura básica para se manter dentro de sua pegada física e metabolizar os resíduos gerados, minimizando os efeitos negativos dos assentamentos urbanos no ambiente. Dentre a busca por alternativas que contribuíssem para o planejamento de cidades mais sustentáveis, foi identificado o conceito da agricultura urbana (AU); em particular, das hortas domésticas. As hortas domésticas, consideradas um dos sistemas de cultivo mais antigos do mundo, parecem ser a mais bem-sucedida estratégia de AU para aumentar a segurança alimentar das famílias, além de proporcionar diversos outros benefícios. Desse modo, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é contribuir para um maior entendimento sobre como as hortas domésticas podem se constituir em uma estratégia para aumentar a segurança alimentar nas cidades, particularmente em áreas urbanas de pequenas municipalidades objetivando uma maior sustentabilidade urbana. Para o desenvolvimento do trabalho, foram utilizadas duas estratégias de pesquisa principais: pesquisa bibliográfica e estudo de caso. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida em três etapas: compreensão, desenvolvimento e reflexão Na etapa de compreensão, realizou-se a revisão bibliográfica para entendimento do tema e para obtenção de subsídios para as etapas seguintes. Na etapa de desenvolvimento, foi realizado um estudo exploratório, no objeto de estudo, o Município de Feliz (RS), cujo objetivo foi avaliar o potencial das hortas domésticas, em termos de produção de alimentos, bem como de outros benefícios proporcionados aos moradores urbanos. Em uma segunda etapa, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia para avaliar o potencial da área de estudo, em termos de produção de alimentos para suprir as necessidades alimentares da população local, visando a autossuficiência alimentar. Na etapa de reflexão, apresentam-se os resultados da pesquisa e as contribuições teóricas. A presente pesquisa é inovadora, e corroborou a teoria acerca do potencial de produção de alimentos das hortas domésticas, em termos de segurança alimentar e autossuficiência das pequenas municipalidades, a partir do estudo realizado em Feliz/RS. Além disso, os casos de hortas domésticas analisados no estudo exploratório, revelaram que já existem inúmeras iniciativas de autossuficiência alimentar com diversa produção de alimentos na área de estudo, bem como disponibilidade de áreas potenciais de agricultura urbana, para ampliar essa atividade. / The following research proposal emerges from the reflection of our current food production system and cities supply and their consequences to the environment and to city people’s health. Presently, there is a movement towards food production comeback in cities, where the majority of the present world population lives. Such movement has the goal of reducing the environmental impacts caused by intensive farming, as well as providing fair access to healthier food, at more affordable prices. Sustainable development aims at resilient systems of production, as well as on safer and more self-reliant cities. A self-reliant city provides basic infrastructure, keeping it into its ecological footprint. During the search for alternatives for more sustainable cities planning, the concept of urban agriculture (UA) was identified, more specifically backyard food production. Home food gardens, considered to be one of the oldest ways of producing food, seem to be UA’s most successful strategy to increase family food security, besides providing a number of added benefits. This way, the main goal of this research is contributing to a better understanding on how residential food gardens can constitute a strategy to increase food security in cities, particularly in urban areas and small towns aiming a higher degree of sustainability. For the development of this study, two specific research strategies were used: literature review and case study. The research was carried out in three steps: comprehension, development and reflection. In the comprehension step, a literature review was made in order to better understand the subject and to look for subsidies for the following steps. In the development step, an exploratory study on the object of study was made. The object of study was the municipality of Feliz (RS), where the goal was to evaluate in what extent residential food gardens could supply a family’s necessities of food and what other benefits it could provide to urban inhabitants, and, on a second stage, a methodology was developed to assess the potential of the area of study with regard to food self-reliance. In the reflection step, the results of the research and theoretical contributions were presented. In addition, a sample of home food gardens were identified and analyzed, and showed that there are already various good initiatives aiming at food self-reliance in the area of study, being as well identified the availability of potential plots for expanding urban agriculture in the municipality’s area.

Tao Yuen Ting, Josephine. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2009-2010, design report." / "May 2010." / Includes bibliographical references (p. [86-87]). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1.0 --- synopsis : site background . the urbanization procedure? . compelling factors for an alternate urbanization . farming an opportunity . hypothesis --- p.6 / Chapter 2.0 --- research : farming in social potential . farming in energy potential . farming in water potential . farming practice . cases study . density study --- p.22 / Chapter 3.0 --- site design : site criteria . retaining the local farming entities . layout strategy . optimizing building with farming --- p.46 / Chapter 4.0 --- building design : massing component . compositiong strategy --- p.62 / Chapter 5.0 --- bibliography : --- p.86

A presente pesquisa surge a partir da reflexão sobre o sistema atual de produção de alimentos e abastecimento das cidades e as consequências geradas no ambiente e na saúde da população. Há um movimento para o retorno da produção de alimentos nas cidades, onde a maioria da população mundial habita, tanto com a finalidade de reduzir os impactos ambientais da agricultura industrial, quanto para proporcionar o acesso equitativo a alimentos mais saudáveis e com preços mais acessíveis. O desenvolvimento sustentável busca sistemas resilientes de produção visando à existência de cidades mais seguras e autossuficientes. Uma cidade autossuficiente é aquela que consegue gerar infraestrutura básica para se manter dentro de sua pegada física e metabolizar os resíduos gerados, minimizando os efeitos negativos dos assentamentos urbanos no ambiente. Dentre a busca por alternativas que contribuíssem para o planejamento de cidades mais sustentáveis, foi identificado o conceito da agricultura urbana (AU); em particular, das hortas domésticas. As hortas domésticas, consideradas um dos sistemas de cultivo mais antigos do mundo, parecem ser a mais bem-sucedida estratégia de AU para aumentar a segurança alimentar das famílias, além de proporcionar diversos outros benefícios. Desse modo, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é contribuir para um maior entendimento sobre como as hortas domésticas podem se constituir em uma estratégia para aumentar a segurança alimentar nas cidades, particularmente em áreas urbanas de pequenas municipalidades objetivando uma maior sustentabilidade urbana. Para o desenvolvimento do trabalho, foram utilizadas duas estratégias de pesquisa principais: pesquisa bibliográfica e estudo de caso. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida em três etapas: compreensão, desenvolvimento e reflexão Na etapa de compreensão, realizou-se a revisão bibliográfica para entendimento do tema e para obtenção de subsídios para as etapas seguintes. Na etapa de desenvolvimento, foi realizado um estudo exploratório, no objeto de estudo, o Município de Feliz (RS), cujo objetivo foi avaliar o potencial das hortas domésticas, em termos de produção de alimentos, bem como de outros benefícios proporcionados aos moradores urbanos. Em uma segunda etapa, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia para avaliar o potencial da área de estudo, em termos de produção de alimentos para suprir as necessidades alimentares da população local, visando a autossuficiência alimentar. Na etapa de reflexão, apresentam-se os resultados da pesquisa e as contribuições teóricas. A presente pesquisa é inovadora, e corroborou a teoria acerca do potencial de produção de alimentos das hortas domésticas, em termos de segurança alimentar e autossuficiência das pequenas municipalidades, a partir do estudo realizado em Feliz/RS. Além disso, os casos de hortas domésticas analisados no estudo exploratório, revelaram que já existem inúmeras iniciativas de autossuficiência alimentar com diversa produção de alimentos na área de estudo, bem como disponibilidade de áreas potenciais de agricultura urbana, para ampliar essa atividade. / The following research proposal emerges from the reflection of our current food production system and cities supply and their consequences to the environment and to city people’s health. Presently, there is a movement towards food production comeback in cities, where the majority of the present world population lives. Such movement has the goal of reducing the environmental impacts caused by intensive farming, as well as providing fair access to healthier food, at more affordable prices. Sustainable development aims at resilient systems of production, as well as on safer and more self-reliant cities. A self-reliant city provides basic infrastructure, keeping it into its ecological footprint. During the search for alternatives for more sustainable cities planning, the concept of urban agriculture (UA) was identified, more specifically backyard food production. Home food gardens, considered to be one of the oldest ways of producing food, seem to be UA’s most successful strategy to increase family food security, besides providing a number of added benefits. This way, the main goal of this research is contributing to a better understanding on how residential food gardens can constitute a strategy to increase food security in cities, particularly in urban areas and small towns aiming a higher degree of sustainability. For the development of this study, two specific research strategies were used: literature review and case study. The research was carried out in three steps: comprehension, development and reflection. In the comprehension step, a literature review was made in order to better understand the subject and to look for subsidies for the following steps. In the development step, an exploratory study on the object of study was made. The object of study was the municipality of Feliz (RS), where the goal was to evaluate in what extent residential food gardens could supply a family’s necessities of food and what other benefits it could provide to urban inhabitants, and, on a second stage, a methodology was developed to assess the potential of the area of study with regard to food self-reliance. In the reflection step, the results of the research and theoretical contributions were presented. In addition, a sample of home food gardens were identified and analyzed, and showed that there are already various good initiatives aiming at food self-reliance in the area of study, being as well identified the availability of potential plots for expanding urban agriculture in the municipality’s area.

Cette thèse porte sur l’analyse des formes et des acteurs de l’agriculture urbaine interstitielle dans l’environnement urbain fragmenté, défavorisé et ultra-dense de Metro Manila aux Philippines. La recherche est consacrée à la problématique de l’engagement des familles et des habitants dans les différentes formes d’agriculture intra-urbaine et s’inscrit dans le champ de la Géographie Sociale qui se construit sur l’analyse des pratiques idéelles et matérielles des acteurs vis-à-vis de l’espace. L'échelle de l'habitant est saisie dans la dynamique familiale.L’analyse des dynamiques urbaines et des systèmes d’acteurs engagés permet d’introduire une typologie des formes interstitielles de l’agriculture urbaine dans l’espace métropolitain de Manila : une agriculture urbaine émergente hors-sol, portée par des acteurs organisationnels et des agricultures urbaines familiales de plein champ, spontanées et distinguées en fonction de leur inscription résiduelle ou résurgente dans les dynamiques métropolitaines.En postulant la dimension spatiale intrinsèque et oubliée de la notion d’engagement, la thèse propose une définition en situation, comme prisme d’analyse de l’habiter. La démarche fait émerger l’importance à considérer les pratiques, les objectifs et les projets des familles dans leur engagement en agriculture urbaine. La notion de tactique est mobilisée, en référence aux tactiques quotidiennes de détournement et envisage d’aller à l’encontre des déterminismes de la pauvreté et de restituer la capacité d’être acteur en tant que familles vulnérables. L’enjeu est d’identifier les tactiques d’engagement des familles dans l’agriculture urbaine à partir de leurs pratiques complexes de captation de ressources.Dans un contexte plutôt non-formel, où les ressources matérielles sont faibles, l’engagement des familles et des habitants dans l’agriculture urbaine s’appuie, sur la combinaison de tactiques socio-spatiales, économiques et politiques pour accéder à l’espace et aux autres ressources de l’existence. A partir d’une approche diachronique, les tactiques d’engagement en agriculture urbaine sont déclinées dans les parcours de vie au moment de l’installation de la famille en agriculture urbaine et pour vivre de l’agriculture urbaine dans la ville. L’engagement des familles dans l’agriculture urbaine se caractérise par un « mieux vivre » qui améliore leurs situations de pauvreté et leur qualité de vie, mais ne consolide pas leur Droit à la ville.La méthodologie est qualitative et mobilise une batterie d’outils anthropo-géographiques qui reposent sur un aller-retour entre le terrain et les données récoltées. L’enquête de terrain s’amorce par le repérage des usages agricoles de l’espace métropolitain sur vues aériennes et par l’identification de pratiques d’agriculture urbaine dans un corpus bibliographique dédié à Metro Manila. L’observation directe et l’observation participante sont mobilisées en phase exploratoire pour stabiliser les repérages et accéder aux familles en « terrain sensible ». Des entretiens compréhensifs inspirés du récit de vie sont recueillis par passages répétés avec plusieurs membres de la famille. Des entretiens semi-directifs sont conduits avec des acteurs publics et de la société civile. / This thesis analyzes interstitial urban agriculture through its forms and actors, in the fragmented city of Metro Manila in the Philippines, which is characterized by a wide disadvantaged population and an ultra-dense urban environment. The research problem is to understand the involvement of families and inhabitants in intra-urban agriculture, in the field of Social Geography, which aim is built on analyzing actors’ practices and representations toward the space. The inhabitant scale is seized within the family dynamic.Considering urban dynamics and systems of actors involved allows to introduce a typology of the interstitial forms of urban agriculture in Manila metropolitan area: an emerging aboveground farming carried by “organizational actors” and a spontaneous family open-field urban farming, which is distinguished according to its residual or resurgent position within the metropolitan dynamics.Postulating the intrinsic and forgotten spatial dimension of the notion of involvement, the thesis introduces a situational definition according to dwelling. The approach highlights the importance of considering the families practices, objectives and projects related to their involvement in urban agriculture. The notion of tactics is mobilized referencing to the daily diversionary practices and endeavors to counteract the poverty determinism emphasizing the capacity of being actor as vulnerable families.The challenge is to identify the involvement tactics of family in urban agriculture based on their complex practices to access resources. In a rather non-formal context, where material resources are scarce, the involvement of families and inhabitants in urban agriculture is based on a combination of socio-spatial, economic and political tactics to access the land and other everyday life resources.Using a diachronic approach, involvement tactics of families in urban agriculture are considered within their life pathways pointing both the settlement in urban agriculture as process and the everyday living through urban agriculture in the city. The involvement of families in urban agriculture means a better living, improving both their poverty situations and quality of life, but does not secure their Right to the city.The methodology is qualitative and mobilizes a battery of anthropo-geographic tools relying on round trip between the field and the data collected. The launch of the field survey identifies urban agriculture land use in the metropolitan area on aerial views and urban farming practices quoted in the bibliography. Direct observation and participatory observation are mobilized during the exploratory phase in order to stabilize the detection and to allow the field survey to reach families, living on “sensitive urban areas”. Then, comprehensive interviews inspired from life stories interview method are collected by repeated meeting with the members of the family. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with public and civil society actors.