The multifunctional use of urban greenspace

Leeuwen, Eveline van; Nijkamp, Peter; Noronha, Teresa de

doi:10.3763/ijas.2009.0466

Cited by 94 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(9 reference statements)

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“…In 1996, the United Nations Development Program estimated that 800 million people are engaged in urban and peri-urban agriculture worldwide, a quarter of whom are market producers, employing 150 million people full-time and producing 15 % of the world's food (FAO/WB 2008). Numerous modern cities contain extensive urban agriculture systems, including Shanghai, China, where 60 % of the vegetables and 90 % of the eggs consumed by residents are produced within the city (Bhatt and Farah 2009), and Amsterdam, which contains over 350 hectares of land devoted to urban gardens (van Leeuwen et al 2010). Urban agriculture has been shown repeatedly to contribute to food security through providing nutrient-dense food directly, as well as income from produce sales and employment (e.g., FAO 2008;Dubbeling et al 2009;Zezza and Tasciotti 2010;De Zeeuw et al 2011).…”

Section: Food Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services

2013

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We examine the potential role of perennial woody food-producing species (''food trees'') in cities in the context of urban sustainable development and propose a multifunctional approach that combines elements of urban agriculture, urban forestry, and agroforestry into what we call ''urban food forestry'' (UFF). We used four approaches at different scales to gauge the potential of UFF to enhance urban sustainability and contribute to food security in the context of urbanization and climate change. First, we identified 37 current initiatives based around urban food trees, and analyzed their activities in three categories: planting, mapping, and harvesting, finding that the majority (73 %) only performed one activity, and only 8 % performed all three. Second, we analyzed 30 urban forestry master plans, finding that only 13 % included human food security among their objectives, while 77 % included habitat for wildlife. Third, we used Burlington, Vermont as a case study to quantify the potential fruit yield of publicly accessible open space if planted with Malus domestica (the common apple) under nine different planting and yield scenarios. We found that 108 % of the daily recommended minimum intake of fruit for the entire city's population could be met under the most ambitious planting scenario, with substantial potential to contribute to food security even under more modest scenarios. Finally, we developed a Climate-Food-Species Matrix of potential food trees appropriate for temperate urban environments as a decision-making tool. We identified a total of 70 species, 30 of which we deemed ''highly suitable'' for urban food forestry based on their cold hardiness, drought tolerance, and edibility. We conclude that substantial untapped potential exists for urban food forestry to contribute to urban sustainability via increased food security and landscape multifunctionality.

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Section: Food Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services

2013

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“…In addition to its environmental side, urban green areas also have economic, aesthetic, social and psychological benefits [2,3]. Thanks to a range of benefits in various forms and a variety of opportunities within cities which they have provided, urban green areas further fulfil a number of functions in an urban context as a comprehensive tool for the long term protection of environmental sustainability through improving the basic conditions of daily life.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban green areas in the days of urbanization: the case of Atatürk Forest Farm, Ankara, Turkey

Durusoy¹,

Tuzcuoglu²,

Akcabozan³

2016

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

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“…Van den Berg et al [11] in a study in the Netherlands, add that access to green space can help residents cope better with stressful life events, especially those related to poverty. With regard to food security, studies have shown that home gardens and community gardens in low income areas are the most economic and readily available sources of nutrition [12][13][14]. Thus, it seems possible that greenery within neighbourhoods is of great importance in the context of urban poverty.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation in Bangalore’s Slums: Boosting Livelihoods, Well-Being and Social Capital

Gopal

Nagendra

2014

Sustainability

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Abstract:Urban greenery provides ecosystem services that play an important role in the challenging context of urban deprivation and poverty. This study assesses the social importance of vegetation through empirical assessment of 44 urban slums in the rapidly developing southern city of Bangalore, India. Vegetation played a major role in supporting nutrition by its role in food consumption, and in promoting health through the planting of species with medicinal use. Trees in slums also formed nodes for social activities including conversing and playing, domestic activities such as cooking and washing dishes, and livelihood activities such as the manufacture of broomsticks and tyre repair. Innovative methods of gardening were widely adopted, with kitchen gardens found planted in plastic bags, paint cans, old kitchen utensils and buckets, indicating the importance given to planting in environments with limited finances. Short and narrow trunked trees with medium-sized canopies and high economic value, such as Pongamia, were preferred. A greater focus on greening in slums is needed, and can provide an invaluable, inexpensive and sustainable approach to improve lives in these congested, deprived environments. OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2014, 6 2460

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The multifunctional use of urban greenspace

Cited by 94 publications

References 5 publications

Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services

Introducing urban food forestry: a multifunctional approach to increase food security and provide ecosystem services

Urban green areas in the days of urbanization: the case of Atatürk Forest Farm, Ankara, Turkey

Vegetation in Bangalore’s Slums: Boosting Livelihoods, Well-Being and Social Capital

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