an urban food system is one in which food production, processing, distribution, consumption and...
Post on 19-Dec-2015
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MappingUrban
Agriculture on Vancouver
Island
An Urban Food System is one in which food production, processing,
distribution, consumption and disposal of end products are integrated to enhance the
environmental, economic, social and nutritional health of a particular
community and place. Garret, S. and G. Feenstra, 1999.
Importance of Urban Agriculture
The city of Victoria is supportive of “the concept of urban agriculture as a valuable community resource and
will work to collaborate the community, neighboring
municipalities and Capital Region District to support and encourage
Urban Agriculture where possible” (Urban Agriculture Resolution)
Victoria and Vancouver Island
Mapping local areas to Determine Agricultural Potential
Used GIS to map the city of PortlandDetermined the available public land Found 24 suitable sites, and highlighted 11 of
these sites, 5 of which matched the criteria for community gardens, large scale urban agriculture farms, and market gardens
Diggable Cities
Used GIS to create an inventory of publicly owned lands
These lands were then categorized into the various ownerships (from municipal level to Federal level)
They mapped over 10,000 acres of available public land (1/3 of Oakland’s total land)
After this, they used satellite imagery to see which open space could be used for agriculture
Cultivating the Commons: Oakland Mapping Case
They excluded developed areas, where buildings, roads, and playing fields existed
Each site was classified by size ranging from 1/4 acre up to 5 acres
Classified each parcel by ground cover (soil, grass, hard surface, dense vegetation)
Oakland Cont.
Out of the 1,201 acres of available land:More than 1/3 were small parcels (less than
¼ acre), another 1/3 were from ¼-1 acre. These are recommended to be used as
community gardens and market gardensThe final 1/3 of land (between 1-5 acres) would
be suitable for larger scale urban farms or large scale markets
Site profiles were created for 9 potential sites ranging in size and location
Results
A citizen science project in NYC that is mapping how much food is already being grown within the city
“We at ___ Community Garden grew ___ pounds of food in ____ square feet, which is worth $___, served approximately ___ people, and prevented approximately __ pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.”
Farming Concrete
Build regional support to create an official mandate for urban agriculture practices on Vancouver Island
Overall mapping of potential agricultural lands (public and private)
Interactive mapping of existing and future urban agricultural practices
Create an Island wide initiative that connects the existing practices to encourage the expansion and utilization of UA within the island communities
Attribute a dollar value to the food being produced within UA farms and Community gardens
Recommendations for Vancouver Island