Cultivating Sustainable and Healthy Cities: A Systematic Literature Review of the Outcomes of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture

Diverse aspects of de-agrarianization, which is manifested by the cessation or significant reduction in agricultural activities, have been clearly visible at the outskirts of large cities in Central Europe in recent decades. The key drivers behind this process include increased pressures to cover peri-urban agricultural land by new developments, inadequate protection of agricultural land, ineffective implementation of urban planning policies, low recognition of the importance of agriculture, and overall changes in people’s dietary habits. Urbanization pressures undoubtedly belong to the factors intensifying overall de-agrarianization, as urban farmers are usually not able to compete with other urban functions. This article focuses on more in-depth understanding of the driving forces behind de-agrarianization processes that are specific to post-socialist cities. As a case study, Brno, a second-tier city in the Czech Republic, was selected. In the first part, the conceptual framework and drivers of de-agrarianization are discussed specifically for the case of large Central European post-socialist cities. In the next part, we explore by means of a set of qualitative interviews the case study of the regeneration of the area of a former Cistercian monastery in Brno that was traditionally used for agricultural purposes, but recently was redeveloped for a university campus. Our findings signal procedural issues connected to the preservation of architectural heritage during the regeneration that frequently end up with only fragments being preserved. We also demonstrate a decline in the use of urban agricultural properties that are hastily transformed into a new urban environment under extremely strong urbanization pressures. We argue that even in economically prosperous cities with highly neoliberal competition between possible urban land uses, agriculture must be considered a relevant and highly important urban function and more protected by planning tools.

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Transforming the Use of Agricultural Premises under Urbanization Pressures: A Story from a Second-Tier Post-Socialist City

Agricultural space function transitions in rapidly urbanizing areas and their impacts on habitat quality: An urban–Rural gradient study

Spatial distribution of lead concentration in peri-urban soil: Threshold and interaction effects of environmental variables

In Europe today, there is increasing interest in the management of protected spaces, not only in an attempt to ensure their conservation but also because of their enormous potential for promoting rural development. These protected spaces are generally designed from the top down, although, in an increasing number of cases, they are being promoted by rural communities themselves. The situation across Europe with regard to protected areas is extraordinarily complex due, among other reasons, to the variety of categories and types of protected areas at the regional level. The objective of this study was to compare two parks: the Sierra Nevada National and Natural Park in Andalusia, Spain, and the Alta Murgia National Park in Apulia, Italy, in order to identify any similarities and/or differences between them. To this end, we performed a dynamic analysis of the evolution of the crops, uses, and livestock species using a specific indicator that can detect local dynamics by comparing areas inside the parks with those in the immediate surrounding areas. The results pointed, in part, to a resurgence of these places. In both cases, a trend was observed towards more extensive farming of certain crops and livestock species that are more profitable and/or more highly regarded as quality products. In other cases, there was a risk of traditional crops and agricultural landscapes being abandoned and lost. Various threats were identified in relation to capital-intensive forms of agriculture, especially involving greenhouse cultivation on the Mediterranean coast in the provinces of Granada and Almeria.

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Protected Natural Spaces, Agrarian Specialization and the Survival of Rural Territories: The Cases of Sierra Nevada (Spain) and Alta Murgia (Italy)

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Multiple evaluation of urban and peri-urban agriculture and its relation to spatial planning: The case of Prato territory (Italy)

Regenerating Local Food Systems (LFS) – also known as City-Region Food Systems (CRFS) or foodsheds – can bolster local socio-economic self-reliance and promote sense of belonging, place attachment, and stewardship among inhabitants of local communities. LFS are particularly effective within an urban bioregion framework which underpins and fosters the recovery of a co-evolutionary relationship between human settlements and the surrounding territory/ecosystems. LFS are key factors in reinterpreting global/local relationships and in referring to the food-production/consumption system as a viable tool for reclaiming the metabolic, cultural, and economic relationships between local societies, their inhabitants, and their resources. LFS sustain a sense of belonging and attachment to place values and to local heritage as underpinning elements for a fair and sustainable transition. We describe some initiatives in Tuscany, focusing on innovative, participative tools such as Food Communities and Organic Districts – institutionally established, but dependent on the commitment of inhabitants, consumers and stakeholders – and on bottom-up, place-based, re-inhabiting practices (Lucca Food Plain, SlowFood Presidia and Quality & Services (public catering service). In conclusion, we highlight key challenges to and potential benefits of LFS enhancing self-reliant, sustainable foodsheds in urban bioregions and stimulating innovative tools to integrate spatial planning and agri-food policy. 

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Sandra Jasmin Schlage

Papers

Multiple evaluation of urban and peri-urban agriculture and its relation to spatial planning: The case of Prato territory (Italy)

The Role of Sense of Place in the Recovery of Local Food Systems in Bioregional Contexts. Challenges and Opportunities