Urban Agriculture, Commons and Urban Policies: Scaling up Local Innovation

Urban Farm DB summary

This article explores whether urban agriculture can be a cornerstone for reconfiguring more sustainable cities, and under what conditions and types. It proposes counteracting urban sprawl by fostering "rural sprawl" through introducing nature and rural characteristics like farming into interstitial urban areas and wastelands. From this perspective, urban agriculture becomes a common good that brings people together and reshapes the urban fabric, making it particularly suitable for long-lasting urban policies that transform environmental "bads" into "goods" and urban amenities.