Urban ecosystems – tapping the human resource

Urban Farm DB summary

Against a backdrop where about 90% of UK residents already live in towns or cities, and roughly 60% of the world's population is projected to live in urban areas by 2030, this essay argues that public land such as parks and allotments can easily be lost without a vocal set of "owners" to speak for it. It notes that most of the UK's "natural" areas have historically been created, managed, or modified by humans, and that overlooked brownfield sites can serve as valuable refuges for insect and plant species that can no longer persist in a countryside dominated by industrialized agriculture.