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Urban agriculture: spatial dimension and function in the contemporary urban context

Theocharopoulos Dimitrios

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Summary

This dissertation researches Urban Agriculture, analysing the function of its practices and their spatial dimension in contemporary cities. First, it distinguishes the meaning of urban and rural, defines agriculture as a productive activity and describes its relationship with the city. Furthermore, it analyses the historical background of the relationship between agriculture and the city, starting from ancient cities and ending with the First and Second World War and beyond, through earlier practices that developed in Europe and America. To understand the relationship between agricultural activity and the urban fabric, the theoretical framework of Urban Agriculture is explored through the projects and writings of Le Corbusier, Howard and F. L. Wright, as well as its evolution over the years. Then, based on the above, as well as the literature, a list of definitions of Urban Agriculture based on the factors that define it is made, as well as a presentation of its dimensions. Furthermore, Urban Agriculture activities and practices are then categorized based on their function, while exploring their goals, strategies, as well as their productive aspects. Moreover, typologies of Urban Agriculture are distinguished based on their spatial dimension, their relationship and interaction with the urban public space, presenting applied examples and practices from Europe and the USA. It also analyses four case studies from France, England, Germany, and Greece, examining their functioning, their productive efficiency, their spatial and architectural dimension through drawings, sketches and diagrams, their relationship with the city and public space and their impact on urban social life through their collective and collaborative character. More specifically, the R-Urban strategy in Paris and London is presented, exploring first its theoretical background, its objectives of urban resilience, sustainability, enhancement of public spaces and citizen engagement, and then its design concept, Passage 56 in Paris, analysing it as a small-scale urban public space intervention with a large impact on the urban environment and social life, Die Plantage in Munich, part of a large-scale park aiming at sustainability, using Urban Agriculture as a design tool, and finally the Kipos3 project in Thessaloniki, which, using Urban Agriculture as a tool and citizen participation, aims at enhancing the city’s public spaces and self-sufficiency in specific products. Finally, the conclusions of the research are presented in the context of urban resilience, public space, sustainability, participation and Urban Agriculture as a design tool.

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