Aylee Neff
User Experience Researcher
What might we learn from others to make the world more beautiful?
Urban Farming
Background & Context
Historically urban farming has appeared predominantly in the form of community gardens during times of economic crisis and social unrest. In general, urban farming endeavors are perceived as interim establishments. However, this perception needs to change especially since global populations continue to urbanize rapidly. As a research collaborator at LMN Architects I headed a project investigating the following question. How can urban farming be permanently integrated in the urban landscape?
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Research Methodologies
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Secondary research
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Analysis of city databases
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Observational field study of 12 urban farming sites
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2 semi-structured interviews
I interviewed a volunteer community garden coordinator and a P-Patch Community Garden Coordinator with Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods.
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This project culminated in a comprehensive written report and a presentation to the LMN office.
Can Cites Be Food Self Sustaining?
Is it possible to grow the food required to feed the population of a city within it's limits? Two studies helped answer this question. Urban Food Corp Production Capacity and Competition with the Urban Forest by Jeffery Richardson and L.Monika Moskal. Can Cities Become Self-reliant in Food by Sharanbir and Parwinder Grewal.
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Seattle 2017
Population: 724,745 people
Land Area: 92.7 square miles
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Assuming
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A vegetarian diet of appropriate portions
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Ideal farming conditions for intensive agriculture
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Median age and height of men and women
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An active lifestyle​
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Vegetarian diet including: carrots, squash, potatoes, kale, barley, beets, hazelnuts, beans, and apples.
​Based on the finding that 2.5 acres of land meets the annual food requirements for 13.59 people from the first study and the scenarios proposed in the second study, the potential for food self reliance for the city of Seattle is represented by opacity in the figure below.
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The Goal: 100%
100% = 724,745 people
2017 population
Dedicating 500ft to
farming on all single
family residential lots
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1.5% = 10,871 people
97.1% of Seattle's homeless population
Dedicating 500ft of SFR lots
80% of vacant lots
100% of industrial rooftops
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14.6% = 105,809 people
If the equivalent surface
area (92.7mi ) of Seattle
were dedicated to farming
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40.7% = 294,971 people
Urban Farming Reimagined
It is unlikely that cities can be food self sustaining. However, that does not negate the fact that significant amounts of food can be grown within city limits.
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Generally, urban farming projects take the from of community gardens that tend to be temporary establishments. How might urban farming be permanently integrated in the urban landscape?
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Garden Merry Go Round: When in motion, water gets pumped up. Distribution and water pressure increases with speed of rotation.
Hydroponic Teeter Totter: Water passes through plant roots between basins as kids play.
Garden Pack:
Helps transport water, soil, harvests, equipment, supplies, etc.
Transit Garden: Converts rooftops of bus stop shelters into gardening spaces.
Bus Shelters for Bees: Converts rooftops of bus stop shelters into spaces where bees can forage and live.
Aeroponic Garden Tower: Growing towers rotate around a central light source. Water is pumped from the basin through the center of the towers to plant roots.
Garden Cube: This is designed to liven up the partitions of office cubicles. The planters are magnetic and can be easily rearranged.
Hydroponic Tunnel Slide: Plants grow in small containers on top of a tunnel slide with water running through them.
Garden Bicycle: John Deere is joining the bike sharing economy! Incentives will motivate riders to care for the container gardens synched to the app.
Aquaponic Wall: Plants grow in compartments on transparent mobile panels. A circulating waterfall behind the panels waters the plants.
Mobile Raised Garden Bed: This is a versatile design that provides seating, interactive chalkboard siding, and a removable polytunnel tent to extend the growing season.
Aquaponic Pool: Consists of growing towers that rotate around lights hanging from the ceiling.
Hydroponic Herb Garden: In this example the herb garden is installed in a bar, providing fresh herbs and a unique ambiance.
Garden Door Frame: Transforms any door into a vertical garden. Planters can be inserted into the frame in various arrangements.
Opportunities for Permanent Integration
Land Parcels & Snippets
The City of Seattle identified a collection of land parcels and snippets in 2017 that cannot be developed; due to their small size, odd shape, or location.
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The ideal community garden site:
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Can accommodate 20 or more plots of 100ft
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Is in densely populated areas
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In an area with relatively high percentages of under served populations
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In an area under served by the P-Patch Program
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Education
One of the most influential places urban farming needs to be integrated is in K-12 education. Gardens are dynamic teaching tools. In addition to farming knowledge, they complement countless school subjects and provide a place where social and emotional skills can be practiced.
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Urban farming's place in the built environment could thrive more so than ever before alongside the next generation equipped with an urban farming cognizance.
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In the 2018-2019 school year 7,410 students in Seattle Public Schools had access to gardening education of 52,976.
Open Space, Parks, & Parking
Usually in cities recreational activities which are an essential part of general well being take place in parks and open spaces. In 2016, the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation administered a survey about park usage. Two of the main inquiries regarded safety and maintenance.
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Overall respondents gave parks a safety rating of 2.6 and maintenance 2.8 on a 4 point scale. Integrating community gardens in parks reduces maintenance pressure on park staff. Additionally, the perception of safety increases due to the presence of gardeners who would not be there otherwise.
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Parking lots are another space where urban farming could expand; especially in high density areas. They are underutilized spaces that are rarely used at their maximum capacity.
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Belltown is the most densely populated reporting area in Seattle, with a density of 58 people per acre. Green space is scarce, meanwhile parking is abundant. There are 71 parking lots in an area of 326 acres.
