Comments on: Urban Agriculture Isn’t New http://dirt.asla.org/2012/05/09/urban-agriculture-isnt-new/ Uniting the Built & Natural Environments Thu, 23 May 2013 10:40:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Brent http://dirt.asla.org/2012/05/09/urban-agriculture-isnt-new/#comment-13424 Thu, 17 May 2012 13:25:24 +0000 http://dirt.asla.org/?p=10605#comment-13424 The social implications for urban farming is great. The histories recounted here help provide some context. I think what is missing from the urban agriculture discourse, or at least I haven’t seen it widely talked about yet, is the ecosystem effects. Farm plots will reduce stormwater pollution, provide cooling effects in urban areas, reduce energy consumption, provide habitat (perhaps) and help restore urban soil health. On that last point proper soil management practices need to be employed. The more organic the better, the less mechanical the planting and harvesting the better.

]]> By: MedievalFuture (@MedievalFuture) http://dirt.asla.org/2012/05/09/urban-agriculture-isnt-new/#comment-13408 Wed, 16 May 2012 11:23:14 +0000 http://dirt.asla.org/?p=10605#comment-13408 My home is roughly 10 miles from the centre of London, and it’s part of the housing sprawl that covers what is clearly shown in maps of the 1800s as market gardens. Here is where most of London’s food came from, 10 miles there and back is a day’s cart ride. That was the fundamental pre-industrial economic equation that controlled the size of cities: they couldn’t outgrow their food supply.

Then the railways appeared, and food could be grown and shipped longer distances. The market gardens were concreted over as London expanded from half a million to 7 million. Our population equation has been skewed by fossil fuel energy, and no form of ‘urban farming’ is going to feed people on that scale.

A picture of horse ploughing is at best ludicrous, at worst irresponsible. A horse needs about 2 acres of land to feed on, you either take the horse there, or bring the hay to the horse. No doubt the horse feed was brought in by truck. And exactly where will we find those horse-acres when we need the land for human-food?

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