WHY DO PEOPLE USE URBAN GARDENING?
One reason that people have turned to Urban Gardening is that agriculture exerts a tremendous toll on the planet through things like water draw, pollution, large amounts of energy being used, and it causes habitat loss for many animals. Another reason for why people use urban gardening is that urban gardens decrease the "food-miles" (a mile over which a food item is transported from producer to consumer, as a unit of measurement of the fuel used to do this) and long-distance transportation time and cost. This makes the freshest produce available and gives a sense of being to those eating "local" food produce.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF URBAN GARDENING?
According to Gardeners In Community Development, a benefit of urban gardening is that it adds greenery to the cities. Another benefit of urban gardening is that it increases shading and counters the heat island effect. It helps people reconnect with the Earth and can bring jobs to undeserved and depressed urban areas. Because urban gardening is local, shipping and transportation costs are lower. Urban gardening provides a sense of community and oneness to members of the community and everyone using it.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF URBAN GARDENING?
One disadvantage of urban gardening is that land in the cities is expensive and urban gardening helps cause gentrification (rehabilitation of inner city housing with favorable locations to the Central Business District [CBD] and employment) and raises rents. The Bid-rent Model (example in picture below) explains the pricing of urban areas against that of a residential and rural areas, being urban areas that cost more due to closeness to the CBD. Another disadvantage is that urban soils can be loaded with arsenic, lead, and other toxins, which requires remediation (replacement) before planting can be done safely. Urban areas are often cramped conditions can limit yield amounts. In urban gardens plants do not always get enough water or sunlight.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF URBAN GARDENING ON PEOPLE?
Growing food and vegetables can help low-income people supplement their grocery shopping and it can be a source of fresh, healthy produce. People who do not have access to fresh produce (or live in an food desert) often live unhealthy lifestyles and cannot get out of the cycle of poverty that they are in. An urban garden can help them out of that cycle by providing them with access to healthy food providing a better lifestyle that can, with the addition of hard work, bring them out of their cycle of poverty.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FOR URBAN GARDENING?
- Green Roofs
- Container Gardening
- Indoor Gardening
- Rainwater Collection Barrels
- Hydroponics
- Vertical Farming
FUTURE PLANS
A future urban garden that scientists have been working on creating is the Plantagon. The Plantagon is a massive urban indoor garden (greenhouse) that is located inside of a geodesic dome. The Plantagon is a vertical farm that contains a spiral ramp within the dome. It is currently in the development stages and is not yet completed. The Plantagon will be built in Sweden by the urban development group SWECO.
HOW DOES URBAN GARDENING CONNECT TO AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY?
The topic of urban gardening is related to AP Human Geography in chapters 10 and Chapter 13. It is related to chapter 10 through the concepts of the Importance of access to markets, the Bid-rent Model, and strategies to increase food supply. It is related to chapter 13 through the concepts of smart growth and vertical growth.
WHY DID I CHOOSE THE TOPIC OF URBAN GARDENING?
I chose the topic of urban gardening because it is a unique way of solving problems that have to do with current situations having to do with land loss and high poverty levels within the world's urban areas. With urban gardening we can take areas that are no longer in use and change them so that they become suitable for farming and growing.
SOURCES CITED
PICTURE LINKS
http://www.motherearthnews.com/~/media/Images/MEN/Editorial/Blogs/Natural%20Health/The%20Future%20of%20Urban%20Gardening/NH-MA12eaglestreet-2593resized600X400.jpg
http://3x39fmt0aja34zifjfnu4695x.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/bancroft2.jpg
http://content.answcdn.com/main/content/img/oxford/Oxford_Geography/0198606737.bid-rent-theory.1.jpg
http://www.fao.org/uploads/pics/urban_agriculture_530_01.jpg
http://blogs.plos.org/everyone/files/2013/03/fungi-roof-garden.jpg
http://assets.inhabitat.com/files/publicfarm1.jpg
http://indoorgardeningsolutions.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/2.jpg
http://edblogs.columbia.edu/scppx3335-001-2011-3/files/2011/11/Rainwater-harvesting.jpg
http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/omega1.jpg
http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/plantagon-ed001.jpg
http://www.motherearthnews.com/~/media/Images/MEN/Editorial/Blogs/Natural%20Health/The%20Future%20of%20Urban%20Gardening/NH-MA12eaglestreet-2593resized600X400.jpg
http://3x39fmt0aja34zifjfnu4695x.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/bancroft2.jpg
http://content.answcdn.com/main/content/img/oxford/Oxford_Geography/0198606737.bid-rent-theory.1.jpg
http://www.fao.org/uploads/pics/urban_agriculture_530_01.jpg
http://blogs.plos.org/everyone/files/2013/03/fungi-roof-garden.jpg
http://assets.inhabitat.com/files/publicfarm1.jpg
http://indoorgardeningsolutions.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/2.jpg
http://edblogs.columbia.edu/scppx3335-001-2011-3/files/2011/11/Rainwater-harvesting.jpg
http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/omega1.jpg
http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/plantagon-ed001.jpg
VIDEO LINKS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nFQOkzEjxQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1clRcxZS52s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1clRcxZS52s
RESEARCH LINKS
Howard, Brian Clark. "Urban Farming Is Growing a Green Future." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/urban-farming/>.
"Reclaiming Our Cities." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fenvironment.nationalgeographic.com%2Fenvironment%2Fphotos%2Furban-farming%2F%3Frptregcta%3Dreg_free_np%26rptregcampaign%3D20131016_rw_membership_r1p_us_se_w%23%2Fearth-day-urban-farming-perth_51632_600x450.jpg>.
"Benefits of Community Gardening." Benefits of Community Gardening. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2014. <http://www.gardendallas.org/benefits.htm>.
"High-Yield Urban Gardening Techniques for Small Spaces." Urban Gardening Help HighYield Urban Gardening Techniques for Small Spaces Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.urbangardeninghelp.com/high-yield-gardening/>.
"Green Roofs." Urban Gardening Help Green Roofs Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.urbangardeninghelp.com/green-roofs/>.
"Container Gardening." Urban Gardening Help Container Gardening Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.urbangardeninghelp.com/container-gardening/>.
"Indoor Gardening." Urban Gardening Help Indoor Gardening Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.urbangardeninghelp.com/indoor-gardening/>.
"Urban Rainwater Collection." Urban Gardening Help Urban Rainwater Collection Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.urbangardeninghelp.com/urban-rainwater-collection/>.
"Hydroponics." Urban Gardening Help Hydroponics Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.urbangardeninghelp.com/hydroponics/>.
"Plantagon: Geodesic Dome Farm of the Future." Plantagon: Geodesic Dome Farm of the Future. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/news/news-13july2009.htm>.
"Plantagon Building A Vertical Farming Greenhouse In Sweden | The Creators Project." The Creators Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2014. <http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/plantagon-building-a-vertical-farming-greenhouse-in-sweden>.