Research Plan

Within our research in urban green we want to put focus upon urban agriculture, specifically on projects in Rotterdam and Antwerp. Both cities differ from each other in size and approach of urban agricultural projects. In Rotterdam a large scale project called Eetbaar Rotterdam (this project wants to bring the food production near to its city inhabitants and therefore contribute to a sustainable world) is organized. This project is subsidized by the government and has several locations throughout the city. In Antwerp small projects like the Moestuinbox (individuals are able to let vegetables grow in boxes with hydraulic systems) are organized in the urban agriculture field. The comparison between urban agriculture in Antwerp and Rotterdam would exist of the facets:

• Organisation: who and how?
• In what way does urban agriculture contribute to the city and its population?
•  How can the differences in approaches between Antwerp and Rotterdam be explained?

Urban agriculture is defined by Mougeot in 2000 as: “Urban Agriculture is an industry located within, or on the fringe of a town, a city or a metropolis, which grows and raises, processes and distributes a diversity of food and non-food products, (re)using largely human and material resources, products and services found in and around that urban area, and in turn supplying human and materials resources, products and services largely to that urban area.” We will use this definition throughout our research. Due to the fact urban agriculture is for every single person different, this definition which is general as well it covers most aspects of urban agriculture, seemed very useful.

Taking into consideration our interest in urban agriculture and these projects our research question is; in what way does urban agriculture influence city dynamics in neighbourhoods in Antwerp and Rotterdam?

For the purpose of this research we want to be in contact with both city municipalities to investigate their role in urban agriculture. We also want to contact Pieter Max who is responsible for the Moestuinbox project in Antwerp. Next to that we want to get in touch with people involved in the project Eetbaar Rotterdam, people of the management but also those who actually bring the projects into practice. Moreover, we need to interview citizens in neighbourhoods to understand how they see and experience urban agriculture.

In the making process of this research plan, we contacted Maarten Loopmans, among all his titles he was also an urban agriculturist, and he shared with us a lot of information on urban agriculture in Antwerp. We will use his information as a great starting point and possibly as a source.  

Literature review

Rotterdam:

http://www.rotterdam.nl/stadsinitiatief

http://www.eetbaarrotterdam.nl/wat-heeft-eetbaar-rotterdam-gedaan/

Antwerp:

http://www.greenmarx.be/index.php?page=De-Moestuinbox (Pieter Marx is into UA)

http://www.moestuinbox.be/pagina15.html

http://www.volkstuinendeurne.com/

http://debeek.edosia.org/

General links:

City harvest. Demonstrating and promoting the benefits of Urban Agriculture. Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming. 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. Retrieved from < http://www.sustainweb.org/cityharvest/>

Deleware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Food System Planning: Municipal Implementation tool #18. April 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. Retrieved from < http://www.ruaf.org/ruaf_bieb/upload/3304.pdf>

Articles:

1.    van Veenhuizen, R. ( 2006) Introduction to cities farming for the future. In: van Veenhuizen, R. (ed.): Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities , pp. 2-17. RUAF, IDRC and IIRR, Leusden, The Netherlands, Ottawa, Canada, Silang, The Philippines.

2. Drescher, A.W., Jacobi, P. & Amend, J. ( 2000) Urban food security. Urban agriculture, a response to crisis? Urban Agriculture Magazine, 1, 8-10.
3. Maxwell, D.G., Levin, C., Armar-Klemesu, M., Ruel, M., Morris, S. & Ahiadeke, C. ( 2000) Urban Livelihoods and Food and Nutrition Security in Greater Accra, Ghana. International Food Policy Research Institute , Washington DC, USA.
4. Mougeot, L.J.A. ( 2000) Urban Agriculture: concept and definition. Urban Agriculture Magazine, 1, 5-7.
5. Schiere, H. & Van der Hoek, R. ( 2001) Livestock Keeping in Urban Areas: A Review of Traditional Technologies Based on Literature and Field Experiences. FAO - La Ventana Agricultural Systems, Rome, Italy - Wageningen, The Netherlands.
6. Undp (1996) Urban Agriculture: Food, Jobs and Sustainable Cities. United Nations Development Programme, New York, USA.
7. Van Herzele, A. & Wiedeman, T. A monitoring tool for the provision of accessible and attractive urban green spaces. Landscape and Urban Planning, 63, 109-126.

Yvette, Annabelle and Melanija