Urban Gardening

Three people harvesting crops from rooftop community garden.

How Cities Can Support Urban Gardeners

Urban agriculture can provide green spaces, fresh food, and healthy activities, but urban gardeners and foragers face many obstacles.

November 2, 2023 - The Architect's Newspaper

Hydroponic Farming

A Microfarm Grows in an L.A. Front Yard

The founder of Asante Microfarm hopes his farm will serve as a model for bringing fresh produce to underserved communities.

May 20, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Home Builders Sow Seeds for Urban Agriculture

In the Stapleton neighborhood of Denver, developer Forest City has recognized the growing interest in urban gardening by partnering with The Urban Farm Company to offer ready-made raised-bed gardens to homebuyers.

August 8, 2013 - The Denver Post

Urban Ag Evangelist Gives Guerrilla Gardening a Dose of Star Power

David Hochman profiles Ron Finley, an urban gardening activist from South Los Angeles whose breakout TED talk and volunteer work are attracting some high profile supporters.

May 6, 2013 - The New York Times

Comprehensive Plan Needed for NYC's Urban Agriculture

With 700 urban farms and gardens in New York City, a new report calls for a comprehensive approach to managing the city's urban agriculture, and offers recommendations for maximizing coordination between city agencies and urban farmers.

September 30, 2012 - Grist

Urban Gardening Under Threat in Africa

Urban gardening is sprouting to life across America, but urban locales in the developing world "have incorporated horticulture into their urban planning" for decades. In Africa, urbanization is threatening these essential parts of the food system.

September 4, 2012 - NPR

Refugees Find Sanctuary in Urban Gardening

Melanie Eversley writes on the healing power of urban gardens and farms for refugees new to the U.S. who are looking for a taste of home.

August 28, 2012 - USA Today

Edible Bus Stops Sprout in London

I'm sure your mother had good reason to tell you not to eat on the run. But times have changed, and one group in London is utilizing the city's public transportation network to help popularize the benefits of healthy eating and urban greening.

July 31, 2012 - The Guardian

Land Abundant Gives Rise to Gardens in Detroit

John Gallagher investigates a growing trend of unsanctioned urban agriculture in Detroit, where residents have had to take alternative land use into their own hands.

April 11, 2012 - Detroit Free Press

Community Involvement Influenced by Anarchy

This Big City team looks at "small places of anarchy" in Toyko that has taken root in DIY Gardening, Collaborative Mental Mapping and FIXing the Neighborhood.

September 7, 2011 - This Big City

Stamp of Approval for Green Roofs

The New York City Council voted last week to alter the city's code to encourage green roofs and urban gardening.

August 7, 2011 - Inhabitat

Chicago Opens Doors and Land to Urban Gardening

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed a change to local rules that would allow urban gardens to expand and sell produce within the city.

August 1, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

Are School Gardens a "Cruel Trick"?

Caitlin Flanagan, writing in The Atlantic magazine, believes that the "edible schoolyard" movement is a waste of time that would be better spent having kids learn from books.

January 15, 2010 - Atlantic Magazine

An Antigravity Forest

The new facade of the Atheneum Hotel in London sports 12,000 hanging plants, creating a lush curtain of greenery. Wired Magazine has pictures of the facade and other similar sites.

September 2, 2009 - Wired

A Cheapskate’s Guide To Urban (Rooftop/Balcony) Gardening

I can’t deny that one of my strongest personality traits is that of being a hard-core cheapskate.  So much so, that I feel obliged to caveat this post by saying that my initial reasons for getting into rooftop gardening were more to save money on buying fresh vegetables and fruit from our rather pricey local markets than any particular affection for gardening.  While it turns out that my wife and I probably do save money (surprisingly, I never ran the numbers), the joy of gardening, and the kick I get out of showing our rooftop garden off to friends, has far outweighed the economic benefits.  As counter-intuitive as it sounds, urban gardening is much easier than you might imagine.  The hardest part is overcoming the psychological hurdle of thinking that it is difficult, confusing, time-consuming, or takes up lots of space.  In fact, it is none of these things; you don’t need expensive, special equipment, or any particular skill.  You only need a window box, a fire escape, or a small patch of patio if that’s all you have.  If this geeky transportation engineer can grow tomatoes, so can you!

June 22, 2009 - Ian Sacs

Put up a Park in the Lot

Ruben Anderson suggests that if automobile parking could be kept to properties, that could free up the former on-street parking to become Garden Streets, so that cities could grow much more of their own produce.

April 9, 2008 - AlterNet

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