Urban Agriculture Oriented towards Self-Supply, Social and Commercial Purpose: A Typology

• Main Authors: Thomas Krikser, Annette Piorr, Regine Berges, Ina Opitz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-08-01
• Series: Land
• Subjects: urban agriculture theory; land use in urban areas; business models; decision making; social innovation; governance
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/5/3/28

Urban agriculture, a dynamic multifunctional phenomenon, affects the spatial diversification of urban land use, its valorization and its governance. Literature acknowledges its contribution to the development of sustainable cities. The dimension and extent of this contribution depends significantly on the particular form and function of urban agriculture. However, the complexity of interests and dimensions is insufficiently covered by theory. This paper proposes a typology for urban agriculture, supporting both theory building and practical decision processes. We reviewed and mapped the diversity of the types of agriculture found along three beneficial dimensions (self-supply, socio-cultural, commercial) for product distribution scale and actors. We distinguish between ideal types, subtypes and mixed types. Our intention is to include a dynamic perspective in the typology of urban agricultural land use because transition processes between types are observable due to the existence of complex motivations and influences. In a pilot study of 52 urban agriculture initiatives in Germany, we tested the validity of the typology and discussed it with stakeholders, proving novelty and relevance for profiling discussions.