Bridging interdisciplinary knowledge for sustainable urban landscapes: results from the international student competition UrbanFarm2019

Abstract

In a rapidly urbanizing world, urban agriculture (UA) represents an opportunity for improving food supply, health conditions, local economy, social integration, and environmental sustainability altogether. While a diversity of farming systems is encountered in the different world regions, it is estimated that about a third of urban dwellers is involved worldwide in the agro-food sector. In recent times, UA projects have sprouted across the world, both guided and promoted by governments and born by bottom-up community based initiatives. Accordingly, the concept of edible urban landscapes (edible cities, foodscapes) is today finding application all over the world. In order to facilitate a wider uptake of innovative policies and tools for the promotion of the sustainable goals associated with UA, it is crucial to create awareness on both institutional actors and the civil society through innovative and interdisciplinary approaches. The international student challenge UrbanFarm2019 aimed at tackling the current need for cooperation between different disciplines by bringing together students from different fields of study into international teams addressing the regeneration of three vacant urban spaces in Italy. The chosen locations included a former agricultural farm absorbed by the urban sprawl, a factory of domestic appliances that moved production abroad and a primary school in the Alps that was closed due to ageing of the local population. The three locations shared their current vacant status and the fact that they all constitute a cost and a missed opportunity for their cities. The UrbanFarm2019 challenge aimed at showing that another use for these spaces is possible, overall contributing to creating cities that are more attractive, livable, inclusive, and sustainable. To reach this target, young minds from all over the world were engaged in international and interdisciplinary teams. The challenge became an opportunity to link viewpoints and approaches while integrating state-ofthe-art technologies and design for urban farming and urban planning. Innovative ideas, visions and approaches were brought together by teams of students with enthusiasm and dedication. Starting from these project ideas, local administrators and urban planners will have tools to foster sustainability in their cities. Beyond the elevation of project quality, the major achievement of the UrbanFarm competition stands upon the geographical distribution and expertise covered by the participating teams. The UrbanFarm international student challenge, achieved to engage a network of experts and UA practitioners from universities from all over the world in the evaluation of 35 projects prepared by teams involving more than 130 students. Looking at the projects, it clearly appears how competences were successfully integrated and communicated in both project redaction and visual materials.

Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture: Perceptions of Project Leaders, Stakeholders and the General Public

“…The UA sector in Bologna shows a dynamic scene, where technological innovation is spreading with a number of start-ups (mainly created by the community of university students) that collaborate with maker labs and incubators targeting the experimental business model. Student engagement in fostering technological innovation in urban agriculture is also connected with vibrant educational activity in the sector, which also includes international student competitions (e.g., UrbanFarm international student challenge [47]) and applied participatory research activity on innovative UA systems including rooftop agriculture [48], recreational aquaponics [49] and indoor vertical farming [50]. Within the city, a number of farmers' markets also exist.…”

Design of an aquaponic system for integrated fish and plant production in Bologna (Italy)

“…In the short term, an increased role will be played by cities in the decisive shift to create more resilient communities. The start-up company Aquaponic Design ® (generated within the framework of the UrbanFarm2019 International Student Challenge; Orsini et al, 2020), aims to be part of this change through the design and construction of modular and customizable urban aquaponic systems, fostering public awareness on environmental issues (Magrefi et al, 2018) and specifically targeting food production and distribution. The general aim of the system is to promote short food chains (Pennisi et al, 2019), toward the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with plant cultivation (Sanye-Mengual et al, 2018a), postharvest management and processing of food (Sanye-Mengual et al, 2018b), while also fostering urban biodiversity and reducing the city ecological footprint (Bazzocchi et al, 2017).…”