Sustainable Urban Agriculture as Functional Hybrid Unit—Issues of Urban Resilience

Abstract

The aim of the research is to present a review of urban agriculture as synergic green and blue infrastructure solutions and to evaluate modern hybrid units with biomass and food production, and water retention in urbanized areas. The synergy between technologies of biomass production and water reuse provides the basis for the idea of self-sufficient urban units and sustainable agriculture. The research work defines the criteria and typology for urban resilience solutions. The analyses concern the correlation between production, management, retention, and reuse of water as a part of solutions for the model of a sustainable urban agriculture system in a compact city. The obtained results describe typology for cultivation and production in the modern city. Creating a resilient city connected with requirements posed by civilization concern changes in functional and spatial structure of the compact city. The discussion is supplemented with conclusions to the issue of synergy in urban planning, architecture, and engineering solutions. The article describes implementation technologies for city resilience in the context of agricultural production, energy and water management for the local community, and the ecosystem services in the city.

Urban Agriculture as an Alternative Source of Food and Water Security in Today’s Sustainable Cities

“…Under the concept of community gardens lie cooperative culture, urban activism and ecological movements. In addition, these gardens are examples of alternative methods, originally independent of all official institutions methods of managing public space [ 46 ].…”

“…Therefore, UA is only relevant as an element of the overall food system, however, it strengthens its resilience. The role of integration between urban edible green and blue infrastructure occurs in rain gardens and retention basins, which are common for UAA [ 46 ]. In addition, UA can play a relevant role in the long term in shaping and transforming global food systems, particularly supporting the alternative food networks.…”

“…Research on sustainable and regenerative UA is connected with the issue of water use for cultivation. Reuse of polluted water and rainwater subjected to treatment processes can be combined to supply urban farms with water [ 46 , 47 ].…”

Evaluation of the Quality of the Housing Environment Using Multi-Criteria Analysis That Includes Energy Efficiency: A Review

“…Nielsen [43] found that parks are important biodiversity hotspots in urban environments [44]. Community gardens and urban agriculture are important from a biodiversity perspective [45,46]. However, urban greenery can also be a source of biogenic pollutants such as pollen and volatile organic compounds that can reduce air quality [47].…”

Architecture, City, People, and Structure

“…Such an approach makes this work a valuable part of the present discourse on urban development and climate change [4]. Nowysz continues the topic with two co-authors, Grochulska-Salak and Tofiluk, in the article "Sustainable Urban Agriculture as Functional Hybrid Unit-Issues of Urban Resilience" [5]. We also recommend the publication of Andrzejewska-"Challenges of Spatial Planning in Poland in the Context of Global Climate Change-Selected Issues", which focuses on the disadvantageous impact prevention of transformations in the atmosphere and weather that Poland is now facing [6].…”