Urban Agriculture: Where Urban Pressures Meet City Farmers

Abstract

As agrarian practices return to the urban space, a lack of understanding between the urban farmers and local city officials is stunting the development and economic sustainability of urban agriculture. Many promoters of urban agriculture fail to grasp the modern reality of operating a significant venture within a zoned municipal space. A failure to account for all potential stakeholders in the planning of these agricultural projects can cause unforeseen delays in execution and economic disaster. The needs of the agricultural installation must be balanced with the complexities of the city systems, and modern zoning procedures take multiple perspectives into account. There are numerous variables and considerations that must be evaluated in the creation of an urban farm that developers accustomed to working within the rural environment may not naturally include in their thinking. City planning and neighborhood integration must be addressed to ensure smooth geographic transition between the farming operation and further local real estate market development. The urban agricultural project developer will be required to demonstrate that the logistical needs of the enterprise can be accommodated within the existing infrastructure or be willing to upgrade the lacking requirement. Odor abatement and visual occlusion may be required. These complex elements of successfully installing an agricultural enterprise within an urban environment often frustrate successful project managers with agrarian backgrounds and cause them to pay minimal attention to the requirements of urban operation. Unfortunately, it can be clearly demonstrated that to do so is fraught with peril. Without thoughtful design, many urban agriculture efforts have slow growth, and the impact of these design failures on the progression of these enterprises is immense.