Investigating the intersection of urban agriculture and urban planning concerning urban governance and elements in Victoria, Canada
Date
2020-05-06
Authors
Ghezeljeh, Abdolzaher
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Abstract
The world is home to predominantly urbanized populations that continue to grow. In an
increasingly urbanized world, cities suffer from various challenges, including urban
poverty and food insecurity, which result in unsustainability, health concerns, and crime
increase. Many reasons affect urban poverty, including controversial government policies,
an imbalance between existing resources and demands, and inefficient urban management
and planning. Integrating urban agriculture (UA) into development policies can alleviate
urban poverty and food insecurity in cities. Therefore, a line of research seems necessary
to gain a better understanding of various ways to boost food production and improve
sustainability in cities. To this end, the present study attempts to investigate the role of
urban planning and governance in community gardens in Victoria to examine how urban
planning and governance can support food production. A qualitative research method with
semi-structured interviews and community mapping workshops were used within three
groups of governmental, non-governmental, and residential actors in Victoria, Canada.
Eighteen participants were interviewed, and eight participants took part in workshops held
in the James Bay and Fernwood neighbourhoods. The three proposed research questions in this study were analyzed by thematic analysis using NVivo 10 software. The findings revealed that nine themes should be considered to improve food production in Victoria.
The themes include improving UA economic efficiency, increasing awareness, gaining
community satisfaction, effective landuse policies, productive partnership, improving the
long bureaucratic procedure, offering grants, providing resources and facilities for
gardeners, and changes in existing zoning bylaws. In addition, the findings of the
workshops show that the City of Victoria plays the most crucial role in UA projects. Study
results reveal that the compost education center, residents, and community centres should create an active partnership with the City towards improving community gardens.
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Keywords
Urban agriculture, Urban planning, Urban governance, Victoria