Australia: Call for developers to turn vacant properties into urban farms
“Urban farms and food hubs promote a localised food system that is not only sustainable but powered by and for the people, fostering a sense of community and encouraging Australians to be more self-sufficient, healthy, and empowered food citizens,” says Simpson.
Edited by Branko Miletic
Architecture and Design
Oct 28, 2020
Excerpt:
Urban design and planning consultancy Hatch RobertsDay is calling for developers to turn their unused land into urban farms, in the hopes of incorporating localised food systems into our communities.
Recent growing fears of food shortages and empty supermarket shelves have spurred the emergence of fruit and vegetable gardens on residential properties, and independent ‘urban farms’ for local communities at apartment blocks and on suburban land pockets. Restaurant food gardens are also proving to be popular.
Hatch RobertsDay has long identified the benefits of bringing locally and sustainably produced food to the community.
A key driver behind this vision is Catherine Simpson, Queensland Senior Urban Designer at Hatch RobertsDay. Catherine is also a director of Brisbane Food City – a collaborative, community-led initiative consisting of several leading agriculture experts – which was recently shortlisted for the Rockefeller Food Vision Prize. RobertsDay contributed to the Brisbane Food City initiative during its early stages.
The vision reimagines Brisbane as a sustainable, localised food system, bringing food production to 190 Brisbane suburbs through farms and hubs by 2050. Catherine’s expertise, along with Brisbane Food City’s project vision, prompted them to engage with developers to create urban farms throughout the city.
