The productive fringe: making Gothenburg self-sufficient in vegetables and fruits by exploring urban agriculture in the intermediate city
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Architecture and urban design (MPARC), MSc
Publicerad
2022
Författare
EL-Rifai, Lina
Seevers, Linnéa
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Food production, which is linked to social-
ecological sustainability and food
security, is a major concern in Sweden.
Sweden imports double the amount of
agricultural food items that it exports. If
an unforeseen tragedy or crisis strikes,
Swedish agriculture will be unable to
function without imported fertiliser and
fodder. Agriculture is one of the most
essential operations since it produces
food for the human race. Many of the
sustainability concerns posed by urbanisation
and a growing population can be
mitigated by urban agriculture.
This thesis aims to present ways to implement
agriculture in the intermediate
city, which can be defined as the link
between rural and urban, by utilising residual
spaces within existing typologies
and fabric, such as rooftops, facades,
courtyards, streets, parks, and undeveloped
spaces. Furthermore, the aim is to
explore if the intermediate parts of the
city can make the whole municipality
of Gothenburg self-sufficient in vegetables
and fruits. This investigation is addressed
by picking a site that depicts a
typical configuration of the intermediate
city in Gothenburg and then calculating
a potential yield in this specific area.
In order to highlight the benefits of agriculture
in a project, it is also intended to
enhance the practical skills of architects
and planners at all stages of the planning
process. At the end of the research,
a handbook is produced showcasing
today’s agriculture systems and design
ideas on how to integrate these systems
into the built fabric and the open spaces
in their surrounding.
The exploration of the research questions
consisted of utilising the knowledge
gathered through literature studies
and reference projects about the
agricultural systems and their productivity.
Combining this information with various
analyses of the selected site allowed
the programming of the land according
to its optimal agricultural functions. The
simple answer to the question is: yes, urban
agriculture in the intermediate city
can produce enough vegetables and
fruits to make Gothenburg self-sustaining.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Urban agriculture, self-sufficiency, intermediate city, agricultural systems, food production