Food vs. city: Re-arranging the urban and rural

Abstract

We have lived in cities for thousands of years, but yet we are as dependent on food as we ever were. Food is the source to our existence and the cities we live in would not exist without farming. The city-centric population is due to double in 2050 and when it does, all the arable land on the planet will not be sufficient with the need for food. Yet we appear to live to live independent from the land that feeds us. In a Swedish perspective the relationship between the land and the city is most urgent in the region of Skåne. The region has the most arable land in Sweden and it is also where the land gets the most exploited. To reclaim exploited arable into food production again is nearly impossible. The current growing city transforms its surroundings into hardscapes (agriculture land turned into asphalt or buildings) which pushes food production further away from the consumer. The source of food is in another country, the process of making the food is controlled by a few large companies and the consumer meets the food in car-bound big box areas around the cities. It is necessary to involve all steps of food production in our cities, to increase food knowledge, to localize the food-chain and to prepare for the future. This thesis explores strategies and prototypes for how land and city can be treated with same value, how the urban and rural can co-exist instead of being conflicting. The site is located in the south-west of the region between the two major cities Malmö and Lund, and is defined by the existing infrastructure and its proximity to rail bound communication