The integration of urban agriculture and the socio-economic landscape of future cities

Cities rely upon the provision of imported foods in order to feed their large populations. As a result, the ecological footprint of cities is far greater than their geographical areas. Through the integration of facade and roof-based food systems, agriculture within urban environments has the ability to grow vast amounts of food upon some of the most underused and undervalued areas of the built environment. Such large-scale agricultural systems would not only reduce a city's ecological footprint by reducing the need for imported foods, but they would also engage with the city at an economic and social level. The following paper aims to understand the additional positive impacts of urban agriculture - such as reduce air pollution, decrease depression, promote healthy lifestyles and create jobs - and postulates how such impacts might affect the physical health, mental well-being and financial security of urban populations. Urban agriculture is a viable driver of environmental change, but it is also a catalyst for social and economic reform.