Home-grown food: How do urban form, socio-economic status, and ethnicity influence food gardens in Montreal?

Abstract

• We map residential food gardens at the lot level in the metropolitan area of Montreal, using visual interpretation of images. • We find nearly 7,500 gardens with important spatial clusters, representing 5%–13% of residential lots. • The number of gardens is significantly associated with urban form variables (density, single-family houses). • The number of gardens is higher in zones with more low-income households, more children, and fewer university degree holders. • Gardens are more numerous in zones with higher concentrations of Southern European and South Asian immigrants . • Policy of residential urban agriculture should be adaptive to this diversity of gardeners .