New Forms of Urban Agriculture in Metropolitan Areas: Examples from Italy

Abstract

In Europe, the dynamics of urban development has been a significant driverDrivers of high consumption of land and agricultural resources, producing complex landscapesLandscape with a highly heterogeneous mix of urban and non-urban uses. Within the mosaic of these non-urbanized areas, cultivated landCultivated land and farmlands are ecosystems able to supply all three major categories of ecosystem services:Ecosystem services provisioning, regulating and cultural servicesCultural services. Apart from the most tangible services (food and fiber), other relevant services are provided by agriculture, such as the maintenance of soil fertility, water regulation, carbon sequestrationCarbon sequestration and cultural servicesCultural services (rural viewscapes, cultural heritage). In this scenario of landscapeLandscape transformations, new forms of urban agricultureUrban agriculture (NFUA) are emerging worldwide as practices that aim at meeting local demand for food, protecting farmlands from urban development and offering cultural opportunities for people living in urban and metropolitan areasMetropolitan area. In this chapter, some exemplar and recent examples of different types of NFUA (urban farms, communityCommunity-supported agriculture, allotmentGarden gardensAllotment garden and agricultural parks) implemented in Italy are presented, as representative and concrete attempts to plan new sustainable planningPlanning scenarios for contemporary metropolitan landscapesLandscape.