Urban horticulture

Salad lettuce cultivation at the Growing Communities‘ urban plot, in Springfield Park, Clapton, North London.

Small radish grown on a balcony in Barcelona city

A variety of flowers and vegetables grown under metal halide lamps

Urban and peri-urban horticulture (UPH) includes all horticultural crops grown for human consumption and ornamental use within and in the immediate surroundings of cities. Although crops have always been grown inside the city, the practice is expanding and gaining more attention. The products of UPH include a large variety of vegetables, cereals, flowers, ornamental trees, aromatic vegetables and mushrooms.

Generally, the types of crops cultivated vary according to the area, influenced by culture and tradition. In cities, short-cycle crops are preferred, while in the surroundings of the city crops with longer cycles are cultivated, for example in orchards.

In summary urban horticulture is defined as the production, functional use and impact of horticultural crops under urban conditions.

Production practices

Crops are grown in small gardens or larger fields, using traditional or high-tech and innovative practices. Some new techniques that have been adapted to the urban situation and tackle the main city restrictions are also documented. These include horticultural production on built-up land using various types of substrates (e.g. roof top, organic production and hydroponic production).

Urban and peri-urban horticulture in Africa

A report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Growing greener cities in Africa, states that market gardening – i.e. irrigated, commercial production of fruit and vegetables in areas designated for the purpose, or in other urban open spaces – is the single most important source of locally grown, fresh produce in 10 out of 27 African countries for which data are available. Market gardening produces most of all the leafy vegetables consumed in Accra, Dakar, Bangui, Brazzaville, Ibadan, Kinshasa and Yaoundé, cities that, between them, have a total population of 22.5 million. Market gardens provide around half of the leafy vegetable supply in Addis Ababa, Bissau and Libreville. The report says that in most of urban Africa, market gardening is an informal and often illegal activity, which has grown with little official recognition, regulation or support. Most gardeners have no formal title to their land, and many lose it overnight. Land suitable for horticulture is being taken for housing, industry and infrastructure. To maximize earnings from insecure livelihoods, many gardeners are overusing pesticide and urban wastewater.

See also

• Allotment gardens
• Folkewall
• Garden sharing
• Intercultural Garden
• Organic horticulture
• Urban agriculture
• Victory garden

Further reading

• Tixier, Philippe and de Bon, Hubert; 2006.Ch. 11. "Urban Horticulture" in Cities Farming for the Future - Urban Agriculture for Green and Productive Cities by René van Veenhuizen (Ed.), International Development Research Centre (Canada)

External links

• Growing greener cities: FAO programme for urban and peri-urban horticulture
• Periurban Vegetable Project, Philippines
• Urban Horticulture at Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
• Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - Urban Gardening Resources
• Guerilla and organic city gardening information by Journeytoforever
• Watch My Urban Garden - a National Film Board of Canada documentary