Making Local Planning Work for Urban Agriculture in the North American Context

Abstract

A small but growing literature is investigating the benefits of urban agriculture (UA) in North America, but there has been little analysis of the practical planning and policy implications of these practices. A review of the recent literature and an analysis of UA in Detroit, Toronto, and Montreal based on interviews with practitioners and other actors suggest that UA practices vary significantly and face cultural as well as legal and technical challenges. These findings support the view that UA belongs within planning and that municipalities have an important role to play in facilitating its development.