Abstract

Over the last decade or so, urban farming has become increasingly popular in different American cities. Academic literature has not fully explored the current state of urban agriculture and there is a lack of a national database with urban agricultural statistics. This study looks at the validity of urban agriculture and whether or not urban farming would flourish more in a city labeled as declining or in a city labeled as growing. In other words, how does city policy help or hinder urban agriculture in two different types of cities. To answer the given research question, the theoretical material about urban agriculture was first analyzed and discussed. After, relevant literature considering urban agriculture was collected. The literature review is then followed by a methods chapter that contains a particular methodology used to test the hypothesis. Finally, the theory and methodology were applied to two different cities: Boston, MA and Cleveland, OH. The findings reveal that urban farming is occurring in both types of cities, but it might flourish more in a declining city rather than a growing city. Urban agriculture works better in a declining city considering the vast amounts of vacant land and lower land values. However, to create a more comprehensive study on the current state of urban agriculture, more research must be collected.

Advisor

Jim Burnell

Department

Urban Studies

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences | Urban Studies and Planning

Publication Date

2017

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2017 Lily B. Turovsky