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Multifunctional urban green infrastructure (UGI) can regulate stormwater, mitigate heat islands, conserve biodiversity and biocultural diversity, and produce food, among other functions. Equitable governance of UGI requires new tools for sharing pertinent information. Our goal was to develop a public-access geographic information system (GIS) that can be used for comprehensive UGI planning in Washington, DC (the District) and to create an e-tool for UGI in the form of Tableau dashboards. The dashboards allow stakeholders to identify (1) existing UGI and (2) potential areas for new UGI including urban agriculture (UA). They also allow users to manipulate the data and identify priority locations for equitable UGI development by applying population vulnerability indices and other filters. We demonstrate use of the dashboards through scenarios focusing on UA in the District, which currently has 150 ha of existing UGI in the form of documented projects and an additional 2734 ha potentially suitable for UGI development. A total of 2575 ha is potentially suitable for UA, with 56% of that area in Wards 5, 7, and 8, which are largely food deserts and whose residents are primarily Black and experience the greatest inequities. Our work can serve as a model for similar digital tools in other locales using Tableau and other platforms.
John Taylor; Mamatha Hanumappa; Lara Miller; Brendan Shane; Matthew Richardson. Facilitating Multifunctional Green Infrastructure Planning in Washington, DC through a Tableau Interface. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8390 .
AMA StyleJohn Taylor, Mamatha Hanumappa, Lara Miller, Brendan Shane, Matthew Richardson. Facilitating Multifunctional Green Infrastructure Planning in Washington, DC through a Tableau Interface. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (15):8390.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn Taylor; Mamatha Hanumappa; Lara Miller; Brendan Shane; Matthew Richardson. 2021. "Facilitating Multifunctional Green Infrastructure Planning in Washington, DC through a Tableau Interface." Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8390.
Urban landscapes combining trees and crops—urban agroforestry (UAF) systems—may offer greater ecological and cultural benefits than annual cropping systems. Interest in UAF is growing, as evidenced by an increasing number of built projects and articles in the popular press and the academic literature on the subject. However, the practice of UAF appears to far outpace research on its scientific underpinnings or its design. Developing sustainable, resilient UAF sites can be challenging because of biophysical and sociocultural conditions unique to the city; however, cities offer opportunities not found in rural environments including the potential to close open nutrient loops between consumers and sites of food production. We argue that these biophysical and sociocultural challenges and opportunities can be best addressed through an evidence-based approach to the design of UAF systems and a complex ecological aesthetic design language integrating theory, principles, and practices from urban agroecology and allied fields, environmental psychology, and landscape architecture. The resulting multifunctional UAF systems would be socially sustainable and equitable and promote the circular metabolism of the city. Drawing on a purposive review of literature from these disciplines, we propose a preliminary framework consisting of 14 guidelines and complementary principles and strategies for the design of multifunctional, culturally preferred UAF and offer recommendations for future research.
John R. Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell. Designing multifunctional urban agroforestry with people in mind. Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems 2021, 6, e20016 .
AMA StyleJohn R. Taylor, Sarah Taylor Lovell. Designing multifunctional urban agroforestry with people in mind. Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems. 2021; 6 (1):e20016.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn R. Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell. 2021. "Designing multifunctional urban agroforestry with people in mind." Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems 6, no. 1: e20016.
Urban agriculture could play a central role in local and regional food sovereignty in developed countries, but in many cities, a lack of space and competition with other land uses limit production. Options for meaningfully advancing food sovereignty goals include sustainable intensification of existing urban farms and gardens; (2) expansion of production into interstitial and other underutilized spaces undevelopable for other purposes; and (3) expansion of production in protected environments. Observational studies suggest that–like smallholder agriculture in the Global South–urban home, community, and market gardens in the developed world can be highly productive–but often are not. Research on scale-appropriate systems and outreach to urban agriculturalists are needed to help them grow more food, more sustainably. This replicated, long-term trial is addressing this need—and a dearth of experimental, normative research on urban agriculture—by evaluating the yield performance and impact on soil quality of four different systems of small-scale food production in Rhode Island, the second most densely populated state in the United States and a potential model for the development of sustainable urban food systems. Systems are modeled on vernacular systems in Providence, RI and Chicago, IL and on the scholarly and gray literature on sustainable intensification. They differ in soil management practices and nutrient sources. Results from the first 3 years of data collection indicate all four systems can be highly productive, with varying tradeoffs in terms of their sustainability and impacts on soil quality. While total marketable food yields were relatively modest compared to those reported in the gray literature for biointensive agriculture−2.22–2.96 kg m−2 averaged over three summer growing seasons compared to 4.64 kg m−2 for the “low end” of biointensive production—yields for individual crops generally exceeded—and often far exceeded—regional averages and, for most crops and systems, national averages, without a loss in soil quality. In addition to demonstrating the high productivity of small-scale systems compared to commercial farms, the study establishes a framework for conducting normative, experimental research that can help to guide practice. It also offers more reliable yield estimates for modeling the production potential of cities than do observational studies and agronomic experiments on monocultures.
John R. Taylor. Modeling the Potential Productivity of Urban Agriculture and Its Impacts on Soil Quality Through Experimental Research on Scale-Appropriate Systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 2020, 4, 1 .
AMA StyleJohn R. Taylor. Modeling the Potential Productivity of Urban Agriculture and Its Impacts on Soil Quality Through Experimental Research on Scale-Appropriate Systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2020; 4 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn R. Taylor. 2020. "Modeling the Potential Productivity of Urban Agriculture and Its Impacts on Soil Quality Through Experimental Research on Scale-Appropriate Systems." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 4, no. : 1.
Urban food production is conducted in highly heterogeneous environments that have undergone considerable manipulation by building, demolition, and/or industrial pollution. This study evaluated soil quality characteristics in urban sites currently used for vegetable production across an urban to peri‐urban gradient in Chicago, IL, USA. Twenty‐one sites were classified based on the scale of management as private home gardens, community gardens, institutional farms, and private urban farms. We quantified indicators of soil fertility, nematode trophic composition, and indicators of the food web status (Maturity Index, Enrichment Index, Channel Index, and Structure Index). We also quantified concentrations of soil contaminants including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and zinc (Zn). Analysis of free‐living nematode families suggested that communities differ across sites based on their scale of management and are likely influenced by soil organic matter and soil pH. Concentrations of Pb, As, and Zn were below the levels of concern and did not influence nematode community structure. Finally, soil fertility was significantly increased by management, particularly in community gardens and urban farms. Adoption of best management practices in urban agriculture, such as reduced mixing through tillage, and the use of soil testing as a decision‐support tool that helps optimize compost application, would reduce potential ecosystem disservices and promote food webs with greater functional diversity.
Carmen M. Ugarte; John R. Taylor. Chemical and biological indicators of soil health in Chicago urban gardens and farms. Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems 2020, 5, 1 .
AMA StyleCarmen M. Ugarte, John R. Taylor. Chemical and biological indicators of soil health in Chicago urban gardens and farms. Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems. 2020; 5 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarmen M. Ugarte; John R. Taylor. 2020. "Chemical and biological indicators of soil health in Chicago urban gardens and farms." Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems 5, no. 1: 1.
Evidence has been slowly accumulating that the urban home gardens of immigrants or transnational migrants in the USA conserve food plant diversity with roots in the developing world. Published species lists for home gardens indicate that, at least at the species level, this diversity is not novel but consists of widely grown, culturally important plant species that are also available through the horticultural trade. In 2018, we returned to the home garden of a Mexican-origin household in Chicago and confirmed the identity of a plant provisionally identified as Jaltomata darcyana during an earlier inventory of the garden. A recently named species of Central America, J. darcyana has not been previously recorded in cultivation. Collection of this species from a Chicago garden suggests that urban gardens may harbor other novel species awaiting documentation by urban ecologists and botanists.
John Taylor; Thomas Mione. Collection of Jaltomata darcyana (Solanaceae), previously unrecorded in cultivation, from a home garden in Chicago, IL. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 2019, 35, 490 -492.
AMA StyleJohn Taylor, Thomas Mione. Collection of Jaltomata darcyana (Solanaceae), previously unrecorded in cultivation, from a home garden in Chicago, IL. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 2019; 35 (5):490-492.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn Taylor; Thomas Mione. 2019. "Collection of Jaltomata darcyana (Solanaceae), previously unrecorded in cultivation, from a home garden in Chicago, IL." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 35, no. 5: 490-492.
Inventory requirements for authorized Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers have undergone several revisions to increase the availability of healthful foods. A proposed rule of 84 staple food items was not implemented due to concerns that stores would not withstand this expansion, resulting in a final rule requiring 36 items. This study used the Food Access Research Atlas data to characterize food provisions in 30 small retailers in areas with high and low proportions of SNAP and racial minority residents in Providence, Rhode Island (RI). Stores were assessed with an audit instrument to tally variety, perishability, and depth of stock of four staple food categories. Descriptive, analysis of variance, and chi-square analyses were performed. Across stores, 80% were compliant with the final rule, but 66.7% would need to expand their offerings to meet the proposed rule. Mean dairy variety was lowest among all categories (p < 0.05). Most stores met the perishability (92.3%) and depth-of-stock requirements (96.1%) under both rules. No difference was detected between areas with high and low proportions of SNAP and racial minority residents. Future expansion of requirements may increase healthful food availability without imposing undue burdens on retailers in Providence, RI, excluding increased requirements for dairy variety.
Yuyao Huang; Alison Tovar; John Taylor; Maya Vadiveloo. Staple Food Item Availability among Small Retailers in Providence, RI. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 1052 .
AMA StyleYuyao Huang, Alison Tovar, John Taylor, Maya Vadiveloo. Staple Food Item Availability among Small Retailers in Providence, RI. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16 (6):1052.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYuyao Huang; Alison Tovar; John Taylor; Maya Vadiveloo. 2019. "Staple Food Item Availability among Small Retailers in Providence, RI." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 6: 1052.
With increasing urbanization and environmental degradation, urban landscapes are increasingly expected to provide a wide range of ecosystem services typically associated with rural areas, including biodiversity conservation and food production. Because residential landscapes constitute the largest single urban land use, domestic gardens have emerged as a topic of research interest and planning concern. The ecosystem services (or disservices) these landscapes provide, however, have not been rigorously measured, nor have tradeoffs between the services they provide been assessed. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 African American, Chinese-origin or Mexican-origin households with on-lot or vacant lot food gardens in Chicago. Crop plants and cultivated ornamental plants on the lot were inventoried and mapped at the species level. A total of 123 edible plant taxa from 25 families and 288 ornamental plant species from 85 families were identified, for a combined total of 387 species from 90 families. Cumulatively, the gardens of African American households were relatively rich in ornamental plant species and families, while those of Chinese-origin households had a depauperate flora. Crop plant richness was more even across sample types. Shade trees and a developed shrub layer were absent from most gardens, possibly representing a tradeoff in ecosystem services in favor of food production. The richness of the aggregate 2.1 ha of residential property inventoried in this study was comparable with or exceeded that of a 34 ha prairie remnant west of Chicago. However, only 35 (9.6%) of the inventoried species were native to the Chicago area.
John Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell; Sam Wortman; Michelle Chan. Ecosystem services and tradeoffs in the home food gardens of African American, Chinese-origin and Mexican-origin households in Chicago, IL. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 2016, 32, 69 -86.
AMA StyleJohn Taylor, Sarah Taylor Lovell, Sam Wortman, Michelle Chan. Ecosystem services and tradeoffs in the home food gardens of African American, Chinese-origin and Mexican-origin households in Chicago, IL. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 2016; 32 (1):69-86.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell; Sam Wortman; Michelle Chan. 2016. "Ecosystem services and tradeoffs in the home food gardens of African American, Chinese-origin and Mexican-origin households in Chicago, IL." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 32, no. 1: 69-86.
In the United States, interest in urban farms and community gardens is flourishing, yet the urban home food garden (UHFG) and its contributions to urban systems have been overlooked and understudied. To begin to address this gap, we are conducting a mixed methods study of African American, Chinese-origin and Mexican-origin households with home gardens in Chicago, IL. Study methods include in-depth interviews, participant observation, ethnobotanical surveys and analysis of the chemical and physical properties of garden soils. As of this writing, findings indicate that home gardening has an array of beneficial effects, contributing to household food budgets and community food systems, the reproduction of cultural identity and urban biodiversity. The majority of informants in the study were internal or international migrants. For these individuals, gardening, culture-specific food plant assemblages and the foodways they support represent a continuation of cultural practices and traditional agroecological knowledge associated with their place of origin. The gardens of some migrant households also harbor urban agrobiodiversity with roots in the Global South. At the same time, gardens may have less salubrious effects on urban systems and populations. A lack of knowledge of safe gardening practices may expose vulnerable populations to environmental hazards such as soil contaminants. Gardeners in this study reported using synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides, sometimes indiscriminately, and the repeated application of synthetic fertilizers and compost may contribute to the nutrient loading of urban stormwater runoff. These effects may be moderated by the relatively low bulk density and high porosity of garden soils due to tillage and the application of organic matter, which can be expected to enhance stormwater infiltration. While the UHFG's potential contributions to urban systems are significant, outreach and research are needed to help gardeners grow food safely and sustainably in ways that contribute to overall ecosystem health.
John R. Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell. Urban home gardens in the Global North: A mixed methods study of ethnic and migrant home gardens in Chicago, IL. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 2014, 30, 22 -32.
AMA StyleJohn R. Taylor, Sarah Taylor Lovell. Urban home gardens in the Global North: A mixed methods study of ethnic and migrant home gardens in Chicago, IL. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 2014; 30 (1):22-32.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn R. Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell. 2014. "Urban home gardens in the Global North: A mixed methods study of ethnic and migrant home gardens in Chicago, IL." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 30, no. 1: 22-32.
In the United States, interest in urban agriculture has grown dramatically. While community gardens have sprouted across the landscape, home food gardens—arguably an ever-present, more durable form of urban agriculture—have been overlooked, understudied, and unsupported by government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academics. In part a response to the invisibility of home gardens, this paper is a manifesto for their study in the Global North. It seeks to develop a multi-scalar and multidisciplinary research framework that acknowledges the garden’s social and ecological or material dimensions. Given the lack of existing research, we draw on the more extensive literature on home gardens in the South and community gardens in the North to develop a set of hypotheses about the social-ecological effects of urban home food gardens in the North. These gardens, we hypothesize, contribute to food security, community development, cultural reproduction, and resilience at multiple scales; conserve agrobiodiversity; and support urban biodiversity. They may also have negative ecological effects, such as stormwater nutrient loading. Because of the entanglement of the social and the ecological or material in the garden, we review three theoretical perspectives—social ecological systems theory, actor-network theory, and assemblage theory—that have been or could be applied to the multi-scalar and multidisciplinary study of the garden. We also review sampling and analytic methods for conducting home garden research. The paper concludes with a discussion of opportunities to extend the research agenda beyond descriptive analysis, the primary focus of garden research to date.
John R. Taylor; Sarah Lovell. Urban home food gardens in the Global North: research traditions and future directions. Agriculture and Human Values 2013, 31, 285 -305.
AMA StyleJohn R. Taylor, Sarah Lovell. Urban home food gardens in the Global North: research traditions and future directions. Agriculture and Human Values. 2013; 31 (2):285-305.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn R. Taylor; Sarah Lovell. 2013. "Urban home food gardens in the Global North: research traditions and future directions." Agriculture and Human Values 31, no. 2: 285-305.
Although always a part of city life, urban agriculture has recently attracted increased attention from diverse groups in the United States, which promote it as a strategy for stimulating economic development, increasing food security and access, and combatting obesity and diabetes, among other goals. Developing effective policies and programs at the city or neighborhood level demands as a first step the accurate mapping of existing urban agriculture sites. Mapping efforts in major U.S. cities have been limited in their focus and methodology. Focusing on public sites of food production, such as community gardens, they have overlooked the actual and potential contribution of private spaces, including home food gardens, to local food systems. This paper describes a case study of urban agriculture in Chicago which used the manual analysis of high-resolution aerial images in Google Earth in conjunction with ArcGIS to identify and map public and private spaces of food production. The resulting spatial dataset demonstrates that urban agriculture is an extensive land use type with wide variations in the distribution of sites across the city. Only 13% of sites reported to be community gardening projects by nongovernment organizations and government agencies were determined, through image analysis, to be sites of food production. The production area of home gardens identified by the study is almost threefold that of community gardens. Study results suggest opportunities may exist for scaling up existing production networks—including home food gardens—and enhancing community food sovereignty by leveraging local knowledges of urban agriculture.
John R. Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell. Mapping public and private spaces of urban agriculture in Chicago through the analysis of high-resolution aerial images in Google Earth. Landscape and Urban Planning 2012, 108, 57 -70.
AMA StyleJohn R. Taylor, Sarah Taylor Lovell. Mapping public and private spaces of urban agriculture in Chicago through the analysis of high-resolution aerial images in Google Earth. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2012; 108 (1):57-70.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohn R. Taylor; Sarah Taylor Lovell. 2012. "Mapping public and private spaces of urban agriculture in Chicago through the analysis of high-resolution aerial images in Google Earth." Landscape and Urban Planning 108, no. 1: 57-70.