The 9 PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY
Agriculture and Food Security
As cities continue to grow, it’s becoming increasingly important to find ways to ensure that all community members have access to affordable, locally sourced foods.
Urban agriculture, the practice of growing, maintaining, and distributing food in an urban environment, is an innovative approach to sustainable city building that leads to healthy, strong, and sustainable communities. Urban agriculture encourages community collaboration as community members come together to plan and cultivate urban gardens, promoting social interaction and inclusivity. The gardens themselves provide spaces in the city for people to gather and learn, increasing a community’s sense of pride and strengthening the social and emotional well-being of community members.
Urban agriculture reduces a city’s carbon footprint by limiting the amount of pollution and waste caused by food packaging and transportation. Urban agriculture also serves to increase environmental awareness, leading to healthier communities that have access to nutritional food. Urban gardens provide community members with the opportunity to learn about the benefits of locally sourced foods, healthy eating practices and food preparation. Increasing access to food literacy is an important way to create sustainable, healthy communities within cities.
