Urban fusion: creating integrated productive landscapes

Abstract

Urban agriculture is an industry located within or in close proximity to a town, city or a metropolis, which grows, raises, processes and distributes a diversity of food to that urban area (Mougeot 2000). Traditionally, agricultural practices have been viewed as fringe or rural activities that do not belong in urban centers. As cities continue to grow, the distance between food production and consumers increases. On average, a meal eaten in America has traveled approximately 1,500 miles from field to plate (Hill 2008). This distance creates a system that requires food to be imported to cities and removes physical connections between urban populations and their source of food. Increased distances raise concerns of food security as urban areas are now dependent on outside sources. It will continue to be an issue in the future with fossil fuel depletion and the influence this will have on transportation costs and the cost of food. The quality of life in urban areas has also been compromised as centers grow. Individuals get lost in the fast-paced lifestyle of cities and lose the ability to interact socially. As urban populations continue to grow, it will be crucial to create centers that provide potential for a prosperous future. The placement of integrated productive landscapes in cities focuses food production locally while providing public spaces that encourage community interaction, helping transform the urban environment.

Like many cities, Kansas City, Missouri has created an urban structure void of food production, relying on food from outside sources. Additionally, the city lacks public spaces deterring community and social interaction. Integrated productive landscapes are presented as opportunities to introduce agriculture into the urban fabric using suitable sites located in the very heart of the city.

In this report, the Interstate 670 Corridor is re-envisioned as a productive landscape used to connect the community to local food and encourage social interaction. The corridor demonstrates the seamless integration of agriculture into Kansas City’s urban core, creating a multi-functional productive space that fuses with the public realm in a way that can be appreciated by those who experience it.