INCLUSIVE, GREEN AND PRODUCTIVE CITIES. THE ROLE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE

Attention to urban agriculture has increased markedly during the last couple of decades. Urban agriculture contributes to a wide variety of urban issues and is increasingly being accepted and used as a tool in sustainable city development. Some forms of urban and pen-urban agriculture are based on temporary use of vacant lands, but urban agriculture as such is a permanent feature of many cities in developing as well as in developed countries, and positively contributes to sustainable city development, if properly managed. In Gurpinar, Istanbul ETC-RUAF and TKG collaborated in a demonstration project providing food, income and empowerment for low-income women and their families. The project convinced urban authorities that agricultural production could enhance food security, employment creation, micro-enterprise development, waste recycling, and the building of communities.