Urban agriculture: Have you heard about Foodcityboost?

If you’re passionate about urban agriculture, I highly recommend checking out the Foodcityboost project. This initiative, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, aims to assess the impacts of urban farming on cities and communities.

The Role of Foodcityboost in Shaping Sustainable Cities

Foodcityboost brings together a diverse consortium of 20 researchers, academics, technologists, and policymakers (1), all working to deepen our understanding of the costs and benefits of urban farming. Their expertise spans a range of areas, including sustainable urban growth, community engagement, urban agriculture architecture, and governance.

The project is implemented through six "Living Labs" real-world testbeds where the tools and systems developed are put to the test. These Living Labs are located in:

* Almere (NL)

* Sofia (BG)

* Riga (LV)

* Valladolid (ES)

* Flanders and Brussels (BE)

* Wroclaw (PL)

These diverse environments foster innovation by bringing together a wide array of stakeholders—citizens, businesses, and researchers alike—working collaboratively to shape the future of urban farming.

The project’s research is structured around five key areas:

1. Social and Economic Impact of Urban Farming    This phase focuses on understanding how urban farming contributes socially and economically to city life. By analyzing social data, the project aims to demonstrate the value of urban agriculture in enhancing community well-being and economic development.	2. Environmental Impact    Here, the project assesses the environmental effects of urban farming, from resource use and biodiversity to soil health. The goal is to measure the impact across different types of urban farms and build a comprehensive understanding of their environmental footprint.	3. Policies and Governance    This work tackles the fragmented policies and lack of coordination that often hinder urban farming. The goal is to improve governance and create a more integrated approach to urban and peri-urban agriculture, strengthening collaboration between planners, policymakers, and practitioners.
4. Foresight Analysis    The project includes foresight analysis to create scenarios that explore different possible futures for urban farming. This step considers interactions with city planning, social trends, economics, and environmental challenges to envision how urban farming can evolve.	Unlocking urban farming's potential	5. Design of Novel Urban Farming Systems    Focused on innovation, this phase draws inspiration from existing urban farming practices to design new systems that are sustainable, adaptable, and future-ready. The development of new prototypes will take place in the Living Labs, where they will be tested and refined.

What to Expect?

By the end of the project, a suite of tools will be created to support policymakers in their decision-making processes. These tools include mapping ecosystem services, analyzing “foodsheds” (how cities source their food), and using spatial models to understand trade-offs. Additionally, a comprehensive set of policy recommendations, as well as reports on stakeholder workshops, will be available to influence urban agriculture policy across Europe by 2027.

A dedicated knowledge hub showcases all the research outputs—policy papers, press releases, videos, and other resources—to support both new and experienced stakeholders in the urban farming sector. The hub provides free resources to help practitioners develop new skills and expand their knowledge in this rapidly growing field.

Current Resources

Some resources are already available, including the Catalogue of Current Innovative Urban Agriculture Systems (2), which highlights pioneering urban farming systems with significant impacts on city revitalization and future food production. Additional publications—covering topics like the impact of urban agriculture on biodiversity and soil health, as well as innovative governance practices—will be released soon.

(1) For a full list of project partners, check out the project.

(2) This catalogue was compiled by the Research Centre in Urban Agriculture (C-RAU) of the University of Liege and ASTREDHOR—Institute of Plant Professionals.

#urbanagriculture #urbanfarming #periurbanagriculture #sustainablefoodsystem #sustainabledevelopment #ruraldevelopment