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Space and Food in the City

Cultivating Social Justice and Urban Governance through Urban Agriculture

  • Book
  • © 2018

Overview

Authors:
  1. Alec Thornton

    1. The University of New South Wales, UNSW Canberra, Australia

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  • Provides timely insight into the potential of Urban Agriculture to strengthen marginalised communities in Western cities

  • Makes important distinctions between Urban Agriculture in developed and developing countries in order to develop comprehensive case study analysis

  • Offers the potential for international and interdisciplinary appeal

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Table of contents (4 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-x
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  2. Introduction

    • Alec Thornton
    Pages 1-18

  3. Urban Agriculture: Overview of the Field and Early Models of Urban Food Governance

    • Alec Thornton
    Pages 19-47

  4. City Case Studies in Urban Governance and Urban Activism

    • Alec Thornton
    Pages 49-100

  5. Conclusion

    • Alec Thornton
    Pages 101-104

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 105-126
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Keywords

About this book

Urban social movements are influential agents in shaping cityscapes to reflect values and needs of communities. Alongside urban population growth, various forms of urban agriculture activity, such as community and market gardens, are expanding, globally. This book explores citizens’ ‘rights to city’ and alternative views on urban space and the growing importance of urban food systems.

Reviews

“Urban agriculture has been viewed by its supporters as one of the key means of improving the food security of marginalised city-based communities throughout the world. In this well-researched and provocative book Alec Thornton argues, however, that – in seeking to create new food futures - urban activism is largely thwarted under conditions of neoliberalism in the global North. In the global South, poor governance structures place a fetter on what can be achieved by local communities. Thornton argues that a much stronger culture of urban activism will be a crucial catalyst for the growth of urban agriculture. The book will be of interest to agri-food researchers, urban community activists, policy makers and a host of others committed to pursuing social equity and food justice.” (Geoffrey Lawrence PhD, FASSA, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Queensland, Australia)

“Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) are rightly attracting far greater attention worldwide in the light of renewed emphasis on urban food security in uncertain times and as a component of urban sustainability, greening and carbon footprint reduction initiatives. UPA’s many co-benefits are still weakly understood and Alec Thornton’s timely book blends empirical evidence with conceptual engagement very effectively in highlighting the key justice and equity issues involved. It should be read by all practitioners and academics concerned with urban sustainability writ large.” (David Simon, Director, Mistra Urban Futures, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden, and Professor of Development Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK)

Authors and Affiliations

  • The University of New South Wales, UNSW Canberra, Australia

    Alec Thornton

About the author

Alec Thornton is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at the University of New South Wales, Australia. He has a PhD in Development Studies (Sussex, UK). He is Research Associate at the School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg. His research takes a critical approach to rural and urban agriculture in developed and developing countries.

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