In: Urban Agriculture Magazine no 22. Building Resilient Cities pp. 37-38 June 2009

Abstract: The concept of resilient cities is increasingly heard today. Whereas in southern countries access to food is a major motivation for people to engage in urban agriculture, in northern cities, such as London, people are driven more by environmental reasons such as the damaging effects of excessive food miles. Regardless of the motivation, urban agriculture is a positive step toward greater resilience.

The paper can be read here www.ruaf.org/book/

In a series of interviews, estate residents explicitly expressed frustration at the “blank”, “bleak”, “disused”, “neglected”, “barren”, “grey” and “derelict” landscapes surrounding their homes, voicing instead a desire to re-use them “productively” through food-gardening. However, the PhD argues that while food is enunciated as the primary concept, it is a set of primary practices, such as the construction of the self-built, food-producing landscape, the creation of shared social narratives and the interaction with natural resources that dominate.

Below are several images taken during the research project.

Brookes Estate

St Johns estate, north London

In “London Gardener”. Journal of the London Historic Parks and Gardens Trust.

Volume fourteen. 2008-2009

A PDF of the article can be downloaded here: Mikey Tomkins London Gardener

The project is both digital (click here for digital version) or as a walk. The walk in 2010 was from the 5th – 20th September. In 2011 the walk will be repeated: August 18th – 4th September BOOKING FROM EARLY AUGUST

The edible map is a walking and talking project which explores the potential for a 25 hectare site in Hackney to grow food. Each walk last approximately one hour, thirty minutes. There are places for six people on each walk. The walks are not lectures but form part of a discussion about architecture, planning and food-gardening apparent exclusion and potential inclusion into the many spaces around the areas. The walks are audio recorded and used on a web version of the edible map. (click here for digital version)

Mikey Tomkins, local beekeeper and PhD student at the University of Brighton has created the project.

A. Viljoen¹, K. Bohn², M. Tomkins¹, and G. Denny³.

The joint paper can be read here: viljoen-luhort-22-7-09

The thesis asks the essential question – How much open, grassed land, is available around for the Elephant and Castle to grow food, and how many people would this feed?

The full thesis can be read at www.cityfarmer.org

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The apiary on the rooftop at the Royal Festival Hall was started in 2008 by myself and Andrew Hinton, with John Chapple of the London Beekeepers association taking the lead role. The main hive was designed as a scale model of the Royal Festival Hall and name the Royal Festival Hive.

Honey from both apiaries will be on sale at the London Honey Festival, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London. 21st August, 2011.

These photographs, taken over several years, document the activity of growing food in public space. This is an ongoing project.

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