Building continuous productive (peri-)urban landscapes

This chapter presents an overview of how urban agriculture can contribute to sustainable development while extending and developing the design theory underpinning this. Two new international Case Studies are used to ground theory in actual situations.
Increased prominence is being given to the essential role that nature and landscape play in cities by contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation while advancing biodiversity and enhancing the quality of urban life. Evidence also shows that urban and peri-urban agriculture provide one means to meet many of these objectives.
Urban and architectural design are used as a frame for exploring potential synergies between urban agricultural activities and sustainable urban development. Focusing on design concepts advocating landscape as an integral element of urban design, namely Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes (CPULs), Landscape Urbanism and theory related to urban sprawl and the Scattered Metropolis, CPUL theory is extended and further embedded in other dialogues. Previously implicit relationships to infrastructure and urban sprawl are developed.
Using new case studies developed by the authors in the German city Heidelberg and the Japanese ward of Tokyo, Nerima City, describe approaches that cities adopt to develop design-informed strategies for urban and peri-urban agriculture.