Nature-based solutions for agriculture in circular cities: Challenges, gaps, and opportunities

Alba Canet-Martí; Rocío Pineda-Martos; Ranka Junge; Katrin Bohn; Teresa A. Paço; Cecilia Delgado; Gitana Alenčikienė; Siv Lene Gangenes Skar; Gösta F.M. Baganz

doi:10.3390/w13182565

Nature-based solutions for agriculture in circular cities: Challenges, gaps, and opportunities

Alba Canet-Martí, Rocío Pineda-Martos, Ranka Junge, Katrin Bohn, Teresa A. Paço, Cecilia Delgado, Gitana Alenčikienė, Siv Lene Gangenes Skar, Gösta F.M. Baganz

School of Arch, Tech and Eng

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Urban agriculture (UA) plays a key role in the circular metabolism of cities, as it can use water resources, nutrients, and other materials recovered from streams that currently leave the city as solid waste or as wastewater to produce new food and biomass. The ecosystem services of urban green spaces and infrastructures and the productivity of specific urban agricultural technologies have been discussed in literature. However, the understanding of input and output (I/O) streams of different nature-based solutions (NBS) is not yet sufficient to identify the challenges and opportunities they offer for strengthening circularity in UA. We propose a series of agriculture NBS, which, implemented in cities, would address circularity challenges in different urban spaces. To identify the challenges, gaps, and opportunities related to the enhancement of resources management of agriculture NBS, we evaluated NBS units, interventions, and supporting units, and analyzed I/O streams as links of urban circularity. A broader understanding of the food-related urban streams is important to recover resources and adapt the distribution system accordingly. As a result, we pinpointed the gaps that hinder the development of UA as a potential opportunity within the framework of the Circular City.

Original language	English
Article number	2565
Number of pages	22
Journal	Water (Switzerland)
Volume	13
Issue number	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/w13182565
Publication status	Published - 17 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments: The work was carried out within the COST Action CA17133 Circular City (“Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city”, https://circular-city.eu/| https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA17133/, duration 22 Oct 2018—21 Oct 2022). COST Actions are funded within the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (currently: Horizon Europe). The authors are grateful for the support. T.A.P. acknowledges FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the research unit UID/AGR/04129/LEAF. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge all participants of the Circular City workshops that contributed during the discussions to the development of the urban agriculture-related nature-based solutions framework, especially to Celestina M.G. Pedras, G. Adrian Peticilă, and Mart Külvik.

Funding Information:
The APC was funded by the COST Action CA17133 Circular City.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

Nutrient streams
Resources management
Urban agriculture
Urban circularity challenges
Urban food systems
Urban sustainability

Access to Document

10.3390/w13182565Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{45b082d526574e7198e1c84fcc9f89ad,

title = "Nature-based solutions for agriculture in circular cities: Challenges, gaps, and opportunities",

abstract = "Urban agriculture (UA) plays a key role in the circular metabolism of cities, as it can use water resources, nutrients, and other materials recovered from streams that currently leave the city as solid waste or as wastewater to produce new food and biomass. The ecosystem services of urban green spaces and infrastructures and the productivity of specific urban agricultural technologies have been discussed in literature. However, the understanding of input and output (I/O) streams of different nature-based solutions (NBS) is not yet sufficient to identify the challenges and opportunities they offer for strengthening circularity in UA. We propose a series of agriculture NBS, which, implemented in cities, would address circularity challenges in different urban spaces. To identify the challenges, gaps, and opportunities related to the enhancement of resources management of agriculture NBS, we evaluated NBS units, interventions, and supporting units, and analyzed I/O streams as links of urban circularity. A broader understanding of the food-related urban streams is important to recover resources and adapt the distribution system accordingly. As a result, we pinpointed the gaps that hinder the development of UA as a potential opportunity within the framework of the Circular City.",

keywords = "Nutrient streams, Resources management, Urban agriculture, Urban circularity challenges, Urban food systems, Urban sustainability",

author = "Alba Canet-Mart{\'i} and Roc{\'i}o Pineda-Martos and Ranka Junge and Katrin Bohn and Pa{\c c}o, {Teresa A.} and Cecilia Delgado and Gitana Alen{\v c}ikienė and Skar, {Siv Lene Gangenes} and Baganz, {G{\"o}sta F.M.}",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments: The work was carried out within the COST Action CA17133 Circular City (“Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city”, https://circular-city.eu/| https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA17133/, duration 22 Oct 2018—21 Oct 2022). COST Actions are funded within the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (currently: Horizon Europe). The authors are grateful for the support. T.A.P. acknowledges FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the research unit UID/AGR/04129/LEAF. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge all participants of the Circular City workshops that contributed during the discussions to the development of the urban agriculture-related nature-based solutions framework, especially to Celestina M.G. Pedras, G. Adrian Peticil{\u a}, and Mart K{\"u}lvik. Funding Information: The APC was funded by the COST Action CA17133 Circular City. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2021",

month = sep,

day = "17",

doi = "10.3390/w13182565",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

journal = "Water (Switzerland)",

issn = "2073-4441",

publisher = "MDPI",

number = "18",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nature-based solutions for agriculture in circular cities

T2 - Challenges, gaps, and opportunities

AU - Canet-Martí, Alba

AU - Pineda-Martos, Rocío

AU - Junge, Ranka

AU - Bohn, Katrin

AU - Paço, Teresa A.

AU - Delgado, Cecilia

AU - Alenčikienė, Gitana

AU - Skar, Siv Lene Gangenes

AU - Baganz, Gösta F.M.

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments: The work was carried out within the COST Action CA17133 Circular City (“Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city”, https://circular-city.eu/| https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA17133/, duration 22 Oct 2018—21 Oct 2022). COST Actions are funded within the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (currently: Horizon Europe). The authors are grateful for the support. T.A.P. acknowledges FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the research unit UID/AGR/04129/LEAF. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge all participants of the Circular City workshops that contributed during the discussions to the development of the urban agriculture-related nature-based solutions framework, especially to Celestina M.G. Pedras, G. Adrian Peticilă, and Mart Külvik. Funding Information: The APC was funded by the COST Action CA17133 Circular City. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021/9/17

Y1 - 2021/9/17

N2 - Urban agriculture (UA) plays a key role in the circular metabolism of cities, as it can use water resources, nutrients, and other materials recovered from streams that currently leave the city as solid waste or as wastewater to produce new food and biomass. The ecosystem services of urban green spaces and infrastructures and the productivity of specific urban agricultural technologies have been discussed in literature. However, the understanding of input and output (I/O) streams of different nature-based solutions (NBS) is not yet sufficient to identify the challenges and opportunities they offer for strengthening circularity in UA. We propose a series of agriculture NBS, which, implemented in cities, would address circularity challenges in different urban spaces. To identify the challenges, gaps, and opportunities related to the enhancement of resources management of agriculture NBS, we evaluated NBS units, interventions, and supporting units, and analyzed I/O streams as links of urban circularity. A broader understanding of the food-related urban streams is important to recover resources and adapt the distribution system accordingly. As a result, we pinpointed the gaps that hinder the development of UA as a potential opportunity within the framework of the Circular City.

AB - Urban agriculture (UA) plays a key role in the circular metabolism of cities, as it can use water resources, nutrients, and other materials recovered from streams that currently leave the city as solid waste or as wastewater to produce new food and biomass. The ecosystem services of urban green spaces and infrastructures and the productivity of specific urban agricultural technologies have been discussed in literature. However, the understanding of input and output (I/O) streams of different nature-based solutions (NBS) is not yet sufficient to identify the challenges and opportunities they offer for strengthening circularity in UA. We propose a series of agriculture NBS, which, implemented in cities, would address circularity challenges in different urban spaces. To identify the challenges, gaps, and opportunities related to the enhancement of resources management of agriculture NBS, we evaluated NBS units, interventions, and supporting units, and analyzed I/O streams as links of urban circularity. A broader understanding of the food-related urban streams is important to recover resources and adapt the distribution system accordingly. As a result, we pinpointed the gaps that hinder the development of UA as a potential opportunity within the framework of the Circular City.

KW - Nutrient streams

KW - Resources management

KW - Urban agriculture

KW - Urban circularity challenges

KW - Urban food systems

KW - Urban sustainability

U2 - 10.3390/w13182565

DO - 10.3390/w13182565

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85114102725

SN - 2073-4441

VL - 13

JO - Water (Switzerland)

JF - Water (Switzerland)

IS - 18

M1 - 2565

ER -

Nature-based solutions for agriculture in circular cities: Challenges, gaps, and opportunities

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this