The Urban Identity

History reveals that there is indeed the precedent of change and reoccurrence that has a  significant effect on the landscapes of our cities. Think, Versailles, when Louis XIV  expressed his integrated vision of garden design, urbanism, and food production. The king’s kitchen garden featured 22 acres of ornamental vegetable beds and walled orchards. Or during the period of the World Wars, “Victory Gardens,” concept was implemented internationally by the millions. These examples demonstrates that even  though change and reoccurrence occurred, in this case a fundamental element,  agriculture, that the time symbolizes the period in which it was built adapting to many diverse circumstances. The Food System Present Times The current food system is not sustainable. It is lacking in access, structure, and affordance as well as causing environmental, social and economic influences. The mobility of people and products has made direct disconnect with the resources we need to survive, Environmental impact of the food system,   Reliance to industry. As our resources are depleted, cities expand and housing developments replace farmland, the ability to grow more food sustainability and seamlessly integrated into our urban space becomes more important.

Rational for study

For humans to “be alive” or for them to sustain existence they are constantly changing their need for built and natural environments and the increasing need for more resources. What is the case? Can a vacant lot grow enough food to feed a typical urban family? What is the most significant identifying feature of the case? Vacant lot, Sustainability, Typical family Who are the significant individuals, teams, and institutions? Typical Family of 5, Father, Roger; Mother, Geri Ann; Sons, Oscar, Ethan; Daughter; Rae Lynn What is the significant lesson derived from the case? The lesson derived from this case is to utilize brown fields to support a food system for a typical urban family.       What are the appropriate teaching/ learning applications? With proper education we (even a typical family) can reuse our vacant brownfields as a sustainable food system.                                        Does this case represent alternatives or innovations in the accepted mainstream of professional practice? An urban farm seems almost as farfetched as a typical family having their own  sustainable food system in an urban environment but it is starting to go main stream.