Cultivating Density
Transforming Underutilized Spaces into Social and Environmental Infrastructure
UNC Charlotte David R. Ravin School of Architecture, Charlotte, NC
This comparative study examines how urban agriculture efforts in Charlotte, North Carolina could be strengthened by adapting Taipei’s Garden City policy as a model for reconciling farming with the realities of urban density.
Since 2015, Taipei has been building a network of urban farms in underutilized spaces, such as street corners, irregular and vacant lots, on rooftops, and in schools, through their Taipei Garden City policy. In a highly dense metropolitan center that spares little space for traditional farming, this initiative has already produced over 750 edible green spaces in the past ten years.
Following analysis of Taipei’s policy and urban agriculture typologies, as well as exploring urban agriculture’s intertwined social and economic benefits, I suggested what a similar initiative might look like in Charlotte, including what kinds of “leftover” spaces could be appropriated as small-scale gardens. I also briefly explored how the city’s existing ecosystem of urban agriculture efforts could be strengthened by lessons from Taipei’s successful program.
If you’d like to see more of this project, please email me at enew302@gmail.com.
Left: Urban “happy farm” in Taipei, Taiwan