Urban agriculture in Korea and in English public open spaces and parks


If the above open space was in England it would surely be managed as vacant gark-land, for two reasons (1) views of grassland are thought to have public health benefits, because it was once believed that dirty air (rather than dirty water) was the cause of infectious disease (2) because it is believed that any food which is not fenced-in will be harvested by marauding gangs of theiving youths. So England has hectare-upon-hectare of mown-but-scarcely-used urban grass land – and Korea, like Japan and other SE Asian countries, has agriculture which still prospers in urban areas. The photograph does not have the beauty so often seen in agricultural landscapes – but this would surely be achievable. I would not want London’s parks to be any less functional or any less beautiful. But I would like to see producing food and am sure it could be healthier and tastier than shop food which has been over-irrigated, over-fed and over-treated with pesticides. Does anyone know of any good examples ‘beautiful urban food’ to inspire Londons park designers and planners?

Image courtesy Steph L

Video on rooftop farming in New York City NYC:

14 thoughts on “Urban agriculture in Korea and in English public open spaces and parks

  1. Jo

    I don’t really know if this is a good example, but it’s a so called ‘City Farm’ in chicago. And they show several positive effects of growing food in an urban area.

    It is really appreciated by the residents around it, and by local Restaurants, who get a great part of their food from this local farm.

    The video is a little bit weird in my opinion, but it might be an example of what it could be?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KNcl33-XGkµ

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  2. Tian Yuan

    Chinese landscape project about “urban argricultue” I knew is “Shenyang Architectural University Campus” by Turenscape.
    http://www.asla.org/awards/2005/05winners/090.html)

    Although the project has a “stereotypical landscape pattern” but it is a good idea to have “productive landscape” in Campus of Chinese university.

    Another example may be Huazhong Agriculture University,which is not a professional landscape design project, but a cole flowers experimental field. But I think it is a very good urban landscape of argriculture, which can provide “cheapest” beauty using energy plant for our city.

    Here is the spring photo of it:
    http://user.qzone.qq.com/397136607?ADUIN=306531624&ADSESSION=1290135325&ADTAG=CLIENT.QQ.3067_FriendTip.0&ptlang=2052

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  3. Christine

    I guess you could plant them out as food gardens…and they are very beautiful!

    I also really like these rain gutter gardens.[ http://livinglime.ca/2009/04/28/raingutter-gardens/ ] However compared to the vertical garden in San Vincente Town Square in Spain they are just a tiny gesture. [ http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/08/04/beautiful-vertical-garden-in-san-vicente-town-square/ ] (Oh, and the vertical garden is towards beautiful…)

    However, there is something also to be said artistically for the loss of turf!
    [ http://farm1.static.flickr.com/64/202565433_36ac58d12c_o.jpg ]

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  4. Tom Turner Post author

    Yuan, the cole flower is beautiful. Do you know if it is the same plant we call Oil Seed Rape (Brassica napus). I think the word cole is equivalent to kale, though kale is generally used in English for a rather coarse cabbage which was a staple of the medieval diet. I like the idea of a Cole Flower Festival.
    Christine, I agree about the gutter gardens – and it has given me an idea for making use of the idea. I like the rolling turf too but can’t see myself trying out the idea.

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  5. Tom Turner Post author

    The timeline shows that the Cole Flower has been grown in China for much longer than in Europe. I do not remember seeing it Scotland until about 1980 and I do not think it has a place in popular culture.

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