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The Environmental Benefits of Urban Agriculture on Unused, Impermeable and Semi-Permeable Spaces in Major Cities with a Focus on Philadelphia, PA

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The Environmental Benefits of Urban Agriculture on Unused, Impermeable and Semi-Permeable Spaces in Major Cities with a Focus on Philadelphia, PA University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Department of Earth and Environmental Projects Science 8-2012 The Environmental Benefits of Urban Agriculture on Unused, Impermeable and Semi-Permeable Spaces in Major Cities With a Focus on Philadelphia, PA Knizhnik L. Heather University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones Heather, Knizhnik L., "The Environmental Benefits of Urban Agriculture on Unused, Impermeable and Semi- Permeable Spaces in Major Cities With a Focus on Philadelphia, PA" (2012). Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Projects. 46. https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/46 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/46 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Environmental Benefits of Urban Agriculture on Unused, Impermeable and Semi-Permeable Spaces in Major Cities With a Focus on Philadelphia, PA Abstract Cities face many environmental challenges, including air and water quality issues, lack of sufficient green space, excess heat capture, polluted stormwater runoff and lack of ecological biodiversity. Urban agriculture presents a unique opportunity to utilize vacant or idle land and rooftops throughout cities for the production of healthy, pesticide-free food. Adding green spaces to a neighborhood, including community gardens and urban farms, is known to provide a number of social, health, economic and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, most studies have neglected to analyze the potential contributions of urban agriculture to improvement of ecological sustainability in cities. This study used a multi-pronged approach to examine the environmental benefits of urban agriculture on unused, vacant real estate or rooftops as compared to the alternative of leaving the land or space in its current state. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/46 THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF URBAN AGRICULTURE ON UNUSED, IMPERMEABLE AND SEMI-PERMEABLE SPACES IN MAJOR CITIES, WITH A FOCUS ON PHILADELPHIA, PA Heather L. Knizhnik August 2012 Christiaan Morssink Domenic Vitiello 1 I. Dedication I would like to dedicate this study to my son-to-be, who will emerge to see the world in about a month. This is for him and the other children of his generation, who will hopefully see more gardens and less vacant lots. 2 II. Acknowledgements I would not have been able to complete this study without the advice and knowledge of my capstone advisors, Dr. Christiaan Morssink, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Dr. Domenic Vitiello, of PennDesign. They have both been extremely helpful in providing a framework for my research and offering a wealth of valuable ideas and suggestions throughout the entire course of my research. I must also thoroughly acknowledge my very supportive husband, who has not only shown unlimited patience throughout this process, but has also helped me to stay focused and keep everything in perspective. I would also like to thank a few non-profits in West Philadelphia, for their promotion of urban agriculture and their contribution to the community. Mariposa Food Co-op, to which I belong as a member, supports West Philadelphia community farms by selling their produce. Bartram’s Garden Community Farm and Food Resource Center provides opportunities for West Philadelphia youth to grow and sell nutritious fruits and vegetables, while also employing measures to improve the environment with agriculture. Finally, University City District deserves a great deal of credit for promoting sustainability in the neighborhood, through educational programming for residents on a variety of “green” topics, to distributing compost bins, to supporting large projects like the Dirt Factory. 3 III. ABSTRACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF URBAN AGRICULTURE ON UNUSED, IMPERMEABLE AND SEMI-PERMEABLE SPACES IN MAJOR CITIES WITH A FOCUS ON PHILADELPHIA, PA Heather Knizhnik Christiaan Morssink Cities face many environmental challenges, including air and water quality issues, lack of sufficient green space, excess heat capture, polluted stormwater runoff and lack of ecological biodiversity. Urban agriculture presents a unique opportunity to utilize vacant or idle land and rooftops throughout cities for the production of healthy, pesticide-free food. Adding green spaces to a neighborhood, including community gardens and urban farms, is known to provide a number of social, health, economic and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, most studies have neglected to analyze the potential contributions of urban agriculture to improvement of ecological sustainability in cities. This study used a multi-pronged approach to examine the environmental benefits of urban agriculture on unused, vacant real estate or rooftops as compared to the alternative of leaving the land or space in its current state. 4 IV. Table of Contents I. Dedication ................................................................................................................... 2 II. Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... 3 III. ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. 4 V. List of Tables and Figures ........................................................................................... 6 VI. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 7 1. Philadelphia and a New Plan for the Future ....................................................... 12 B. Urban Agriculture’s Environmental Benefits ..................................................... 13 1. Vacant Lots and Empty Rooftops ....................................................................... 13 C. Reducing Stormwater Runoff ............................................................................. 17 1. Soil Quality and Infiltration in Vacant Lots ....................................................... 19 2. Stormwater Diversion through Rainwater Capture ............................................ 23 3. Vegetative Stormwater Absorption..................................................................... 24 4. Stormwater Benefits Calculations ...................................................................... 30 D. The Urban Heat Island Effect and Air Quality ................................................... 33 1. Cooling the Urban Heat Island ........................................................................... 33 2. Improving Air Quality with UA ......................................................................... 38 E. Growing Biodiversity ......................................................................................... 41 F. Growing Locally – Many Positives ....................................................................... 43 1. Food Miles.......................................................................................................... 43 2. Food Waste ......................................................................................................... 46 VII. Conclusions and next steps .................................................................................... 47 VIII. Bibliography ....................................................................................................... 52 5 V. List of Tables and Figures Figure 1: "Plotland" Community garden at 44th and Locust, Philadelphia, PA; originally a guerilla garden. Credit: Heather Knizhnik ......................................................................... 9 Figure 2: Impacts of Land-Use Change and Local Food Choice. Credit: Metcalf & Widener, 2011 ................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 3: Community Gardens and Vacancy Rates in Philadelphia; Credit: Levy, 2009 . 19 Figure 4: Plant-Water Relationship. Credit: http://chubeza.com/ .................................... 26 Figure 5: Stormwater Infiltration on RTG; Credit: Barreiro, 2012 ................................... 28 Figure 6: Peak Runoff Rates for different Philadelphia Land Uses. Credit: Levy 2009 . 29 Figure 7: Surface Temperature Differentials due to the Urban Heat Island Effect. Credit: EPA ................................................................................................................................... 34 Figure 8: Satellite produced map of Providence, Rhode Island showing the effect of development on the urban heat island effect. Credit: NASA/Earth Observatory ............ 35 Figure 9: Residential Electricity Consumption by End Use in U.S. Credit: Energy Information Administration, 2005 .................................................................................... 36 Figure 10: Environmental Benefits of UA; Compiled for this study ................................ 50 6 VI. Introduction With the introduction of new technological innovations during and availability of a large labor force in the mid-19th century, many large American cities went through a period of rapid expansion known as the Industrial Era. The term ‘post-industrial’ is used to describe cities that went through a very successful expansion during this time, only to undergo a major shift when manufacturing began to move out to other locations around the 1950’s and the service sector became the
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