The Effects of Different Actors on Urban Agriculture: a Comparison of the Cities of Zaragoza and Valencia in Spain
Sustainable Development and Planning VIII 53 The effects of different actors on urban agriculture: a comparison of the cities of Zaragoza and Valencia in Spain K. Sakura Department of Engineering, Architectural Course, Shinshu University, Japan Abstract Urban agriculture is closely watched because of a currently high interest in organic produce, desires for lush green cities, increased leisure activities, and so on. This study clarifies the locations of urban agricultural lands, why these locations were selected, and the functions of urban agricultural areas in two cities in Spain. The study focuses on the efforts of the Benimaclet Neighborhood Association in Valencia, Spain, and those of the Ebro Ambient Center in Zaragoza, Spain, to address these questions. Valencia’s Benimaclet Neighborhood Association is an example of citizen actors, and Zaragoza’s Ebro Ambient Center is an example of municipal government actors. This study finds that the locations and functions of urban agriculture differ by type of actor. The study supports research on the implementation of “the suitable place for urban agriculture” when designing sustainable cities of the future. Keywords: urban agriculture, actor, Valencia, Benimaclet Neighborhood Association, Zaragoza, Ebro Ambient Center. 1 Introduction 1.1 Background and purpose Urban agriculture has been attracting attention from the perspectives of organic farming, clean and safe agricultural produce, a desire for vibrant green cities, and so on. Scholars in the field of urban planning expect urban agriculture to offer alternative uses for vacant lots. The first purpose of this study is to develop that expectation one step further by clarifying where urban agricultural lands are WIT Transactions on Ecology and The Environment, Vol 210, © 2016 WIT Press www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3541 (on-line) doi:10.2495/SDP160051 54 Sustainable Development and Planning VIII located, why those locations are selected, and the part that urban agricultural areas play in modern cities.
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