Review A Framework for Integrating Agriculture in Urban Sustainability in Australia 1, , 2, 1, Arif H. Sarker * y, Janet F. Bornman y and Dora Marinova y 1 School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth 6102, Australia;
[email protected] 2 Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Australia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +61-432-145-724 These authors contributed equally to this work. y Received: 3 March 2019; Accepted: 29 April 2019; Published: 3 May 2019 Abstract: Rapid urbanisation all over the world poses a serious question about urban sustainability in relation to food. Urban agriculture can contribute to feeding city dwellers as well as improving metropolitan environments by providing more green space. Australia is recognised as one of the most urbanised countries in the world, and achieving urban sustainability should be high on the policy and planning agenda. A strong consensus exists among policymakers and academics that urban agriculture could be a tenable way of enhancing urban sustainability, and therefore, it should be a vital part of planning processes and urban design as administered by local and state governments. However, in recent decades, planning has overlooked and failed to realise this opportunity. The most significant constraints to urban agriculture are its regulatory and legal frameworks, including access to suitable land. Without direct public policy support and institutional recognition, it would be difficult to make urban agriculture an integral part of the development and planning goals of Australian cities. Developing and implementing clear planning policies, laws and programs that support urban agriculture can assist in decreasing competing land demands.