Food Secure Cities ISSUE 14 • JAN 2019 ISSUE 14 • JAN FOOD SECURE CITIES The Centre for Liveable Cities seeks to distil, create and share knowledge on liveable and sustainable cities. Our work spans four main areas, namely Research, Capability Development, Knowledge Platforms and Advisory. Through these efforts, we aim to inspire and give urban leaders and practitioners the knowledge and support they need to make cities more liveable and sustainable. Discover what CLC does on our digital channels. EXPLORE CONNECT IMMERSE Interview Giuseppe Sala www Ngiam Tong Tau Opinion clc.gov.sg CLCsg CLC01SG KF Seetoh Lily Kong Essay Max Opray Thinesh Kumar Elyssa Ludher & Tan Poh Hong ISSUE 14 • JAN 2019 ISSUE 14 • JAN City Focus Seattle Case Study Singapore New Taipei City Wageningen Contact New York City [email protected] A bi-annual magazine published by is a bi-annual magazine published by the Centre for Liveable Cities. It aims to equip and inspire city leaders and allied professionals to make cities more liveable and sustainable. Set up in 2008 by the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) has as its mission “to distil, create and share knowledge on liveable and sustainable cities”. CLC’s work spans four main areas— Research, Capability Development, Knowledge Platforms, and Advisory. Through these activities, CLC hopes to provide urban leaders and practitioners with the knowledge and support needed to make our cities better. www.clc.gov.sg CLC is a division of JAN 2019 JAN download www.clc.gov.sg/research-publications/publications/urban-solutions. ISSUE 14 • free Image Credits Advisory Panel Dr Liu Thai Ker (Chairman) • 4 – 11: City of Milan • 52: zlady - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ copies online • 12: Milan Urban Food Policy Pact ozlady/2215803963/, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Chairman • 14: Centre for Liveable Cities • 52 – 53: British Council Singapore - Centre for Liveable Cities • 16: Dean Hochman - https://flic.kr/p/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/ oN8hvU, CC BY 2.0 britishcouncilsingapore/5499356440/, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Benny Lim • 16-17: Sustenir Agriculture • 17: Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of • 53: Bryan Allison - https://www.flickr.com/ Special Advisor Singapore photos/bryangeek/84264223/, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Centre for Liveable Cities • 19: Seng Choon Farm Pte Ltd • 55: Centre for Liveable Cities • 20: Lou Linwei/Alamy • 56: Aerofarms Tan Gee Paw • 21: Apollo Aquaculture Group • 57: Photo courtesy of Alesca Life, www.alescalife. Special Advisor • 30 – 31: Community Garden Builders com PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency • 32: Didier Zylberyng/Alamy • 58(1): Nick Gammon/Alamy • 33: Zero Carbon Food • 58(2): Beladon • 34(1): Prinzessinnengarten: wachsen lassen! • 59(1): EnerGaia Prof. Marilyn Jordan Taylor - https://flic.kr/p/dE6c1c, CC BY-NC-SA Professor of Architecture and Urban Design 2.0 • 59(2): Elyssa Ludher • 60: Image courtesy of JTC University of Pennsylvania • 34(2): Prinzessinnengarten: wachsen lassen! - https://flic.kr/p/de1eAK, CC BY-NC 2.0 • 62 – 63: Jonathan H Lee, subtledreams.com • 65(1): Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Prof. Rahul Mehrotra • 35(1): Deu Horta Na Telha (Facebook) • 35(2): People’s Daily, China (Facebook) Environment Founder Principal of RMA Architects • 37: CC plantagon, Illustration: Sweco • 65(2): Seattle Neighbourhoods P Patch Community Gardens Program • 38 – 39: Metabolic • 67: Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & • 40: Dimitri dF – https://www.flickr. Environment com/photos/dimitridf/431851672/in/ Editorial Team • 68: Jonathan H Lee, subtledreams.com Joanna Tan photostream/, CC By NC ND 2.0 • 41: Sky Greens • 69: Greenwalksblog, https://www.flickr.com/ photos/29476346@N08/3748689510/ • 42: World Fish - https://www.flickr.com/ Nicole Chew photos/theworldfishcenter/6325396890/ • 71, 72(2): Centre for Liveable Cities CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 • 72(1): People’s Association Tan Pei En • 44: DC Central Kitchen - https:// • 74: Centre for Liveable Cities www.flickr.com/photos/ • 75: People’s Association dccentralkitchen/21998378685/in/ • 79(1): The Journalist album-72157659132670399/, CC BY 2.0 • 79(2), 80: Education Department of New Taipei Editorial Consultant • 45: Francesca Castelli - https://www.flickr. City Government Alvin Pang com/photos/franciuii/25899594590/, CC • 83: ZEye BY-NC-ND 2.0 • 84 – 85: Edible Garden City • 47: Michelle Robinson - https://www.flickr. • 86, 87(2): Thinesh Kumar com/photos/michmutters/8130184052/, • 89: Foodvalley NL Design Consultant CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 • 90: Wageningen University & Research • 48(1): Michelle Robinson - Redbean De Pte Ltd https://www.flickr.com/photos/ • 91 – 92: Foodvalley NL michmutters/8130186324/, CC BY-NC- • 93: Solynta ND 2.0 • 95: Tony Hisgett - https://flic.kr/p/89Qvgf, • 48(2): William Cho - https://www.flickr. CC BY 2.0 com/photos/adforce1/6036636784/, CC • 96, 98: Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm BY-NC-ND 2.0 • 97: “Hortorium” by Adrian Coleman welcomes feedback from readers. • 50: Courtesy of National Archives of • 99: Richard Levine/Alamy Singapore • 51: British Council Singapore - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ britishcouncilsingapore/5499360834/, CC Contact BY-NC-ND 2.0 Joanna Tan T +65 6645 9560 E [email protected] 45 Maxwell Road #07-01, The URA Centre Singapore 069118 © 2019 Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore Opinions expressed in URBAN SOLUTIONS do not necessarily represent • CC BY 2.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode the views of CLC. While the publisher has taken reasonable care in • CC BY NC – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/ • CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode compiling the magazine, it shall not be liable for any omission, error • CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode or inaccuracy. Some original images have been edited for page layout purposes. Every effort E-version: www.clc.gov.sg/research-publications/publications/ has been made to trace the copyright holders. The publisher will correct urban-solutions any omission of due acknowledgement in the online version, and in any subsequent printing. Cover: Locals in Seattle who participate in the Seattle Department of Neighbours P Patch Community Gardening Program are able to earn an income by selling their produce at markets. Image courtesy of Seattle Neighbourhoods P Patch Community Gardens Program. 5 from the executive director from the executive WAGENINGEN VANCOUVER LONDON BERLIN AMSTERDAM MILAN TOKYO SEATTLE HANGZHOU FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NEW YORK CITY NEW TAIPEI CITY Food for Thought SINGAPORE ood is so ubiquitous that we often take Communities play a key role. SAO PAULO Fit for granted. On the ground, empowered communities are not only involved, they are leading But the last decade has seen a rising the way. Citizen Farm has attracted many number of destructive weather events converts with its closed-loop system with a devastating impact on crops, that produces edible greens and black as well as numerous food scares—the soldier flies to process food waste. At Our Contents contamination of baby milk in China in Tampines Hub, the local community helps 2008 and the recent recall of romaine to package and distribute recycled food lettuce in the United States are just waste produced by its eco-digesters. To two memorable cases. Such events have ensure school children have easy access to prompted cities to take a closer look at healthy and affordable food, convenience their food sources. store chains in New Taipei City are working with the city government to Through conversations with city leaders provide meals for youth in need through the Eat with Love programme. INTERVIEW OPINION ILLUSTRATION at the forefront of the urban farming movement, case studies and CLC’s own 4 Giuseppe Sala 14 Ngiam Tong Tau 22 Viewpoint: KF Seetoh 30 Urban Agriculture in Most of all, a spirit of innovation is research, this issue of Urban Solutions needed to see new possibilities. A Holistic Approach Keep the Support Food Hawkers Disused Spaces explores how cities can address the to Urban Food Food Coming to Preserve Local Growing Food in challenges of producing food efficiently Indeed, inspiring examples of cities fostering a culture of entrepreneurship Systems Food Culture Unlikely Places as well as sustainably, and ensuring and resilience already exist. In the citizens have easy access to healthy and 26 Counterpoint: Lily Kong Netherlands, Dutch companies have affordable food. To Sustain Local Food banded together to create Foodvalley, Culture, Go Global an ecosystem of like-minded businesses Some key points are clear: promoting innovation in urban agriculture. Meanwhile, in cities with Governments must take the lead in limited land for agriculture, urban farms ensuring food security. are popping up on barren land and taking The Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala root in offices and underground tunnels. shares how the Milan Urban Food Policy As the effects of climate change become 2019 ISSUE 14 • JAN Pact brought together 180 cities and ESSAY CITY FOCUS CASE STUDY increasingly real, cities must adapt and towns to collaborate in working towards evolve. We hope this issue of Urban a comprehensive and sustainable food 36 Max Opray 62 Seattle 70 Singapore | Food 82 Singapore | Solutions provides insights and inspiration strategy. Ngiam Tong Tau recounts how Cities: The Solution Growing Food, Waste Management Citizen Farm in the movement to ensure sustainable Singapore overcame its challenges of to World Hunger? Cultivating Cooking Food Once, Farming for the food production for growing populations. insufficient agricultural land and lack I wish you all an enjoyable read. Communities Using It Twice Common Good 46 Thinesh Kumar of natural food resources. With good It’s No Mirage, 76 New Taipei City | 88 Wageningen | urban planning, the city-state has in fact It’s A Food Oasis! Eat with Love Foodvalley become well-known for its accessible Free Meal Society The Silicon Valley hawker centres and its local food culture.