Landscape As A Resource For Squat Farming

Abstract

Abstract The contemporary Urban Agriculture (UA) is represented by a range of diverse farming typologies taking place in the urban environment. Nowadays, there is an unconventional form of UA called squat farming. The research object of this paper is represented by the case study of Can Masdeu which stands for a squatted and cultivated land at the northern city border of Barcelona. The goal of our Short Term Scientific Mission carried out in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region was to define and study diverse typologies of UA at different levels and scales. One of these types is represented by the ongoing phenomenon of squat farming. Concerning this form, there are two main research questions: 1) How are landscape and urban structures influenced and formed by the activity of land cultivation? and 2) How is the social dimension of squat farming structured – who are the users, what is their motivation, aim and vision? To answer the first research question, we applied spatial and perceptual analyses, and concerning the second research question, the users have been interviewed within discussions and questionnaires. The results include characteristics of spatial and social dimensions of squat farming described on the case study of Can Masdeu.