Co-creation of urban agriculture through participatory processes in residential building environment: Insights from Finland

Abstract

In the face of an increasingly global climate and food system crisis that unfolds alongside increasing urbanization, the importance of identifying novel ways of producing food in urban areas and linking this to achieving multiple sustainability objectives has increased. Previous evidence from Finland suggests that the growth in popularity of urban farming is driven by an interest in revitalizing the city, developing a sense of community, and increasing awareness about the value of food. These motives have encouraged different levels of governance to participate in developing urban agriculture (UA) in Finnish cities. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the suitability, benefits, and obstacles to the co-creation of UA in residential areas with housing companies. The results indicate that flexible module-based planning and availability of key site actors and factors (access to information and irrigation) are crucial to achieving UA's benefits. Additional benefits in the apartment building environment were perceived in terms of social capital, with respect to community-building, enhanced living comfort, and enhanced quality in the living environment.