This note was reviewed and approved for currency in November 2018.
While architects and planners don’t seek to disadvantage communities, the incremental impacts of the way towns and cities are designed is having exactly that effect when it comes to access to food. Modern cities make it harder for many – particularly the disadvantaged – to access quality food and are increasingly separating us from the places of food production. Dependencies on fossil fuels and water underpin the production and distribution of food, making food security increasingly tenuous as we progress into the 21st century.
This note seeks to suggest opportunities to ensure food, in its broadest sense, can be brought into the design process. It outlines some thoughts about how we can get more food production, better health outcomes, higher amenity and greater social inclusion for less land and resources, and it shows how architects and planners can help address this challenge.