We are happy to announce the launch of UA Magazine 42
Urban Agriculture as Heritage
Learning from the past for a sustainable future
Urban agriculture (UA) is a phenomenon as old as cities themselves. Seen by some as a curiosity and by others as a survival strategy, it is also recognized as an element of sustainable urban development. Whether driven by ecological, social or economic motivations, the resurgence of interest in UA has been supported and shaped by researchers, activists and policymakers over the last three decades. Yet one crucial dimension of UA remains largely overlooked: its cultural heritage.
This heritage matters. UA practices offer vital knowledge on local traditions, cultural identity and collective adaptability. As urban communities face rising challenges – from climate stress, to food insecurity, to shifting demographics and social fragmentation – practices that have stood the test of time can help them adapt. Exploring UA through the lens of heritage means learning from past ingenuity, recognizing the value of everyday cultural practices, and opening new pathways for more inclusive and sustainable urban futures.
The INSUAH team wanted to spread the word and get in touch with a wider range of UA_H cases. What would be a better match for this than RUAF’s UA Magazine?!
The future of sustainable cities lies hidden in the past
How can urban agriculture heritage be understood as both:
- deeply rooted in local traditions and community practices, and
- a living, evolving force to be harnessed as part of sustainable urban futures?
Produced in partnership between RUAF, the Institute of Landscape Architecture and the INSUAH project, this edition brings together voices of practitioners, researchers and policymakers. Their contributions span continents, disciplines and perspectives, and highlight the importance of communities in carrying, reinterpreting and retrofitting their heritage – whether through traditional knowledge, shared practices or new knowledge.
Viewed through a heritage lens, it is clear that urban agriculture of the past offers vital lessons for shaping sustainable futures.
Download and explore the full issue here.
This magazine was funded by Volkswagen Foundation under the project INSUAH – Integrated Study on Urban Agriculture, coordinated by the Institute of Landscape Architecture at RWTH Aachen University. Supplementary funding was provided under the Hivos Urban Futures Programme.
