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How much can one acre yield? A city rife with vacant lots is a city ripe with potential.
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Conversion of vacant lots and parcels to productive land can happen at any scale, from a single lot…
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…to an entire block of empty homes…
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…to the forgotten space under bridges and along rivers…
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…to giant tracts of former industrial land on Philadelphia’s fringe areas.
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Turning vacant lots into productive farmland is a long-term process.
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First, planting vacant lots with fields of sunflowers will leach pollutants from the soil.
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Next, abandoned buildings will be stabilized and outfitted as greenhouses, to promote the visibility of urban agriculture.
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The presence of livestock in the city presently inspires heated debate…
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Vacant lots and buildings may offer a solution for how cows and other animals may be housed and fed.
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The new urban farms will take on different qualities based on the kind of land available, as well as different community needs.
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Ultimately, a patchwork of urban farms will produce food for a large percentage of Philadelphians.
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Communities would find ready access to fresh and nutritious food, while organizing social events around the cycle of planting and harvesting.
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Farmadelphia empowers residents with new skills, collective land ownership, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
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The Farmadelphia skyline.
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Using neighborhood ownership of urban farms to support local businesses and food security.
Farmadelphia, a plan espousing urban agriculture, food security, community action, and small business ownership, was a finalist in the 2005 Urban Voids competition.
New York City architects FRONT Studio explain their proposal: Conversion of vacant lots and parcels can happen at any scale, from a single lot to citywide. Farmadelphia presents one vision of urban farming introduced across Philadelphia, encouraging community cooperation and entrepreneurship along with better nutrition and food security for all neighborhoods and income levels.
The conversion of vacant lots into farmlands not only provides employment in the industry of agriculture but also empowers residents to take charge of their lives and their land. Each block maintains responsibility for its own farm harvest, encouraging entrepreneurship throughout the larger community as block owners vie to sell their goods to regional specialty restaurants and shops. The creation of localized centers of activity, each related to a specific crop or harvest promotes small town relationships while strengthening an overall sense of pride and commitment in the community. The cultivation of local gardens provides an opportunity for residents to access fresh and nutritious food.
The ‘Farmadeliphication’ of once decrepit buildings into farm structures advances fresh ways of seeing old structures as well as allowing for an organic transformation of history that contributes to the present day fabric.