Abstract
Portland, Oregon houses approximately 587,865 residents in an area of roughly 400 square miles (Metro n.d.; Portland State University Population Research Center 2012). The city is known for its dense development; at the same time, however, Portland has become an example for its advancement of urban agriculture within city boundaries (Mendes et al. 2008). This begs an obvious question: how does a city with high population growth and steep competition for land foster small-scale food production and distribution in urban spaces?
Researched and written by Molly M. Hatfield and Framework provided
by Steve Cohen
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Notes
- 1.
During World War II, the US Department of Agriculture--> popularized the concept of “Victory Gardens”: individual gardens designed to ease pressure from overburdened transportation--> and food production--> systems (USDA 1943). The Oregon State College (now Oregon State University) Extension Service took charge of promoting Victory Gardens in Oregon; their efforts yielded a marked increase in city gardens and a “splendid” ( McWhorter 1943) support of the war effort.
- 2.
Oregon SB 100 mandated that cities adopt comprehensive plans regarding their urban development and implement zoning--> (and other) regulation in support of these plans (State of Oregon 1973).
- 3.
Research also indicates that Portland’s relatively high housing prices—housing prices unrelated to the UGB—may also play a role in creating a premium for undeveloped city land (Nelson et al. 2002).
- 4.
While the City provides infrastructure services such as water-->, fencing, and soil--> testing—as well as a list of guidelines that plot holders must follow—participants have direct control over the day-to-day management of their garden--> systems (L. Pohl-Kosbau, Portland Parks and Recreation 2013).
- 5.
At the beginning of its lease at the Zenger property, the Urban Bounty Farm consisted of Marc Boucher-Colbert, Beth Rasgorshek, and apprentices Tanya Murray and John Tecklin.
- 6.
The Portland Multnomah Food Policy--> Council was a subcommittee of the Portland Multnomah County Sustainable Development Commission.
- 7.
By this time, the City of Portland had shifted toward more short-term, project-oriented collaboration with community--> interests (the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s work with the Code Development Advisory Group during the zoning--> code --> revisions is an example of this approach) (Hatfield 2012). County policymakers pursued a different strategy for community engagement, and FPC members themselves sought to develop an alternative model for influencing local or regional policy--> (Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council minutes, 9-12-12and 7-11-12).
- 8.
Phase I of the Diggable City--> project took place before the creation of the Food Policy--> and Program Manager position.
- 9.
The Bureau of Environmental Services, the Department of Transportation-->, Portland Parks and Recreation, and the Portland Water--> Bureau.
- 10.
It should be mentioned that the County Digs program—an initiative of Multnomah County—began work in 2010 to donate tax-foreclosed properties for urban food production--> and green space. While unrelated to the Diggable City--> project, it successfully transferred six properties for use as community--> garden -->s between 2010 and 2012. All of these donated properties are within the urban growth boundary--> (K. Lynd).
- 11.
This public process—in particular, the close collaboration with the Code Development Advisory Group—was considered an integral part (and one of the major successes) of the project (S. Cohen, J. Johnson, K. Kolker; Hatfield 2012).
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Hatfield, M.M., Cohen, S. (2016). A Case Study: Urban Agriculture in Portland, Oregon 2002–2012. In: Brown, S., McIvor, K., Hodges Snyder, E. (eds) Sowing Seeds in the City. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7453-6_27
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