DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jpk.14.1.19-31

URBAN AGRICULTURE AS ADAPTIVE URBANISM: TOWARD RESILIENT AND LIVABLE CITIES

*Dhiyan Krishna Wardhani orcid scopus  -  Department of Environment and Infrastructure Engineering, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1, Semarang, Indonesia
Benediktus Yosef Arya Wastunimpuna  -  Department of Environment and Infrastructure Engineering, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1, Semarang, Indonesia
Amrizarois Ismail  -  Department of Environment and Infrastructure Engineering, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1, Semarang, Indonesia
Mikhael Abramesti  -  Department of Environment and Infrastructure Engineering, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1, Semarang, Indonesia
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 Dhiyan Krishna Wardhani, Benediktus Yosef Arya Wastunimpuna, Benediktus Yosef Arya Wastunimpuna, Amrizarois Ismail, Amrizarois Ismail, Mikhael Abramesti, Mikhael Abramesti

Citation Format:
Abstract

Urban agriculture (UA) is increasingly recognized for its food, ecological, and social contributions. Yet, these benefits do not automatically translate into enduring urban planning capacities. This conceptual paper asks how UA can operate as adaptive productive green infrastructure and which spatial and governance conditions enable or constrain that transition. Using a narrative and interpretative synthesis organized around six interrelated themes, the paper develops a conditional transformation framework and illustrates its planning implications through purposively selected literature-based examples from Singapore, Bangkok and Rotterdam. The synthesis identifies a pathway connecting spatial recognition, negotiated and secure access, enabling governance, adaptive cultivation practices, and context-dependent resilience and livability outcomes, with monitoring and feedback linking these stages. The cases illuminate contrasting planning and institutional arrangements rather than establish causal policy effects. The paper contributes a framework for interpreting UA as a place-based expression of adaptive urbanism and proposes planning instruments concerning land-use recognition, access agreements, co-management, technical support, and evaluation. These propositions require testing across different urban contexts.

Fulltext View|Download Email colleagues
Keywords: Urban Agriculture; Adaptive Urbanism; Urban Resilience; Urban Livability; Community-Based Adaptation; Productive Green Infrastructure
Funding: Soegijapranata Catholic University

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: ARTICLES
Language : EN
  1. Alkhaja, N., Alawadi, K., Almemari, K., & Alshehhi, G. (2025). How is Urban Agriculture Practiced, Institutionalized, Implemented, and Sustained? A Literature Review. Progress in Planning, 192, 100917. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progress.2024.100917
  2. Artmann, M., & Sartison, K. (2018). The Role of Urban Agriculture as a Nature-Based Solution: A Review for Developing a Systemic Assessment Framework. Sustainability, 10(6), 1937. Retrieved from doi: 10.3390/su10061937
  3. Audate, P. P., Fernandez, M. A., Cloutier, G., & Lebel, A. (2019). Scoping review of the impacts of urban agriculture on the determinants of health. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 672. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6885-z
  4. Cao, H. (2023). Urban resilience: concept, influencing factors and improvement. Frontiers in Business, Economics and Management, 9(1), 343-346. doi: https://doi.org/10.54097/fbem.v9i1.8777
  5. Chhour, K., & Carrasquillo, M. (2025). A drop in the bucket: examining practice and policy for water resilient urban agriculture and urban food system resilience. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Volume 9 - 2025. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1677669
  6. Chuvongs, S. (2020). Legal measures of promoting urban agriculture in Bangkok. Romphruek Journal
  7. Cretella, A., & Buenger, M. S. (2016). Food as Creative City Politics in The City of Rotterdam. Cities, 51, 1-10. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2015.12.001
  8. Diehl, J. A., Sweeney, E., Wong, B., Sia, C. S., Yao, H., & Prabhudesai, M. (2020). Feeding cities: Singapore's approach to land use planning for urban agriculture. Global Food Security, 26, 100377. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100377
  9. Egerer, M., Haase, D., McPhearson, T., Frantzeskaki, N., Andersson, E., Nagendra, H., & Ossola, A. (2021). Urban change as an untapped opportunity for climate adaptation. npj Urban Sustainability, 1(1), 22. doi: 10.1038/s42949-021-00024-y
  10. Evans, D. L., Falagán, N., Hardman, C. A., Kourmpetli, S., Liu, L., Mead, B. R., & Davies, J. A. C. (2022). Ecosystem service delivery by urban agriculture and green infrastructure – a systematic review. Ecosystem Services, 54, 101405. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101405
  11. Feenstra, G. W. (1997). Local food systems and sustainable communities. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 12(1), 28-36. doi: 10.1017/S0889189300007165
  12. Frantzeskaki, N., & Tilie, N. (2014). The Dynamics of Urban Ecosystem Governance in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. AMBIO, 43(4), 542-555. doi: 10.1007/s13280-014-0512-0
  13. García-Sempere, A., Hidalgo, M., Morales, H., Ferguson, B. G., Nazar-Beutelspacher, A., & Rosset, P. (2018). Urban transition toward food sovereignty. Globalizations, 15(3), 390-406. doi: 10.1080/14747731.2018.1424285
  14. Gulyas, B. Z., & Edmondson, J. L. (2021). Increasing City Resilience through Urban Agriculture: Challenges and Solutions in the Global North. Sustainability, 13(3), 1465. Retrieved from doi: 10.3390/su13031465
  15. Higgs, C., Badland, H., Simons, K., Knibbs, L. D., & Giles-Corti, B. (2019). The Urban Liveability Index: developing a policy-relevant urban liveability composite measure and evaluating associations with transport mode choice. International Journal of Health Geographics, 18(1), 14. doi: 10.1186/s12942-019-0178-8
  16. Iida, A., Yamazaki, T., Hino, K., & Yokohari, M. (2023). Urban agriculture in walkable neighborhoods bore fruit for health and food system resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. npj Urban Sustainability, 3(1), 4. doi: 10.1038/s42949-023-00083-3
  17. Ilieva, R. T., Cohen, N., Israel, M., Specht, K., Fox-Kämper, R., Fargue-Lelièvre, A., . . . Blythe, C. (2022). The Socio-Cultural Benefits of Urban Agriculture: A Review of the Literature. Land, 11(5), 622. Retrieved from doi: 10.3390/land11050622
  18. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate, C. (2022). Climate Change and Land: IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  19. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate, C. (2023). Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Working Group II Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  20. Issifu, N., Amponsah, O., Kpeebi, Y., Takyi, S. A., Gyimah, A. B. K., & Braimah, I. (2025). Securing the future of urban agriculture: Legislative reform and planning for sustainability in sub-Saharan African cities. Habitat International, 166, 103591. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103591
  21. Jones, L., Anderson, S., Læssøe, J., Banzhaf, E., Jensen, A., Bird, D. N., . . . Zandersen, M. (2022). A typology for urban Green Infrastructure to guide multifunctional planning of nature-based solutions. Nature-Based Solutions, 2, 100041. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbsj.2022.100041
  22. Khorrami, Z., Ye, T., Sadatmoosavi, A., Mirzaee, M., Fadakar Davarani, M. M., & Khanjani, N. (2021). The indicators and methods used for measuring urban liveability: a scoping review. 36(3), 397-441. doi:doi:10.1515/reveh-2020-0097
  23. Korkou, M., Tarigan, A. K. M., & Hanslin, H. M. (2023). The multifunctionality concept in urban green infrastructure planning: A systematic literature review. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 85, 127975. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127975
  24. Krishnan, S., Nandwani, D., Smith, G., & Kankarta, V. (2016). Sustainable Urban Agriculture: A Growing Solution to Urban Food Deserts. Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture, 325-340. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-26803-3_15
  25. McClymont, K., Fernandes Cunha, D. G., Maidment, C., Ashagre, B., Vasconcelos, A. F., Batalini de Macedo, M., . . . Imani, M. (2020). Towards urban resilience through Sustainable Drainage Systems: A multi-objective optimisation problem. Journal of Environmental Management, 275, 111173. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111173
  26. McPhearson, T., Andersson, E., Elmqvist, T., & Frantzeskaki, N. (2015). Resilience of and through urban ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services, 12, 152-156. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.07.012
  27. Mendoza, B. A., Toboso-Chavero, S., Arosemena Polo, J. D., Romero Lestido, A. L., & Villalba, G. (2026). Leveraging circular nutrients to improve the sustainability of peri-urban agriculture. npj Urban Sustainability, 6(1), 27. doi: 10.1038/s42949-025-00333-6
  28. Merino, V. M., Gajjar, S. P., Subedi, A., Polgar, A., & Van Den Hoof, C. (2021). Resilient Governance Regimes That Support Urban Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Cities: Learning From Local Challenges. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Volume 5 - 2021. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.692167
  29. Namalwa, S., Tan, Y., & Suh, J. (2026). Cultivating Resilience in the Informal City: A Systematic Review of Urban Agriculture's Multidimensional Outcomes in Slum Contexts. Geography Compass, 20(3), e70068. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.70068
  30. Neilson, C., & Rickards, L. (2017). The relational character of urban agriculture: competing perspectives on land, food, people, agriculture and the city. The Geographical Journal, 183(3), 295-306. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/geoj.12188
  31. Onodugo, A. V., Ezeadichie, H. N., & Agatha John-Nsa, C. A. (2022). Dialectics of Mainstreaming Agriculture in Urban Planning and Management of Cities of the Global South. In S. Baiani, A. Battisti, & S. Baiani (Eds.), Sustainable Development Dimensions and Urban Agglomeration. London: IntechOpen
  32. Orsini, F., Pennisi, G., Michelon, N., Minelli, A., Bazzocchi, G., Sanyé-Mengual, E., & Gianquinto, G. (2020). Features and Functions of Multifunctional Urban Agriculture in the Global North: A Review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Volume 4 - 2020. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.562513
  33. Pandey, B., & Ghosh, A. (2023). Urban ecosystem services and climate change: a dynamic interplay. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, Volume 5 - 2023. doi: 10.3389/frsc.2023.1281430
  34. Parker, J., & Simpson, G. D. (2018). Public Green Infrastructure Contributes to City Livability: A Systematic Quantitative Review. Land, 7(4), 161. Retrieved from doi: 10.3390/land7040161
  35. Pradhan, P., Callaghan, M., Hu, Y., Dahal, K., Hunecke, C., Reusswig, F., . . . Kropp, J. P. (2023). A systematic review highlights that there are multiple benefits of urban agriculture besides food. Global Food Security, 38, 100700. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2023.100700
  36. Pulighe, G., & Lupia, F. (2020). Food First: COVID-19 Outbreak and Cities Lockdown a Booster for a Wider Vision on Urban Agriculture. Sustainability, 12(12), 5012. Retrieved from doi: 10.3390/su12125012
  37. Quigley, M., Blair, N., & Davison, K. (2018). Articulating a social-ecological resilience agenda for urban design. Journal of Urban Design, 23(4), 581-602. doi: 10.1080/13574809.2018.1440176
  38. Rafieian, M., & Kianfar, A. (2023). Gaps in urban planning: A systematic review of policy-making in the informality of urban space. Habitat International, 142, 102962. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2023.102962
  39. Rauws, W., & De Roo, G. (2016). Adaptive planning: Generating conditions for urban adaptability. Lessons from Dutch organic development strategies. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 43(6), 1052-1074. doi: 10.1177/0265813516658886
  40. Riaño-Herrera, D. A., Romero-Perdomo, F. A., & Rodriguez-Urrego, L. (2023). Advances and challenges between urban agriculture and the circular economy to promote sustainable cities. Paper presented at the 2023 IEEE Colombian Conference on Communications and Computing (COLCOM)
  41. Ribeiro, P. J. G., & Pena Jardim Gonçalves, L. A. (2019). Urban resilience: A conceptual framework. Sustainable Cities and Society, 50, 101625. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2019.101625
  42. Rodríguez, A., Jácome-Polit, D., Santandreu, A., Paredes, D., & Álvaro, N. P. (2022). Agro-ecological urban agriculture and food resilience: The Case of Quito, Ecuador. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Volume 6 - 2022. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.550636
  43. Seto, K. C., & Ramankutty, N. (2016). Hidden linkages between urbanization and food systems. Science, 352(6288), 943-945. doi:doi:10.1126/science.aaf7439
  44. Skar, S. L. G., Pineda-Martos, R., Timpe, A., Pölling, B., Bohn, K., Külvik, M., . . . Junge, R. (2019). Urban agriculture as a keystone contribution towards securing sustainable and healthy development for cities in the future. Blue-Green Systems, 2(1), 1-27. doi: 10.2166/bgs.2019.931
  45. Szumigała, P., & Szumigała, K. (2018). Urban Farming – The Ecological, Spatial and Social Factors of Urban Landscape Transformation. Economic and Regional Studies / Studia Ekonomiczne i Regionalne, 11(2), 67-76. doi: 10.2478/ers-2018-0016
  46. Wessels, M. T., & Mgana, S. M. (2024). Persist or Perish. The Dynamics of Irrigated Agriculture in Urbanising Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Urban Forum, 35(2), 277-295. doi: 10.1007/s12132-024-09511-8
  47. Zeeuw, H. D., van Veenhuizen, R., & Dubbeling, M. (2011). The role of urban agriculture in building resilient cities in developing countries. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 149(S1), 153-163. doi: 10.1017/S0021859610001279

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.