Understanding the Role of Urban Agriculture in the Transformation of the City in Contemporary Urban China: Case Studies of Kunming, Yunnan Province

Abstract

This thesis explores the emergence of urban agriculture (UA), and its changing role and nature in the urbanisation process. This study focusses on the case study of Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, where significant numbers of Village in the City (VIC) and peri-urban residents are practicing UA. Four key criteria are used in this thesis to analyse the expressions of various UA types and the motivations of the stakeholders, namely, functions, space types, physical forms, and rules and regulations. In terms of stakeholders, four main groups were involved in UA in Kunming: individuals/households, community groups, commercial operators, and governments and related departments. The household participation rate of UA is higher in VICs than in non-village areas. The most popular reasons for undertaking UA practices are revealed to be ‘previous agricultural background’ in VICs, and ‘personal interest’ in non-village areas. The dominant function of UA preferred by the households is family consumption in both VICs and non-village areas. Across the city, the prevalent space chosen by the households for UA practices is in private space, followed by public domain areas. Citywide, the households prefer using recycled containers with rectangle/square geometric shape for planting. The results show the dominant species being grown is vegetables. The formal rules and regulations regarding resident-led UA practices in both VICs and non-village areas in Kunming are ineffective and often unenforced. This research highlights how people adapt urban spaces for their needs and the perspectives from different governance levels to understand the complexity and co-evolution of UA in Kunming. These UA practices respond to urban pressure and bring the innovative thinking of urban governance in terms of effectively integrating UA into local development whilst understanding the new and alternative ways of revitalising and managing cities.