Second Nature Urban Agriculture ― Designing Productive Cities

This book is the long awaited sequel to "Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes: Designing Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Cities".

"Second Nature Urban Agriculture" updates and extends the authors' concept for introducing productive urban landscapes, including urban agriculture, into cities as essential elements of sustainable urban infrastructure. Since 2004, when the concept was first put into the public realm, it has had a profound effect on thinking about urban design and the nature of the contemporary city. Driven by the imperatives of climate change mitigation, changing economics, demographics, lifestyle expectations and resource supply, the spatial ideas embodied within the CPUL concept have entered the international urban design discourse.

This new book reviews recent research and projects on the subject and presents concrete actions aimed at making urban agriculture happen. Referencing an international body of work, the book addresses issues associated with particular urban locations and their contexts while drawing out transferable lessons and knowledge. As pioneering thinkers in this area, the authors bring a unique overview to contemporary developments and have the experience to judge opportunities and challenges facing those who wish to create more equitable, resilient, desirable and beautiful cities.

The book has three parts: the first develops and contextualises the CPUL City theory, the second formulates four CPUL City Actions, and the third presents a repository of contemporary design and subject theory underpinning the CPUL concept and case for urban agriculture. Chapters by international authorities extend and support particular themes and thoughts throughout the book.

Prompted by demand from cities, practitioners, activists, designers and planners, "Second Nature Urban Agriculture" is aimed at all those with an interest in developing quality urban spaces for the sustainable city of tomorrow.

Katrin Bohn is an architect and guest professor at the Technical University of Berlin. For the past 12 years, she has also taught architecture and urban design, mainly as a senior lecturer at the University of Brighton. Together with Andre Viljoen, she runs Bohn&Viljoen Architects, a small architectural practice and environmental consultancy based in London. Bohn&Viljoen have taught, lectured, published and exhibited widely on the design concept of CPUL City (Continuous Productive Urban Landscape) which they contributed to the international urban design discourse in 2004. Katrin's projects on productive urban landscapes include feasibility and design studies as well as food growing installations and public events, mainly for UK and German clients.

Andre Viljoen is an architect and principal lecturer / academic program leader in architecture at the University of Brighton, as well as, with Katrin Bohn, contributing to the work of Bohn&Viljoen Architects. The publication, in 2005, of Bohn&Viljoen’s book CPULs Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes: Designing urban agriculture for sustainable cities consolidated a body of research underpinning the case for urban agriculture as an essential element of sustainable urban infrastructure. This book and the associated design concept had a significant international impact, resulting in invitations to consult, exhibit and lecture widely. In 2012, Andre jointly edited the book Sustainable Food Planning: evolving theory and practice. This collection was the first of its kind to bring the disciplines of planning, design, public health and governance into dialogue to address the global challenge of food security.