臺北產經資訊網

By Lien,Chen-yu
A series of paradigm transfers of agricultural landscape and edible landscape has taken place in the City of Taipei over recent years and the Taipei Farmers’ Association started to plan and promote “Citizen Farms” in 1989. Urban agricultural landscaping was no longer restricted to farmlands, and the owners of private land were also encouraged to provide space for short-term use, and schools now establish student farms. The roofs of many public buildings have been converted into vegetable farms to bring agriculture, previously confined to farmland, into every corner of the city. We have transcended the boundaries of pure agricultural or recreational landscape and developed a new agricultural and urban life landscape to realize a new policy “the garden city” implemented by the current city government. The edible landscape, under public and private partnership, is being continuously developed in urban space enabling various social networks to re-organize them to allow Taipei to go beyond imagination and become a garden city. The power of our social groups and the flexible thinking associated with new government policy will allow a garden city to be created where consideration is given equally to urban development, social welfare, and cultural transformation.

By Chen,Hui-mei
The Edible Landscape, as the name implies, is a landscape that provides food. When this kind of landscape is designed plants which provide edible crops, or which themselves are edible, are used in place of the traditional ornamental ones. Optimal use is made of plants which have functions that include environmental protection, spatial aesthetics, and most importantly, a supply of food. In cities where the edible landscape is promoted the residents are able to enjoy the fun of farming which includes planting and cultivation as well as final harvesting and the consumption of their own products. Urban farming life is no longer just a dream. With proper environmentally friendly methods residents can be introduced to the proper use of space, enjoy physical exercise, and have more control over their own health. This activity also makes a substantial contribution to social welfare, and helps to build a friendly urban living environment. In Taiwan development of the edible landscape is at an early stage and most focus is on crop cultivation. The spatial form is limited to traditional vegetable gardens. We hope that in the future there will be more emphasis placed on spatial design to create more aesthetic vegetable gardens. We believe that vertical farming and the symbolic relationship of fish farming and soil-less vegetable growth will also become important in the development of garden cities. Such enterprises will reduce production and transportation cost and ensure the security of urban food. Furthermore, when fish farming is taken into account, the concept can be expanded to include fish farm ponds in the edible landscape.

By Chiu,Ying-hao
“Urban farming” has become a platform for social network groups. It offers positive sustainability and LOHAS as well as aspects of social culture, the opportunity to build neighborhood relationships, environmental education, and technology transfer. The production and distribution of urban farming projects has become an important link between spatial strategic planning and urban industry policy. We need to give serious consideration to the reshaping of the metropolitan environment and devise spatial policies and means of use that match an ideal life style that will allow the development of a better collective consciousness. We propose that the integration of farming into daily urban life should start from the community to create a bottom up initiation mechanism to rebuild the environment. We need new consumption manners, and to re-build and reactivate the social network relationship to expand the urban metropolis and form synergy. These are many different ways in which this new vision of a garden city may be realized.

By Liu,Wei-ting/TIER
To promote exceptional Taiwan agricultural products and increase the revenue of farms in Taipei the City Government actively promotes Farmers’ Market events at the Taipei Expo venue. This provides an excellent sales platform for featured agricultural products produced by small farmers around Taiwan. At the same time, this also provides an ideal site for recreational shopping. In addition to the sale products, education in agricultural practice is important. The “Small Garden Educational Project” is a call to schools and community colleges in 12 districts to participate in the fun of farming. This combines education and life experience to further realize this new vision of a garden city.

By Liu,Wei-ting/TIER
Along with the launch of new Taipei City Government policy, much public space of has been released and converted into citizen community farms. Some farmers have even provided space for the organization of citizen farms. There are also farms on many city balconies and roofs where the tasks and fun is shared by members of a group. Farming is not an easy task and many difficult problems arise which need careful attention. To help with such problems the City Government now runs training sessions in the planting of seedlings for community farmers as well as other gardening seminars which are held periodically. An agricultural technology service group has also been set up to provide comprehensive services and to offer solutions to diverse problems and to ultimately build Taipei into a Garden City.

By Liu,Wei-ting/TIER
The Taipei City Government would like to build Taipei into a LOHAS and recreational “garden city”. In addition to establish a Center of Community Gardens to promote public farms through the “Citizens’ opinion exchange” and “Mutual learning of communities”, the garden bank network platform has been created to provide useful agricultural information. Farms have been opened for “adoption” by citizen groups to allow members to gain experience in the planting of vegetables and fruit as urban farmers. Citizens farms have been built on idle suburban farmlands under the guidance of experienced farmers to allow citizens to gain farming experience and to understand the real value of agriculture.