Catalogue on innovative governance practices and recommendations

U ban Ag icul u e Policy and Go e nance
Ca alogue o Good P ac ices
1
G an Ag eemen No.
101132315
P ojec Ac onym
FOODCITYBOOST
P ojec Ti le
In eg a ed
assessmen o u ban a ming impac s and policies o boos ing
sus ainable
u ban
ag icul u al de elopmen linking u ban, pe i-u ban and u al a eas
Type o ac ion
HORIZON
Resea ch and Inno a ion Ac ions
Ho izon Eu ope Call Topic
HORIZON
-CL6-2023-COMMUNITIES-01-5
S a
–ending da e
1
o Janua y 2024 -31 o Decembe 2027
P ojec Websi e
oodci yboos
.eu
Wo k Package
WP
4: Policy & Go e nance
WP
Lead Bene icia y
Leibniz
Cen e o Ag icul u al Landscape Resea ch (ZALF)
Rele an Task(s)
T
4.1 Unde s anding o cu en UF policies and go e nance aspec s
T
4.2 Explo ing bes go e nance p ac ices o esilien UA
Deli e able ype |
Dissemina ion le el
R
–Repo |
PU
: Public
Due Da e o Deli e able
July
31s ,2025
Ac ual Submission Da e
July
31s ,2025
Responsible Au ho
Bea ice
Wal hall, An on Pa isi & Ba ba a Sch ö e [ZALF]
Con ibu o s
Cha lo e
Gallaghe -Squi es, Soledad Cue as Ga cia Do ado & Daniel López Ga cía [CSIC]
Re iewe (s)
Jan
Eelco Jansma [WR]; Vincen O’Connell [PRPL]; Ke in G auwels [VLM]
Disclaime
Funded by he Eu opean Union. Views and opinions exp essed a e, howe e , hose o he au ho (s) only and do no
necessa ily e lec hose o he Eu opean Union o Resea ch Execu i e Agency (REA). Nei he he Eu opean Union no he
g an ing au ho i y can be held esponsible o hem.
Copy igh message
This documen con ains unpublished o iginal wo k unless clea ly s a ed o he wise. P e iously published ma e ial and he
wo k o o he s has been acknowledged by app op ia e ci a ion o quo a ion, o bo h. Rep oduc ion is au ho ised p o ided
he sou ce is acknowledged.
D4.1: Ca alogue on inno a i e go e nance p ac ices and ecommenda ions
2
Da e Ve sion Changes Con ibu o (s)
27/06/2025 V0.1 Fi s d a Bea ice Wal hall, An on Pa isi &
Ba ba a Sch ö e [ZALF]
26/07/2025 V0.2
Final e sion e ised by
pa ne s (changes in
in oduc ion, illus a ions,
examples, o ma ing and
language s yle)
Jan Eelco Jansma [WR]; Vincen
O’Connell [PRPL]; Ke in G auwels
[VLM]
31/07/2025 V0.3 Final e sion submi ed An on Pa isi & Ba ba a Sch ö e
[ZALF] ; Pie e Chopin [VU]
24/09/2025 V0.4 Re iewe s’ commen s add essed
An on Pa isi & Ba ba a Sch ö e
[ZALF] ; Cha lo e Gallaghe -
Squi es, Soledad Cue as Ga cia
Do ado & Daniel López Ga cía
[CSIC] ; Pie e Chopin [VU]
Documen His o y
3
Table o con en s
Summa y……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
In oduc ion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
•UA policy and go e nance
•Li ing-Lab p o iles and common challenges
❖En e an os: Valladolid, Spain…………………………………………………………………………
❖Kalnciema Qua e : Riga, La ia………………………………………………………………………
❑Alloca ing and p o ec ing land o u ban ag icul u e in li ing labs…………………..
❖Fundacja EkoRozwoju: W ocław, Poland…………………………………………………………
❖The Vlaamse Landmaa schappij: Flande s Region, Belgium ……………................
❑O e coming policy agmen a ion …………………..…………………..………………………..
❖Fle o Campus: Alme e, Ne he lands …………………..…………………..…………………….
❖Go ichka: So ia, Bulga ia ………………….…………………..…………………..…………………..
❑Pa hways o comme cialisa ion and he impo ance o con ex ……………………
❑Common challenges ac oss li ing labs …………………..…………………..………………….
Policy p inciples and p ocess
•Key p inciples o policy in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde app oaches ……………….
•Key phases o he policy p ocess …………………..…………………..………………………………..
•People ..…………………..………………………………..…………………..………………..………………….
How o: In o o he guide …………………..…………………..………………………………..…………………..
Good go e nance and policy p ac ices
•Diagnosis & Commi men
❖Kick-o e en s ………………….…………………..…………………..………………………………..
❖Si ua ion analysis ………………….…………………..…………………..……………………………
❖Visioning and agenda building …………………..…………………..……………………………
❖Land use in en o y ………………….…………………..…………………..…………………………
❖In e na ional ag eemen and agenda alignmen ……………..………………………….
•S a egy & Ac ion Planning
❖Pa icipa o y planning ………………….…………………..…………………..…………………….
❖UA and ood s a egies ………………….…………………..…………………..……………………
❖Communi y g een space design …….…………………..…………………..……………………
❖Alloca ing moni o ing …….…………………..…………………..…………………………………..
•Implemen ing & Ope a ionalizing
❖Ins i u ional homes …….…………………..…………………..………………………………………
❖Zoning e o m ………………….…………………..…………………..…………………………………
❖Commoning ………………….…………………..…………………..……………………………………
❖Municipal p ojec unding ………………….…………………..…………………..………………
❖Pilo p ojec s ………………….…………………..…………………..………………………………….
•Moni o ing & E alua ion
❖Pe o mance e alua ion models ……….…………………..…………………..……………….
Recommenda ions o policy in p ac ice
•Key e lec ions …..…..………………………………..…………………..………………..………………….
•Recommenda ion o local go e nmen s ..…………………..………………..…………………..
Re e ences ..…………………..………………..…………………. ..…………………..………………..……………….
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This ca alogue, c ea ed as pa o he FOODCITYBOOST p ojec , aims o p o ide a comp ehensi e
guide o in eg a ing u ban ag icul u e (UA) in o ci y and spa ial planning, ocusing on e ec i e
p ac ices o go e nance and policy. I e alua es ac i i ies o p ac ices o UA go e nance and policy
wo k based on wo main c i e ia: policy in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde app oaches, as hese
add ess he sys emic coo dina ion and inclusi e decision-making essen ial o sus ainable, equi able,
and esilien ou comes.
Suppo ing UA helps communi ies and local go e nmen s boos local ood p oduc ion, educe
eliance on ex e nal supply chains, and ensu e esh, heal hy ood is accessible, especially in ood-
insecu e a eas. I also p omo es en i onmen al sus ainabili y by imp o ing biodi e si y, educing
u ban hea islands, and enhancing ai quali y. Addi ionally, u ban ag icul u e os e s social cohesion
and economic de elopmen by c ea ing communi y spaces, gene a ing jobs, and o e ing
educa ional oppo uni ies, con ibu ing o a mo e esilien and engaged popula ion.
Designed o suppo policy o icials, decision-make s, and ad ocacy g oups, his ca alogue p esen s
examples o e ec i e UA policy and go e nance, a oiding he pi alls o one-size- i s-all solu ions.
Ye , he di e si y o UA policies, ins umen s, and in e en ions makes i challenging o iden i y
common models o ypes, as hese a y widely ac oss di e en loca ions. Policy goals, planning
amewo ks, go e nance s uc u es, and he people in ol ed a e also e y con ex speci ic, and play
impo an oles in how policy and go e nance ake shape. Ne e heless, he ca alogue highligh s a
ange o "good p ac ices" ha o e aluable op ions o UA planning and suppo . These p ac ices
ha e been selec ed because hey mee se e al key c i e ia: hey a e in o med by esea ch, da a, and
empi ical e idence, d awing on lessons lea ned om pas expe iences and expe insigh s.
Addi ionally, hey add ess speci ic challenges o needs iden i ied by he FOODCITYBOOT li ing labs.
While con ex is c ucial, hese p ac ices a e adap able o di e en en i onmen s, wi h co e elemen s
ha emain ele an and e ec i e in new se ings. Mo eo e , hey a e lexible enough o adap o
changing ci cums ances o new e idence.
The ca alogue begins by explo ing UA Policy and Go e nance, using examples om he
FOODCITYBOOST Li ing Labs o highligh he con ex , challenges, and needs o UA in di e en
se ings. The Policy P inciples and P ocess sec ion ou lines key p inciples o e ec i e policy
in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde a angemen s, which a e essen ial o c ea ing sus ainable and
inclusi e UA sys ems. I also co e s he phases o he policy p ocess, emphasising he impo ance o
collabo a ion and eamwo k a each s age. The How o Use he Guide sec ion p o ides a clea
empla e o na iga ing he ca alogue, helping use s unde s and how o apply he insigh s o hei
own con ex s. This is ollowed by he Good Go e nance and Policy P ac ices sec ion, which ou lines
c i ical s eps such as engaging he mo i a ed s akeholde s, diagnosing challenges, commi ing o
ac ion, and de eloping s a egic plans. I also o e s guidance on implemen a ion and
ope a ionaliza ion, ensu ing ha policies a e pu in o p ac ice e ec i ely, and s esses he
impo ance o moni o ing and e alua ion o ack p og ess and adjus as needed. Finally, he
ecommenda ions sec ion summa ises key akeaways and o e s sugges ions o policymake s and
p ac i ione s, helping in o med decisionmaking o a oid common pi alls in implemen ing u ban
ag icul u e policies.
Summa y
5

In oduc ion
Welcome o his ca alogue o good p ac ices o policy and go e nance in u ban ag icul u e (UA). This ex is designed o
p o ide insigh s and guidance o hose wishing o begin o con inue wo k ela ed o UA leade ship and decision-making
(go e nance) o public adminis a ion and egula ion (policy). The ollowing pages a e in ended o suppo policy o icials,
decision-make s, ad ocacy g oups, and o he s wi h a comp ehensi e o e iew ha is e idence-based and ac ionable. We
begin wi h con ex ual in o ma ion in his in oduc ion, including examples om he six Li ing Labs (LL) o he
FOODCITYBOOST p ojec o help iden i y cu en challenges which may be add essed h ough UA policy and go e nance. We
hen o e some concep ual amewo ks - Key p inciples o policy in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde app oaches and Key
phases o he policy p ocess (pp. 15-16) which help explain how p ac ices a e selec ed and o ganized. The bulk o he ex is
hen dedica ed o he 15 p ac ices which a e ou lined in de ail, ollowed by wo summa y ecommenda ion pages (pp. 51-52).
This ca alogue aims o be comp ehensi e ool which can help people wo king owa ds be e UA policy and go e nance, wi h
gene al guidance ha is in o med by speci ic examples. These examples and he p ocess o c ea ing his ca alogue we e
in o med by coo dina ion wi h colleagues and indi iduals in he FOODCITYBOOST li ing labs as well as a ge ed esea ch
wi hin and beyond o he Eu opean cases. The u ili y o his ca alogue as a ool o decision-make s depends on he con ex
and aims o local wo k, bu he di e se examples a e in ended o gi e di e en op ions which may be es ed and modi ied. In
any case, unde s anding how he good p ac ices a e amed is essen ial o use his ex e ec i ely. Fo ins ance, he Key
p inciples o policy in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde app oaches p o ide he guiding c i e ia o he selec ion o p ac ices,
while he Key phases o he policy p ocess show cyclical s eps o engaging in UA policy and go e nance and p o ide he
sec ions in which he p ac ices a e o ganized. I is impo an o no e ha hose engaged in policy and go e nance wo k may
ind hemsel es in simul aneous o i e a i e wo k ac oss hese phases, and ha you may decide o pu sue one o mul iple
p ac ices in a sec ion.
Ano he impo an no e is ha people a e cen al o policy and go e nance. This wo k is dependen on he people in ol ed
and mus conside he people who will be a ec ed by a policy in e en ion, o who a e he in ended bene icia ies. This is one
eason why he Key phases a e p e aced by “Phase 0: People” (p.18). Unde s anding and b inging oge he local s akeholde s
is no only good p ac ice, i is essen ial o he success o an ini ia i e and how i is pe cei ed locally.
S a e o he a in u ban ag icul u e policy and go e nance
In ecen yea s, he e has been conside able a en ion and in e es on he issue o UA go e nance in he EU, bo h in he
academic li e a u e and in policy p ocesses, especially a he ci y and me opoli an le els. Ac oss di e en ci ies, coun ies
and adminis a i e le els, policy agmen a ion has been iden i ied as a c ucial challenge o UA (McEldowney, 2017; Pio ,
2018; López-Ga cía & González de Molina, 2020). Cohe en policy isions a e equi ed ha ecognise he mul i unc ionali y o
ag icul u e as well as he di e en ypes o UA, om communi y ga dens o oo op ga dens (Sanye Mengual, 2015; Jansma
e al., 2024). Al hough indi ec and agmen a y policies can p o ide some suppo , he ma ginal, con ingen s a us o UA has
o a long ime been iden i ied as an obs acle o o e come in achie ing i s po en ial o empowe men , educa ion and
communi y-building (To naghi, 2014), equi ing he di ec conside a ion o UA ac oss policy domains.
A g owing s and o esea ch ocuses on he di e en policies deployed a he municipal and me opoli an le els o p omo e
comp ehensi e ansi ions o sus ainabili y in u ban ood sys ems (Doe nbe g, 2019; López-Ga cía e al., 2024), and s esses
he con lic s aised by di e en p io i ies and aims o he policies a di e en adminis a i e le els (López-Ga cía e al.,
2025). A he EU le el, UA is s ill sca cely add essed as an explici policy p io i y, ending o all be ween a eas; no being
su icien ly “ u al” o be conside ed in he amewo k o he Common Ag icul u al Policy (Ru & Ca s ensen, 2022; Pio e
al., 2018), no ecognised as a mul i unc ional ac i i y in he con ex o u ban de elopmen and esilience (Ren ing, 2023).
Ano he c ucial poli ical ba ie is he lack o conside a ion and p o ec ion o ag icul u e and ag icul u al land in u ban
planning (Pio e al., 2018; Vande maelen e al., 2022; Ma ini e al., 2023; Cassa ella e al., 2022,2023). Alongside he
p ac ical need o le e age u ban planning o UA land access, he e is a g owing ecogni ion o he need o o e come ma ke
logics and he lack o a comp ehensi e ood sys ems app oach (beyond a u al-u ban di ide), o libe a e UA’s sus ainabili y
po en ial (López-Ga cía e al., 2020, 2025; Pio e al., 2018; To naghi & Dehaene, 2021). Inc eased land access needs o ake
place oge he wi h inancing, in as uc u e p o ision, aining and suppo o comme cialisa ion (McEldowney, 2018;
Ren ing & Seg e o, 2023).
In o de o o e come he exis ing agmen a ion and implemen a cohe en ision, new o ms o go e nance, wi h an
emphasis on pa icipa ion and hyb id go e nmen -ci il socie y s uc u es ha e eme ged, no wi hou ensions, in mul iple
ci ies. U ban ood s a egies in pa icula ha e become key policy and poli ical p ocesses h ough which UA p io i ies can be
a icula ed (Va a-Sánchez e al., 2021). The sys ems app oach and mul i-s akeholde cha ac e o u ban ood s a egies lend
hemsel es well o he mul i unc ional and mul i ace ed na u e o UA. The eme gence o anslocal ini ia i es and ne wo ks
has se ed o ein o ce and connec a wide ange o local mul is akeholde p ocesses (Mo agues-Faus, 2021). Howe e ,
u ban ood s a egies ha e p o en o be ulne able o changes in poli ical cycles, especially a he local ci y le el. Much wo k
emains o be done o build UA as a long- e m p io i y, c ea ing cohe en isions, embedding associa ed p io i ies a di e en
policy le els, and unde s anding he ole o local ci cums ances in shaping policy and go e nance en i onmen s. 6
Li ing lab p o iles and common challenges
E idence-based go e nance is essen ial in suppo ing and pu suing UA, wi h local con ex signi ican ly shapes policy
success. Good go e nance p ac ices mus he e o e be adap ed o conside social, cul u al, poli ical, ecological and
his o ical aspec s o a local a ea. To unde s and how local con ex s shape go e nance and policy ou comes, we wo ked
wi h FOODCITYBOOST li ing lab ep esen a i es (non-scien i ic p ojec pa ne s hos ing local li ing labs wi hin he
p ojec ). Rep esen a i es helped p o ide esea ch suppo ia in e iews, wo kshops and alida ing analysis o policy
documen s. They also helped ec ui a me s, policy s akeholde s and ci il socie y as s akeholde s in he p ocess. The
selec ion o he LL pa icipa ing in he di e en ac i i ies and selec ion o opics o be discussed in each LL and ac i i y
we e done along he co-c ea ion p ocess i sel . Insigh s we e syn hesised and p esen ed as b ie snapsho s below.
The snapsho s below desc ibe UA policy and go e nance con ex s and p io i ies in he six FOODITYBOOST ci y- egions,
g ounding he wo k in eal-wo ld con ex s. Desc ip ions include he s eng hs, challenges and go e nance needs
iden i ied in each ci y- egion. I also includes a desc ip ion o challenges which we iden i ied in mul iple ci y- egions
(Boxes 1, 2 & 3), wi h he unde s anding ha hey a e also applicable ou side o hese li ing labs. Ou hope is ha hese
accoun s and common challenges, while speci ic o Valladolid, Riga, W ocław, Flande s, Alme e, and So ia, a e ela able
o people engaged in policy and go e nance wo k in o he con ex s. While his ca alogue was c ea ed wo king alongside
s akeholde s in hese ci y- egions, we expec ha he p inciples we desc ibe o policy in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde
app oaches, and he good p ac ices ou lined in his ex a e applicable in mul iple se ings.
Li ing lab 1. En e an os: Valladolid, Spain
The Valladolid li ing lab is hos ed by Fundación En e an os, a na ional non-p o i wo king ac oss ag oecology, ood
sys ems, e i o ial go e nance and en i onmen al managemen . En e an os has been wo king o p omo e UA in
Valladolid o many yea s h ough ne wo k-building, capaci y-building, en i onmen al educa ion and ad ocacy. They
ha e wo ked wi h he Ci y Council, Valladolid Uni e si y, and local associa ion o o ganic a me s -Vallaecolid- o de elop
and deli e he Valladolid Local Food S a egy and ela ed ac i i ies.
Pas UA p omo ion e o s, including he ood s a egy, consume g oups, seed bank, and o ganic ma ke , ha e c ea ed a
cul u e o pa ne ships a ound ag icul u e and ood sys ems in Valladolid ha is suppo i e o good do e nance. School
and neighbou hood associa ions helped acili a e he es ablishmen o communi y ga dens in Valladolid, and local UA
p oduce s ha e o med an associa ion o collec i ely sell p oduce. Valladolid’s la ge me opoli an a ea accoun s o a
la ge ex ension o i iga ed ag icul u al land whe e di e en ege ables a e g own by p o essional a me s, some
o ganic. The ci y bene i s om gene a ional ood-g owing knowledge and a ela i ely high amoun o g een space,
al hough pa icipan s no e a g owing disconnec be ween ci y dwelle s and ood p oduc ion in Valladolid, and insu icien
awa eness o UA bene i s.
Despi e his p og ess, UA ini ia i es ace challenges a ound limi ed access o land and limi ed oppo uni ies o
comme cialisa ion, calling on policy in his a ea. Loss o ag icul u al land in pe i-u ban a eas ep esen s a key s uc u al
challenge, wi h legal p o ec ion iden i ied as a p e en ion mechanism. Land banks and public sha ed ood p ocessing
acili ies ha e been implemen ed wi h limi ed success due o low demand by a ming en an s. Mo e in eg a ed suppo
packages a e iden i ied as a need, including in as uc u e, en ep eneu ship aining and ma ke access suppo .
Inno a i e public p ocu emen legisla ion p io i ises local sou cing. Howe e , i demand we e o expand apidly, supply
would become a cons ain in he absence o complemen a y ini ia i es. When selling ood, local p oduce s ace
legisla ion unsui ed o small-scale p oduc ion and he mul i- unc ionali y o ma ke s is no always ecognised.
Key go e nance challenges include
miscoo dina ion be ween di e en
depa men s and le els o he S a e.
P io i ies include e i alising he ood
s a egy p ocess, s eng hening public
p ocu emen , and p omo ing g ea e
ecogni ion o UA mul i- unc ionali y in
unding schemes and policy. Solu ions
could include longe - e m unding o
go e nance-o ien ed p ojec s, and a
s eng hening o bo om-up g ass oo s
UA momen um o build a social ab ic
ha does no depend on ins i u ions
and can wea he shi ing p io i ies
along he elec o al cycle. 7
Li ing lab 2. Kalnciema Qua e : Riga, La ia
The Riga li ing lab is hos ed by Kalnciema Qua e , a small- o-medium en e p ise (SME) managing a ood ma ke o
a me s and local p oduce s and wo king o sho en supply chains be ween consume s and p oduce s. I hos s wo ood
ma ke s in Riga –Kalnciema Qua e and Āgenskalns Ma ke –one open ai and one in a building belonging o he Ci y
Council. Āgenskalns ma ke is also he si e o a plan shel e ga den, while bo h hos educa ional and cul u al ac i i ies.
UA in Riga is hea ily shaped by he local his o ical con ex and can be unde s ood as ha ing h ee b oad ypes: amily
allo men ga dens, communi y ga dening and u ban a ms. Family allo men ga dens da e back o policies in he So ie
e a, whe e amilies we e p o ided by he municipali y wi h allo men plo s o g ow ood. Family ga dens a e o en
enced o –al hough o icially leased, hey a e ega ded as p i a e spaces, se apa om public a eas o main ain a
sense o pe sonal e i o y and o educe he isk o andalism. Thei o iginal pu pose –ensu ing ood p o ision o
households –has g adually diminished. Al hough cul i a ion s ill occu s, hese ga dens a e inc easingly alued as spaces
o leisu e and spending ime ou doo s wi h amily and iends. Communi y ga dening and ga dens e e o ac i i ies and
spaces mo e o ien ed owa d social and communi y bene i s, alongside g owing ood o consump ion. Finally, u ban
a ms a e mos ly pe i-u ban ini ia i es whe e ood is g own o be sold, including a isanal, o ganic, and locally ma ke ed
p oduc s b ough o Kalnciema Qua e and Āgenskalns ma ke s, and o he ma ke s in and a ound Riga.
Food g owing e o s in Riga a e suppo ed by he his o y o amily allo men ga dens and a ms, wi h many people
al eady possessing g owing skills and ac i ely g owing al eady. E o s o sho en supply chains a e acili a ed by p i a e
ini ia i es in he a ea, such as Kalnciema Qua e - un ood ma ke s o e ing cheape en s o endo s han public spaces,
and a numbe o cen alised ood s o age spaces.
Challenges aced by u ban a me s and communi y ga dene s in Riga include sho - e m land access ag eemen s, which
unde mine long- e m sus ainabili y o ini ia i es and hei abili y o embed hemsel es as pe manen communi y asse s
(Box 1). The e a e also challenges in how UA policy is app oached, including agmen ed esponsibili ies ac oss mul iple
depa men s (Box 2), limi ed policy in eg a ion, a na ow ocus on ce ain bene i s (e.g. ood p oduc ion) a he expense
o o he s (e.g. communi y-building), and challenges in implemen a ion.
The e is a desi e o new ways o go e ning ood and u ban ga dening and a ming in Riga, which build on local asse s,
including he exis ing amily ga den ne wo ks, in e gene a ional a ming knowledge and wide sus ainabili y s a egies.
P omising go e nance app oaches o Riga include es ablishing longe - e m land access ag eemen s, c ea ing umb ella
o ganisa ions o coo dina ed ad ocacy, implemen ing demons a ion pilo s, and de eloping a uni ed long- e m ision,
po en ially connec ed o a wide ood s a egy.
8
Insecu e and sho - e m land access eme ged as a signi ican obs acle ac oss di e en egions, wi h a ying impac s
depending on he ype o UA and loca ion. This is linked o inadequa e p o ec ion and conside a ion o ag icul u al u ban
and pe i-u ban land.
Reloca ed communi y ga dens
In Riga, La ia, communi y ga dene s aced o ced eloca ions when hei plo s we e epu posed o de elopmen
p ojec s. While al e na i e si es we e ypically o e ed, hese eloca ions demanded subs an ial in es men s o ime and
esou ces. Ga dene s had o ebuild in as uc u e and adap o municipal equi emen s, such as cons uc ing ences a
he new loca ions, c ea ing signi ican dis up ion o hei es ablished g owing sys ems.
Loss o ag icul u al land a he u ban- u al in e ace
In So ia, u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es a e classi ied like any o he business in land-use and planning p ocesses. This
classi ica ion o ces small-scale u ban ag icul u e o compe e di ec ly wi h la ge comme cial en i ies such as
supe ma ke s and dis ibu ion cen es o aluable land on he ci y's ou ski s. Consequen ly, land ha could suppo
local ood p oduc ion has inc easingly been de eloped o la ge-scale comme cial pu poses o subsumed by u ban
sp awl. In Alme e, pe i-u ban land is being de eloped o housing and mili a y pu poses, o cing exis ing u ban a me s
o eloca e. I is wo h no ing ha Alme e has ied o mi iga e his by ea ma king land o UA wi hin he de elopmen
zone. In Valladolid, u banisa ion has a ac ed a en ion o i s po en ial o deg ade and con amina e soils, unde mining
he capaci y o land o suppo na u e and ood in he u u e.
Sho - e m a angemen s disincen i ise long- e m sus ainabili y
In Flande s, despi e land-banking pilo p ojec s p o ided by he Flemish Land Agency, pe i-u ban a me s ha e s uggled
wi h limi a ions o sho - e m enancy ag eemen s. These sho - e m a angemen s discou aged long- e m in es men in
sus ainable a ming p ac ices like ag oecology, which equi es mul i-yea commi men s o soil heal h de elopmen and
social-ecological sys ems.
Toge he , hese impac s highligh a need o policy o p o ec pe i-u ban ag icul u al and g een spaces and implemen
secu e, long- e m suppo mechanisms adap ed o local con ex s o ensu e ha UA ini ia i es can in es in and ansi ion
o mo e ecological a ming me hods. These examples sugges s some policy incohe ence –a disc epancy be ween
es ablished he o ic a ound UA, which emphasizes long- e m socie al bene i s and a ole in ans o ma ion owa ds
li eable ci ies, and he o en ma ginal and ins umen al conside a ion o UA in ac ual policymaking. Inco po a ing UA
bene i s and p io i ies in long- e m planning is impo an o u u e UA de elopmen and p omo ion.
Good p ac ices
Taken oge he , hese land-use challenges unde sco e he links be ween land enu e and policy cohe ence. The good
p ac ices desc ibed in he ollowing pages o e di e en s a egies ha may help add ess hese issues. In pa icula ,
Land use in en o ies and Communi y g een space design may help os e he ne wo k-building and s a egic planning
ac i i ies showing p omise in o he ci y- egions.
Box 1. Alloca ing and p o ec ing land o u ban ag icul u e in li ing labs
9
This guide e alua es u ban ag icul u e go e nance and policies using wo main c i e ia: policy in eg a ion
and mul i-s akeholde app oaches. These wo c i e ia we e chosen because hey add ess bo h sys emic
coo dina ion and inclusi e decision-making, which a e c i ical o sus ainable,equi able and esilien
ou comes. Each c i e ion is u he de ailed h ough speci ic p inciples ou lined below.
Policy in eg a ion
Te i o ial in eg a ion e e s o how well policies conside di e en geog aphies and
sec o s. Key aspec s include:
•C oss- egional collabo a ion be ween u ban, pe i-u ban, and u al a eas
•Spa ial planning syne gy wi h b oade land-use s a egies
•Regional economic impac h ough coo dina ed ag icul u al, social, and economic
e o s
Cohe ence ac oss scales and le els e e s o how well policies align bo h e ically
( om local o in e na ional le els) and ho izon ally (ac oss sec o s like ag icul u e,
heal h, and en i onmen wi hin he same le el o go e nance).
Policy consis ency in ol es educing legal con lic s o suppo clea , eliable ules o UA,
helping o align la ge policy goals wi h implemen a ion and building accep ance o local
ood sys ems.
Mul i-s akeholde app oaches
Di e se ep esen a ion means in ol ing a a ie y o s akeholde s wi h di e en
backg ounds, expe iences, in e es s and pe spec i es. This di e si y helps c ea e a
mo e comp ehensi e eam o decision-making. Di e se ep esen a ion can be assessed by
looking a gene al inclusi eness, as well as engagemen and pa icipa ion o ma ginalised
g oups.
C oss-disciplina y and sec o al collabo a ion ocuses on di e si y in p o essional
backg ounds, sec o s, and go e nance s uc u es, complemen ing he ea lie ocus on
inclusi i y and ma ginalized g oups.
Con lic esolu ion and consensus building. When mul i-s akeholde app oaches in UA b ing
oge he di e se sec o s and local ac o s wi h a ying goals, needs, pe spec i es, and
challenges, i becomes necessa y o add ess po en ial con lic s and os e collabo a ion. This
in ol es bo h esol ing disag eemen s (con lic esolu ion) and p omo ing sha ed
unde s anding and decision-making (consensus building). Good p ac ices include
anspa ency and accoun abili y, wi h clea guidelines on when and how o engage in con lic
esolu ion and consensus-building.
Capaci y building includes aining, educa ion, and empowe men . Some UA p ojec s ocus
on educa ion o empowe men , while o he s, like pilo p og ammes and ne wo k-building,
o e aluable insigh s o capaci y building in UA go e nance.
Toge he , hese p inciples help ensu e u ban ag icul u e is no ea ed as a inge ac i i y, bu as a cen al,
in eg a ed componen o local and egional policy ha e lec s needs and con ibu ions o all s akeholde s.
Key p inciples o policy in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde app oaches
16

Key phases o he policy p ocess
To p esen he good p ac ices in his ca alogue, we ha e chosen a gene al, cyclical model ha e lec s he
common phases o policy wo k. This policy p ocess is a s uc u ed app oach ha guides he de elopmen and
implemen a ion o e ec i e policies. In an ini ia ing phase o Diagnosis and Commi men , p oblems a e
iden i ied, and hei unde lying causes a e analysed. S akeholde s ( ood g owe s and p oduce s, ad ocacy
g oups, NGOs, policymake s, esea che s…) assess he need o ac ion and build consensus and poli ical will
o add ess he issue, laying he ounda ion o policy de elopmen . Based on he diagnosis, S a egy and
Ac ion Planning con inues designing clea goals, s a egies, and ac ionable s eps o ackle he issue. This is
ollowed by Implemen ing and Ope a ionalizing, whe e plans a e pu in o ac ion h ough p og ammes,
egula ions, o se ices. Finally, Moni o ing and E alua ion ack p og ess, assess he e ec i eness and
impac o he policy, and iden i y a eas o imp o emen . The p ocess hen epea s i sel wi h Diagnosis and
commi men , and s a s again.
S ages 1-4 co espond o he ou phases ou lined in his ca alogue bu should no be conside ed a linea
p og ession. Fo each phase o he policy cycle, we ha e selec ed good p ac ices ha a e pa icula ly well-
sui ed o ha speci ic s age. Howe e , as he cyclical na u e o he model implies, he p ocess is no s ic ly
linea ; some p ac ices may be ele an ac oss mul iple phases o may be epea ed h oughou he en i e
p ocess. Mo eo e , e e y ci y and egion is di e en and while some ac o s migh s a wi h a si ua ion
analysis, o he s migh begin by d a ing a ision o jump di ec ly in o ac ion. None heless, he cycle o e s a
help ul amewo k o o ganising and na iga ing he good p ac ices. As he cycle loops upwa d, he in en ion
is ha he p ocess becomes mo e ocused owa d i s aims, ha policy becomes clea e , mo e e ined and
socially ele an .
Figu e 2: Policy Spi al ( e ame. ood, 2025) 17
Behind and h oughou policy p ocesses a e hose who a e engaged in he wo k. The nex page ou lines
“Phase 0: People”showing cons ella ions o UA go e nance. Phase 0 may be seen as a p epa a o y s ep
be o e en e ing s ages 1-4, beginning pe haps wi h a s akeholde mapping ac i i y o simila p ocedu e. O
i could be iewed as a componen o he o he s eps, wi h collabo a ion o a g oup as an ongoing ac i i y.
As he nex page men ions, is may be also be amed mo e in e ms o a good p ac ice i sel , ocusing on
s akeholde g oup o ma ion and o ganiza ion. While i may o may no i clea ly in he cycle ou lined, i
holds a co e a ea no be neglec ed. People de e mine success o a policy p ocess, in mo e ways han one.
Phase 0: People
Cen al o e e y UA ini ia i e, p ojec , o ask, a e he people aking pa . Whe he he opic is suppo ing pe i-u ban
a ming, es ing communi y in e es in hyd oponic he bs, secu ing access o land o communi y ga dens, o one o
he o he coun less in e es s in UA, whoe e is in ol ed is key o he goals, decisions, and he po en ial o success.
Fo policy and go e nance o UA, he e a e a numbe o di e en g oupings, o ypes o a angemen s be ween local
ac o s o s akeholde s. The c ea ion and main enance o hese g oups may cons i u e a good p ac ice in i sel , one
which lays he ounda ion o u u e wo k.
•Mul i-S akeholde o ums and wo king g oups: A mul i-s akeholde o um should uni e key ac o s (e.g. municipal
depa men s, a me g oups, NGOs, uni e si ies, and ele an public and p i a e sec o o ganisa ions) o join ly
de elop and implemen a sha ed ision and s a egy o UA. I s co e pu pose is o os e communica ion and
knowledge exchange among hose in ol ed, coo dina e a common ci y agenda o UA, and suppo he c ea ion
o enabling policies while in eg a ing UA in o local and egional go e nmen s’ p og ammes and budge s. Al hough
he o um should unc ion independen ly o poli ical s uc u es, o mal ecogni ion by he municipali y and a
connec ion o ele an ci y council bodies a e essen ial o ensu e legi imacy and in luence. Fo he o um o
succeed, i equi es clea and sus ained commi men s om pa icipa ing o ganisa ions, s ong local owne ship
and con ibu ion o esou ces, and con inuous us -building. While ex e nal unding may suppo i s ac i i ies,
he o um should p ima ily be d i en by local engagemen and esou ce ulness.(Dubbeling e al., 2010).
Speci ic ood- and ag icul u e-speci ic mul i-s akeholde a angemen s include:
•Food policy councils: Food policy councils ha e a ich his o y o b inging oge he communi y membe s a ound
he mul i ace ed opic o ood, and in many ci ies ha e s ong connec ions o UA. S a ing in he Uni ed S a es as a
model o ci il empowe men and policy building (and wi h acial and social jus ice oo s in some ci ies), hese
councils ha e g own a ound Eu ope and No h Ame ica as one app oach o b ing ci il socie y in o local
go e nance, a ac ing and mobilising people in al e na i e ood ne wo ks, including u ban and pe i-u ban ood
p oduce s. Whe he hey a e independen o o mally in eg a ed in o ci y adminis a ions, hey ac i ely b ing
oge he di e se links in ood chains, di e se economic sec o s, di e se go e nmen depa men s, and some imes
di e se ep esen a ion o his o ically ma ginalised communi ies. In some coun ies, such as he Ne he lands, hey
a e associa ed oge he a he na ional le el (Voedse aden.nl).
•Food policy labs: Policy labs a e one ool o de eloping, moni o ing, and ecommending policy h ough e idence
and analysis. Food policy labs may ake shape as pa o academic cu icula o depa men s (as a Dalhousie
Uni e si y, Canada; S an o d, USA), o hey connec di e se s akeholde s in di e en loca ions, as in he Food2030
online pla o m,No dic Food Policy Lab,o he LUPPA U ban Lab o Public Food Policies in B azil (see also: Tânga i
& Mo ales Cu an, 2024). While ocused mo e on es ing ideas, hese labs esemble ood policy councils wi h
in eg a ion o ac o s in unde s anding and impac ing policy, wo king on a ange o opics and a ound he globe:
•Fo es go e nance o ood secu i y in Nepal (Ojha e al., 2020)
•Food sys em esilience in Hunga y in he FIT4FOOD2023 p ojec (Szűcs & Dudás, 2020)
•Was e managemen and ci cula economy in he EU (Duquennoi & Ma inez, 2022)
•UA associa ions and p oduce ne wo ks: Associa ions and ne wo ks migh be seen mo e as s akeholde s han as a
p ac ice bu also se e as a model o mul i-ac o go e nance. The p ac ical side o UA associa ions and p oduce
ne wo ks can be in how hey a e buil , suppo ed, engaged wi h, and empowe ed. These g oups o e echnical
and p o essional suppo as well as channels h ough which collec i e ac ions may be pu sued and communica ion
ac oss o he s akeholde ypes (Ma ini e al., 2023; Ochoa e al., 2019). They can help wi h capaci y building,
speci ically o poli ical engagemen (Dubbeling, 2007) as well as o exchange and nego ia ion wi h o he ac o s
(Dubbeling e al., 2006). Impo an ly, hey also p o ide a pla o m o he needs and conce ns o hose in ol ed in
ood p oduc ion. Some coun ies, like F ance, ha e na ional ne wo ks speci ically dedica ed o UA (AFAUP). Using
he B ussels a ea as an example om a FOODCITYBOOST li ing lab, hese associa ions can also be seen ope a ing
a egional le els, o example:
•The B ussels Fede a ion o U ban Ag icul u e P o essionals (FedeAU)
•The Flemish Communi y Suppo ed Ag icul u e Ne wo k (CSA-Ne we k)
18
19
Fea u ed good p ac ices
❖Kick-o e en s
❖Si ua ion analysis
❖Visioning and agenda building
❖Land use in en o y
❖In e na ional ag eemen and agenda alignmen
Phase 1: Diagnosis & Commi men
20
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Local - In e na ional 3-6 mon hs 
Medium

Low
Kick-o e en s
Phase 1: Diagnosis & Commi men
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
A he s a o a new p ojec o collabo a ion, o when seeking o inspi e ac ion o local UA goals, e en s can play a
c ucial ole in b inging people oge he . These e en s can a y in scale, om communi y wo kshops o la ge ga he ings
like an "u ban ag icul u e summi " (Visse e al., 2006) o in e na ional ade ai s (Ishani & Khanbhai, 2007). Typically,
hese e en s ocus on p oblem-sol ing and knowledge exchange a ound opics such as ood secu i y, was e
managemen , and o he ela ed issues. They also se e as pla o ms o highligh success ul ini ia i es, assess s akeholde
in ol emen , and acili a e dialogue.
While he e m “kick-o ” sugges s a esh s a , such e en s can occu e en a e yea s o wo k, helping o ein igo a e
communi y in e es o eassess p io i ies. La ge e en s can be aluable o b oad engagemen and ec ui men , bu
smalle ga he ings can be jus as pu pose ul. Many success ul p ojec s begin wi h small, dedica ed g oups o ganising
in o mal mee ings o ocused wo k sessions. High-p o ile summi s and con e ences may d aw la ge c owds and gene a e
exci emen o UA, wi h mo e ocused and meaning ul policy and go e nance wo k o en depending on he
commi men o a co e g oup o s akeholde s.
Be o e, du ing, o a e la ge e en s—especially hose wi h mul iple ac i i ies, such as ade ai s o week-long
campaigns—smalle , a ge ed ga he ings, including o ums, ound able discussions, s a egic planning sessions, and
wo kshops, become key. These pe son- o-pe son se ings p o ide a space o ocus on poli ical and social goals,
add essing co e policy p inciples such as consensus-building and ensu ing di e se ep esen a ion.
Policy P inciples
Te i o ial
in eg a ion
Cohe ence-
scales and le els
Policy
consis ency
Di e se
ep esen a ion
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Con lic esolu ion,
consensus building
Capaci y
building
P epa ing o a kick-o mee ing
De ine objec i es
and agenda
Iden i y key
s akeholde s
Ga he ele an
in o ma ion
Se
expec a ions
P epa e
p esen a ion
ma e ials
Public
o icials
Ci izens
NGOs Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies
NGOs
P i a e
companies
21

Fi s in-pe son
mee ing o he
FOODCITYBOOST
conso ium in
Ams e dam
Pho o: e ame. ood
Diagnosis & Commi men - Kick-o e en s
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
Key knowledge and skills o kick-o e en s include
ou each, ne wo king, and e en planning. I is impo an
o engage he a ge audience, including s akeholde s
a ec ed by policies o p og ammes and equen ly also
unde - ep esen ed g oups. Success ul ou each e o s
ha e included wo king wi h social se ice agencies,
p oduce associa ions, and local NGOs, depending on he
goals and local con ex .
Physical esou ces:
E en in as uc u e includes basic needs like he hos ing
loca ion, echnical se up, and communica ion. Fo online
o hyb id e en s, addi ional esou ces such as mee ing
pla o ms, audio isual equipmen , and ansla ion se ices
may be needed. Ca e ing and en e ainmen can also ac
as incen i es o pa icipa e and as ges u es o goodwill o
gues s. La ge e en s equi e dedica ed budge s, while
smalle e en s can o en ely on exis ing esou ces o
suppo om local dono s.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
The le el o ins i u ional suppo and policy backing
needed o a kick-o e en depends on he o ganising
en i y. Pa ne ships wi h local o ganisa ions, go e nmen
bodies, and o he key s akeholde s can be engaged o
ensu e he e en aligns wi h b oade communi y and
policy goals. E en s a e also a s a egic ool o cul i a e
in e es and commi men o UA om policymake s and
o he s in local go e nmen s, as well as he gene al public.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
One challenge o kick-o e en s is engaging di e se
pe spec i es and indi iduals who a e less in e es ed in
UA o ha e limi ed ime o pa icipa e. Missing key
pe spec i es could limi he b oade applicabili y o he
e en s ou comes in policymaking and p ac ice.
The e o e, ca e ully planned ec ui men is c ucial when
o ganising an e en . I is impo an o conside how o
engage di e en a ge audiences, whe he
policymake s o membe s o ma ginalised g oups. To
ensu e he e en is aluable and accessible, planning
and ou each a e essen ial. This can in ol e o ming a
planning commi ee wi h membe s o he a ge
audience o collabo a ing wi h o ganisa ions, such as
NGOs, a me associa ions, o p e ious p ojec pa ne s,
o each he igh people.
Needs & goals add essed
•Raising awa eness
•Social & poli ical engagemen
Conc e e examples:
•Go e nado Vala des, B azil: A kick-o e en ook place a e ini ial communi y engagemen o b ing oge he people
in neighbou hoods whe e s udies we e conduc ed along wi h ci il g oups, he local Uni e si y, and ci y council
ep esen a i es o sha e "obs acles and oppo uni ies" o local UA. An ac ion plan was hen d awn a e ecu ing
mee ings and 7 mon hs la e , a poli ical o um was c ea ed. This o um es ablished egula plena y sessions wice a
yea he ea e (Lo o & Pe ei a Cos a, 2006)
•Cape Town, Sou h A ica: Tackling he issue o po e y, he ci y go e nmen con ened a UA summi o engage local
communi ies as well as go e nmen agencies a di e en le els o begin he policy c ea ion p ocess, engage in
awa eness- aising o UA bene i s, and conside how o add ess local needs (Visse , 2006)
•Nai obi, Kenya: An in e na ional ade ai acili a ed ec ui men o a local a me s’ ne wo k, and p o ided he
oppo uni y o engage in public exchange and ou each o a mul i-s akeholde o um (Ishani & Khanbhai, 2007)
•Milan, I aly: The highly ega ded and success ul c ea ion o he Milan U ban Food Policy Pac was c ea ed, in pa ,
hanks o communi y e en s and wo kshops in he yea s leading up o he c ea ion o he ag eemen (Calo i, 2015a &
2015b)
•To on o, Canada: The To on o Food Policy Council has used a UA speake se ies as well as a UA Summi o success ul
awa eness aising and ac ion planning (Mans ield & Mendes, 2013)
22
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Local
(up o Na ional) 6-12 mon hs 
Medium-High
-
Low-High
Si ua ion analysis
Phase 1: Diagnosis & Commi men
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
Be o e se ing goals and ac ions o UA ini ia i es and policy wo k, i is essen ial o unde s and he cu en con ex
including exis ing p ac ices, po en ial, and cons ain s. A si ua ion analysis p o ides his unde s anding by examining he
socio-economic, legal, and ins i u ional landscape, iden i ying ypes and impac s o UA, and mapping whe e i cu en ly
exis s o could be de eloped (Dubbeling e al., 2010). This can be ini ia ed by a go e nmen manda e o an independen
o ganisa ion o wo king g oup, wi h he le el o poli ical suppo a ying based on he ini ia o . The le el o poli ical will
may depend on whe he local policy o icials o depa men s a e needed o in ol ed in he ask.
A si ua ion analysis ypically includes s akeholde mappings, land use in en o ies, and policy and go e nance e iews.
Tools such as in e iews, su eys, documen analysis, and go e nance mapping help iden i y who is in ol ed, how hey
in e ac , and which policies suppo o hinde UA. While ocused on he local le el, he analysis can also conside na ional
and egional policies and ac o s (Dijkshoo n-Dekke e al., 2024). The land use in en o y is a key pa o he si ua ion
analysis o p omo ing UA and is highligh ed as a good p ac ice in mo e de ail in he ollowing pages.
The si ua ion analysis p o ides a clea pic u e o UA’s cu en ole, challenges, and oppo uni ies, in o ming a summa y
epo ha highligh s key issues, s akeholde s, and hei oles, along wi h possible ac ions such as campaigns, aining,
esea ch, o policy changes (Dubbeling e al., 2010).
Ul ima ely, he si ua ion analysis p omo es e i o ial cohesion by aligning UA wi h b oade planning e o s such as land
use and en i onmen al p o ec ion. I can also enhance coo dina ion ac oss go e nance le els, suppo s akeholde
collabo a ion, and os e con lic esolu ion, and capaci y building by c ea ing a sha ed unde s anding among all ac o s
in ol ed in UA.
Policy P inciples
Space o an image/in og aphic
Te i o ial
in eg a ion
Cohe ence-
scales and le els
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Con lic esolu ion,
consensus building
Public
o icials Ci izens
NGOs Fa me s/
ga dene s
Resea che s NGOs Fa me s/
ga dene s
Public
o icials
23
Diagnosis & Commi men –Si ua ion analysis
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
Since i is unlikely ha a single local pa ne can handle all
aspec s o he si ua ion analysis, o ming local sub- eams
has p o en mo e e ec i e. Depending on he ocus and
he componen s o he analysis, di e en knowledge and
skills migh be equi ed. This includes expe s in u ban
ag icul u e, policy analys s, u ban planne s, esea che s,
acili a o s o s akeholde engagemen , and legal expe s
o assess ele an egula ions and he legal amewo k.
Physical esou ces:
Da a collec ion ools include su eys, in e iew guides,
and GIS so wa e o land use in en o ies. Technology o
mapping, da a analysis, and go e nance mapping is also
essen ial. O ice supplies a e needed o o ganise da a and
epo s, while mee ing spaces a e equi ed o
s akeholde consul a ions and wo kshops. Rele an
publica ions, policy documen s, and esea ch pape s will
suppo he p ocess.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
The ins i u ional esou ces needed a y based on he
ini ia o o he si ua ion analysis. Key ins i u ional
esou ces can include go e nmen agencies, NGOs,
academic ins i u ions, he p i a e sec o , legal bodies, and
mul i-s akeholde pla o ms, each con ibu ing o u ban
planning, ag icul u e, esea ch, da a analysis, and policy
dialogue.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
Conduc ing a si ua ion analysis o UA is essen ial o
in o med planning, bu i comes wi h se e al po en ial
isks and challenges. These can include cons ained
inancial and human esou ces, making i c ucial o ocus
on collec ing only he mos ele an in o ma ion ha
di ec ly in o ms he de elopmen o UA. Addi ionally, UA
o en spans mul iple legisla i e a eas, leading o unclea
esponsibili ies among au ho i ies. This can complica e
planning and implemen a ion e o s. Finally, inadequa e
o inconsis en da a on land use, wa e access, and o he
c i ical ac o s can unde mine he analysis, leading o
incomple e insigh s.
Taking s ock o a ailable esou ces, and connec ing he
goals o he analysis wi h conc e e inpu s can help c ea e
ealis ic expec a ions and iden i y ma e ial ba ie s which
should be planned o . Fo example, iden i ying he
desi ed knowledge and skillse s o he ocus o an
analysis can guide whe e o a ge ne wo k building and
possible collabo a o s o mul i-s akeholde g oups.
Needs & goals add essed
•Public engagemen
•Raising awa eness
•P o ec ion and access o ag icul u al land
•Suppo o exis ing a ms and ga dens
•Add essing policy agmen a ion and cohe ence
Conc e e examples:
•Lima, Pe u (Dubbeling e al., 2010)
•Gampaha, S i Lanka (Dubbeling e al., 2010)
•Be gamo, I aly (Dijkshoo n-Dekke e al., 2024)
24
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Ci y-Region Up o 2 yea s 
Medium

Mode a e-High
Visioning and agenda building
Phase 1: Diagnosis & Commi men
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
Building an agenda o UA equi es collabo a ion among mul iple s akeholde s, such as municipal depa men s,
communi y g oups, a me s, and ci il socie y o ganisa ions, o de ine he communi y’s ision, policy goals, and p io i y
issues. An agenda o e s a clea pic u e o long- e m aspi a ions and guides he de elopmen o suppo i e laws,
egula ions, and ac ion plans. I s aim is o ensu e ha u ban ag icul u e con ibu es meaning ully o b oade u ban
objec i es, including po e y alle ia ion, ood secu i y, ecological imp o emen , and local economic de elopmen .
Awell-c a ed UA agenda ypically begins wi h a clea and compelling ision ha explains why he communi y is in es ing
in UA. A s ong ision add esses essen ial ques ions, such as:Wha ype o u ban ag icul u e do we en ision? Wha ole
should i play in he ci y’s de elopmen ? Who should bene i he mos ? (Dubbeling e al., 2010). Answe ing hese
ques ions helps o shape a ision ha is inspi ing, inclusi e, u u e-o ien ed and capable o mobilizing a wide ange o
s akeholde s.
Beyond he ision, an e ec i e agenda ou lines key policy issues ha need o be add essed. These may include access o
land, capaci y building, sus ainable esou ce use, and ins i u ional s eng hening. To ackle hese challenges, he agenda
should p opose s a egies and in e en ions as well as iden i y a ge g oups, expec ed impac s, unding sou ces, and an
ini ial imeline o implemen a ion and moni o ing. Finally, he agenda should de ine an ins i u ional amewo k,
speci ying he oles o in ol ed ac o s and mechanisms o coo dina ion. Once adop ed by local go e nmen and
s akeholde s, he agenda se es as a policy ounda ion. I o en leads o he es ablishmen o dedica ed UA uni s wi hin
municipal s uc u es o ensu e coo dina ed implemen a ion, ongoing s akeholde engagemen , and pe iodic e iew
(Dubbeling e al., 2010; Dubbeling e al., 2011).
Fo mula ing an agenda o UA o e s a key oppo uni y o p omo e e i o ial in eg a ion by connec ing u al and pe i-
u ban ood p oduc ion wi h u ban ma ke s, was e sys ems, and consume s. I also suppo s policy consis ency by
aligning UA wi h b oade u ban de elopmen goals like g een in as uc u e, clima e esilience, and social equi y. UA can
os e c oss-disciplina y collabo a ion among p o essionals in planning, ag icul u e, heal h, en i onmen , and educa ion,
helping o design mo e in eg a ed policies. The agenda-se ing p ocess u he suppo s con lic esolu ion and
consensus building by c ea ing spaces o na iga e compe ing p io i ies and di e se in e es s.
Policy P inciples
Te i o ial
in eg a ion
Policy
consis ency
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Con lic esolu ion,
consensus building
Public
o icials Ci izens Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies
Public
o icials
25
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Ci y - Region 5+ yea s 
High

High
Pa icipa o y planning
Phase 2: S a egy & Ac ion Planning
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
Pa icipa o y planning e e s o he engagemen indi iduals and communi ies in add essing cu en and u u e challenges
by using he knowledge and inpu o esiden s, leade s, a me s and ga dene s, and o he s akeholde s o shape
decisions ha a ec hei en i onmen (Spech e al., 2016; Kozina e al., 2017). Pa icipa o y planning aims o
ha monize di e se pe spec i es, empowe ma ginalised g oups, and p omo e inclusi e decision-making (Kozina e al.,
2017). This collabo a i e app oach seeks o os e inno a ion by in eg a ing local knowledge and alues, leading o
c ea i e and con ex -speci ic solu ions. Pa icipa o y planning can also s eng hen communi y ne wo ks, suppo mu ual
lea ning, and build a sha ed ision o sus ainable u ban ag icul u e and ood sys ems (Spech e al., 2016). On an
ins i u ional le el, pa icipa o y planning can imp o e esponsi eness and e iciency by embedding communi y insigh
in o planning p ocesses, ul ima ely con ibu ing o mo e esilien and adap i e u ban en i onmen s (Kozina e al., 2017).
A success ul pa icipa o y planning p ocess o u ban ag icul u e in ol es a ange o s akeholde s, each b inging unique
expe ise, pe spec i es, and esponsibili ies. Key pa icipan s include municipali ies, p o essionals (e.g. planne s,
landscape a chi ec s), NGOs, schools, ci izens, neighbou hood councils, local associa ions, and a me s o ga dene s
hemsel es (Alampi, 2010; Kozina e al., 2017; Cassa ella e al., 2022; Dubbeling e al., 2010). While local go e nmen s
o en lead he p ocess, suppo is p o ided by ex e nal expe s, consul an s, and commi ees, while ci izens,
neighbou hood councils, and local associa ions help ensu e he planning e lec s communi y needs. Ci izens and
communi ies a e o en engaged h ough wo kshops and mee ings, bu also h ough online pla o ms, su eys, social
media and o ing p ocedu es (Kozina e al., 2017). In ol ing s akeholde s in obse ing and desc ibing he a ea o be
planned, helps in eg a e pe sonal expe iences wi h physical da a, making u ban ag icul u e planning mo e inclusi e and
accep ed by he public (Alampi, 2010).
Pa icipa o y planning can ollow ou common phases. I begins wi h selec ing key s akeholde s, including expe s,
planne s, o icials, ac i is s, and communi y membe s (including hose di ec ly engaged in a ming and/o ga dening).
Nex , ideas and sugges ions a e ga he ed om hese pa icipan s o help shape he planning goals. In he nex phase, a
concep documen is ou lined, and echnical, social, economic, and en i onmen al ac o s a e discussed o c ea e a clea
p ojec p oposal, e ined h ough public eedback. Finally, an ope a ional plan o implemen a ion oadmap is de eloped,
p o iding a p ac ical guide o ca y he UA p ojec om planning o comple ion (Alampi, 2010; Spech e al. 2016). These
phases a e illus a ed o inno a ions as he selec ed p ojec s in he igu e below:
Policy P inciples
Policy
consis ency
Di e se
ep esen a ion
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Con lic esolu ion,
consensus building
Capaci y
building
Pa icipa o y planning p ocess, adap ed om Spech e al., 2016, “Regional Open Inno a ion Roadmapping P ocess”
Selec ing key
s akeholde s Selec ing he
inno a ion Inno a ion planning
and delibe a ion C ea ing a oadmap o
implemen a ion
Public
o icials
Ci izens
NGOs Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies Resea che s
Public
o icials NGOs
Fa me s/
ga dene s
32

S a egy & Ac ion Planning –Pa icipa o y planning
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
Success ul pa icipa o y planning equi es a ange o
human esou ces. Local o egional adminis a o s mus
o e see he p ocess and be ained in pa icipa o y
app oaches. Technicians p o ide expe ise on u ban
planning and in as uc u e, while ex e nal expe s
acili a e he p ocess and ensu e inclusi i y.
Rep esen a i es om local associa ions help b ing
communi y pe spec i es, and ci izens, bo h local esiden s
and s akeholde s om neighbou ing a eas, mus be
ac i ely engaged o ensu e he plan mee s hei needs and
p io i ies.
Physical esou ces:
Pa icipa o y planning equi es key physical esou ces:
accessible mee ing enues equipped o inclusi e ac i i ies
like g oup discussions and eedback sessions,
communica ion ools such as p in ed ma e ials and digi al
pla o ms o ou each, and echnical ools like GIS o
communi y mapping so wa e o isualize da a and
in eg a e communi y inpu . Municipal adminis a ions
mus alloca e he necessa y inancial esou ces o
in eg a e pa icipa o y planning in o hei wo k p ocesses.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
A success ul pa icipa o y planning p ocess equi es a
clea legal and policy amewo k ha suppo s communi y
in ol emen in decision-making. Addi ionally, ins i u ions
mus cul i a e a cul u e o collabo a ion and inclusi i y,
wi h municipal adminis a ions p io i izing pa icipa o y
planning as a co e mission.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
Pa icipa o y planning can ace challenges, such as ocal,
dissa is ied ci izens domina ing discussions, which can
lead o o - opic deba es and unp oduc i e ou comes.
This may cause us a ion and disengagemen om
o he s akeholde s, weakening he p ocess (Kozina e al.,
2017).
To add ess isks in pa icipa o y planning, i 's essen ial o
es ablish clea guidelines and g ound ules o keep
discussions ocused. Skilled acili a o s should manage
he p ocess, ensu ing all oices a e hea d and con lic s
a e add essed. Engaging a di e se ange o s akeholde s,
no jus ocal indi iduals, helps e lec b oade
communi y needs. De ining clea objec i es o each
session keeps discussions ele an and on ack.
Addi ionally, ongoing communica ion ensu es ha
pa icipan s s ay in o med, managing expec a ions and
os e ing sus ained engagemen .
Needs & goals add essed
•Public engagemen
•Suppo o exis ing a ms and ga dens
•Raising awa eness
•Aligning local policy wi h communi y needs
Conc e e examples:
•Along he Danube Ri e o Eas e n Eu ope: Pa icipa o y planning o U ban Ag icul u e was de eloped in he EU
In e eg p ojec Ag iGo4Ci ies. In Czech Republic, Bulga ia, Hunga y, Romania, Slo enia, and Mon eneg o, he p ojec
ound communi y engagemen and abili y o pa icipa o y planning owa ds social inclusion and sus ainable u ban
de elopmen h ough UA (Kozina e al. 2017)
•Be lin, Ge many: Pa icipa o y planning o ze o-ac eage a ming ollowed he “ROIR” app oach (see he p e ious
page) as a planning ool (Spech e al., 2016).
•Bologna, I aly: “Pa co Ci à Campagna“ (Ci y Coun yside Pa k) has been de eloped in a pa icipa o y planning p ocess
p o ec and p omo e local ag icul u e in a wide landscape planning e o , ecognising he mul i unc ionali y o he
landscape (Alampi, 2010)
•Da es Salaam, Tanzania: The local go e nmen in eg a ed UA in o he new zoning and planning amewo k, engaging
communi y membe s, including local a me s in he p ocess. Some esul s, howe e , sugges ha despi e some
pa icipa o y elemen s, needs and conce ns o some g oups, like local a me s, we e no ully in eg a ed and indica ed
some limi a ions in he eal-wo ld social ele ance (Hallo an & Magid, 2013)
33
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Ci y - Region 2+ yea s 
High

High
U ban ag icul u e and ood s a egies
Phase 2: S a egy & Ac ion Planning
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
The c ea ion o a s a egic documen o UA can be app oached in di e en ways: as a op-down, bo om-up, o co-
c ea ion p ocess, depending on he ac o s in ol ed and he goals o ad ancing a poli ical agenda. In de eloping hese
documen s, challenges, isks, oppo uni ies, and goals o UA a e iden i ied, discussed, e ined, and ansla ed in o
ac ionable s eps.
Food s a egies a e ano he common app oach, using ood as a cen al heme o connec a ious social and poli ical
ealms, wi h UA included acco ding o i s local ele ance. Whe he a communi y de elops a ood s a egy o aUA-
speci ic s a egy, and a wha scale (ci y, egional, e c.), depends on he needs and limi a ions o he in ol ed ac o s. A
c ucial i s s ep in his p ocess is o assess and unde s and hese needs and limi a ions.
While he o e a ching goal is o en o in luence poli ical will and agenda-se ing, he ocus may a y, add essing issues
like ood access, heal h, sho ood supply chains, communi y empowe men , en i onmen al educa ion, o o he
ele an opics. Howe e , s akeholde s o en encoun e poli ical ba ie s o compe ing poli ical solu ions when
discussing he challenges and oppo uni ies wi hin ood and ag icul u al s a egizing.
An UA o Food S a egy can ac as a ool o e i o ial in eg a ion, connec ing u ban and u al a eas by p omo ing sho
ood supply chains ha link p oduc ion di ec ly o consump ion. Addi ionally, hese documen s can suppo policy
in eg a ion, ei he aligning wi h b oade amewo ks like a ci y’s Gene al Plan o a ge ing speci ic policy a eas, such as
building codes, ood dis ibu ion egula ions, heal h, and educa ion, o o en, a combina ion o hese p io i y a eas. By
b inging di e se s akeholde s oge he o co-c ea e hese s a egic documen s, common g ound can be ound ac oss
poli ical agendas, pa ing he way o be e policy consis ency and cohe ence.
Policy P inciples
Cohe ence-
scales and le els
Policy
consis ency
Di e se
ep esen a ion
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Con lic esolu ion,
consensus building
Public
o icials Ci izens
NGOs Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies
Resea che s Public
o icials
34
S a egy & Ac ion Planning –UA and ood s a egies
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
Gi en he na u e o s a egic documen s, he in ol emen
o a di e se g oup o pa icipan s and specialized expe s
is c ucial o en iching he p ocess and i s ou comes. While
di e si y helps es ablish legi imacy and b oad suppo ,
skills in media ion, nego ia ion, and communica ion a e
equally i al, as is a deep unde s anding o he local
poli ical landscape. Depending on he con ex and he
speci ic opics add essed, a ious s akeholde s, such as
hose om academia, NGOs, and p i a e sec o g oups,
can play key oles in d i ing he p ocess o wa d.
Physical esou ces:
Se e al physical esou ces a e essen ial o ensu e e ec i e
collabo a ion, esea ch, communica ion, and public
engagemen . These include accessible enues o
wo kshops and s akeholde consul a ions, such as public
o ices, communi y cen es, local schools, o (pe i-) u ban
a ms and ga dens. Adminis a i e s a a e needed o
manage logis ics, schedules, and documen a ion. P in ed
ma e ials ( lye s, b ochu es, epo s) and p esen a ion
ma e ials (slides, ac shee s, isual aids) help
communica e key in o ma ion. Addi ionally, depending on
he scale o he e en , ca e ing se ices may be equi ed
o wo kshops o long mee ings.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
S a egy documen s do no always equi e policymake s
o w i e hem bu o en see success ul implemen a ion by
in ol ing membe s o local adminis a ion o democ a ic
ep esen a i es. Ha ing go e nmen o icials co-au ho o
consul on he documen helps shape i s poli ical
ecep ion and add ess po en ial ba ie s. Howe e , some
g oups may succeed by c ea ing hei own s a egy
h ough coali ions o collabo a ions wi hou di ec
go e nmen inpu . In hese cases, poli ical buy-in will s ill
be necessa y o local policy adop ion.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
Secu ing sus ained suppo and unding o a s a egy
h oughou i s de elopmen can be challenging. F om
he ou se , pa icipan s’ iewpoin s, needs, and
unde s andings o he issues a hand will di e . As he
p ocess p og esses, some may disengage i hei
in e es s a e no longe add essed. To mi iga e his, i ’s
c ucial o iden i y sha ed alues ea ly on and consis en ly
connec hem o he s a egy h oughou he p ocess.
Ano he isk is in he cla i y o de ining
ecommenda ions. While es ablishing alues and goals is
impo an , he speci ic ac ions mus be clea ly ou lined.
This includes iden i ying bene icia ies, oles and
esponsibili ies, imelines, and p ocesses o ollow-up,
e alua ion, and po en ial adjus men s.
Needs & goals add essed
•Public engagemen
•Funding oppo uni ies
•Poli ical will, s abili y and policy con inui y o UA
•Raising awa eness
•Aligning local policy wi h communi y needs
Conc e e examples:
•London, UK: Public consul a ion o he local ood
s a egy was o e seen by he NGO London Food Link
wo king locally in sus ainable ood sys ems (Mans ield
& Mendes, 2013)
•Mul iple ci ies: S a egy building as a pa o UA policy
isioning, ac ion, and ins i u ionaliza ion has been
implemen ed h ough mul i-s akeholde o ums
(Dubbeling e al., 2010)
•Tu in, I aly: A s a egic plan o g een in as uc u e
includes ecogni ion and suppo o u ban ga dening
and a ming o ood secu i y (Ci y o Tu in, 2020).
Li ing lab spo ligh : Flande s
In Flande s, he Go4Food s a egy has 4 pilla s:
1. Heal hy and sus ainable ood o all
2. Food sys em wi hin ecological limi s
3. Full commi men o a esilien ood economy
4. Food connec s a me s o ci izens
These ha e been ansla ed in o 19 s a egic objec i es
and 98 wo king pa hways. A i s s ep in implemen a ion
iden i ied le e age poin s ocusing on impac , added alue,
and suppo pa hways. One o hese high-impac le e age
poin s is iden i ied as ‘local ood policies: ood s a egies as
local, egional and p o incial le els’, and seeks conc e e
measu es o local au ho i ies and e ical policy cohe ence
ac oss adminis a i e le els.
Fo hei pa as u al policy au ho i y, he Vlaamse
Landmaa schappij has wo ked wi h he Flemish
Associa ion o Ci ies and Municipali ies o inspi e and
in o m local ood s a egy c ea ion wi h a policy memo
which emphasises he impo ance o suppo ing u ban-
u al ela ionships h ough local ood sys ems and pe i-
u ban a ms: De lokale honge s illen (in Du ch).
Food s a egies in o he Li ing Labs: Alme e‘s Voedsels a egie 2021-2025; Valladolid‘s Es a egie alimen a de Valladolid
35
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Neighbou hood 1-3+ yea s 
Medium
-
Low-Mode a e
Communi y g een space design
Phase 2: S a egy & Ac ion Planning
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
G een space design is la gely a spa ial planning ask, bu communi y design ensu es ha communi y needs and in e es s
a e me . Mos design p ojec s a e si e-speci ic, bu some ci ies (like Rosa io, A gen ina; FAO e al., 2022) may adop a
wide- eaching app oach o open go e nmen o public policy, and o he s (like Alme e, he Ne he lands) ha e
inco po a ed UA in o he design o a dis ic (Oos e wold) h ough some pa icipa o y p ocesses (Jansma & We heim-
Heck, 2021).
Key o his app oach is he ac i e engagemen and ec ui ing o a di e se ange o local ac o s. Fo UA p ojec s wi h a
ocus on ulne able popula ions, o example, his can include low-income esiden s alongside u ban planne s and o he s
(FAO e al., 2022). Including di e en g oups o people in design is one measu e o ensu e communi y needs a e me
while also ec ui ing engaged ac o s o e en ual p ojec de elopmen and managemen .
A common i s s ep in communi y o co-design ac i i ies is o use he g oup’s di e en backg ounds and expe iences o
in o m he p ocess. In p ac ice, his may be a epea ing ask when he g oup de e mines ha mo e s akeholde s should
be in ol ed ( o ins ance use s o he space, o hose wi h specialised skills like landscape a chi ec s). Due o di e se
needs and in e es s, p ojec s ely on ea ly and ongoing nego ia ion o how he asks a e app oached (Visse e al., 2009).
Key ac i i ies may include discussions o sha ed alues, goal-se ing exe cises, c ea i e isioning me hods o he space,
o hema ic wo kshops a ound g een space unc ions, s akeholde mapping, en i onmen al isks, o o he ocal poin s.
Policy P inciples
Te i o ial
in eg a ion
Di e se
ep esen a ion
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Capaci y
building
An example o communi y design: “The DEED amewo k” adap ed om Visse e al., 2016.
Desc ibe
Explain
Collec in o ma ion on he local
con ex in e ms o ecology,
his o y, economy, policy, and
social and en i onmen al ac o s
o d i e s, as needed o
unde s and he s a us quo.
Le e age di e se ac o s o assess
he local con ex and elabo a e
on in e ac ions and dynamics o
he social-ecological sys em.
In es iga e he key in luences on
he selec ed p oblem o goal.
Explo e
Gene a e possibili ies o he
design ou pu s. Examine and
delibe a e on s eng hs,
weaknesses, adeo s and isks
o di e en design in e en ions,
lea ing oom o al e na i es.
Design
In ongoing consul ing wi h
s akeholde s, de elop a spa ial
design cen e ed on es ablished
needs and p io i ies. Nego ia ion
and comp omise will impac he
inal ou come.
Public
o icials
Ci izens
NGOs
Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies
Resea che s Ci izens
36
S a egy & Ac ion Planning –Communi y g een space design
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
To uly engage in communi y design, i is essen ial ha
many people a e in ol ed in he p ocess. While
communi y consul a ion includes opinions o
con ibu ions h ough b oad ou each, ac i e and
sus ained pa icipa ion, pa icula ly o po en ial use s o
he space, ma ginalised g oups, and hose wi h special y
knowledge (e.g. a chi ec u e, ecology, zoning), equi es
someone o manage many oices.
Physical esou ces:
In e ms o physical inpu s, his unde aking may p esen a
la ge demand o esou ces. These may be ul ima ely
supplied by local go e nmen s, unded by o ganisa ions,
dona ed by local businesses, p o ided by indi iduals, o
some mix u e o hese, and he lis o plan and
cons uc ion ma e ials and equi ed ools equi ed a e
he design phases may become qui e la ge, depending on
he complexi y and size o he p ojec . C ea ing his lis
and d a ing a budge may be somewha s aigh o wa d,
bu selec ing ma e ials, conside ing aes he ic aspec s, and
managing hei supply equi e ca e ul planning.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
Since many communi y g een spaces a e on public land,
go e nmen suppo o a leas pe mission is ypically
equi ed. Some p ojec s s a in go e nmen depa men s
bu need highe app o al o in e depa men al
coo dina ion, while communi y-led ini ia i es may in ol e
local o icials ea ly o secu e endo semen . E en o hose
on p i a e land, zoning issues may s ill a ise.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
Risks and challenges in communi y g een space design
include limi ed pa icipa ion, especially in UA p ojec s
a ge ing ulne able popula ions, whe e he in e es s o
low-income esiden s mus be in ol ed alongside hose
o u ban planne s. Engaging only a small g oup can esul
in designs ha ail o e lec he communi y’s needs. To
add ess his, ac i e and sus ained in ol emen ,
especially om ma ginalized g oups, is c ucial.
Managing ongoing nego ia ions among s akeholde s wi h
di e se needs and in e es s needs con inuous
communica ion, including wo kshops and discussions.
This helps align alues, goals, and design p e e ences.
De e mining and suppo ing who akes he ole o
acili a ion isks being o e looked, and i i alls o one o
he s akeholde s, i may need o be balanced wi h o he
in e es s and oles (i.e. esea che s, see: Visse e al.,
2009).
Ano he impo an example o limi ed pa icipa ion and
communica ion is he isk ha a plan is de eloped which
lacks p ope zoning conside a ion, demons a ing he
need o p ac ical and ins i u ional expe ience o help
ensu e ha a design may be implemen ed as in ended.
Needs & goals add essed
•Public engagemen
•P o ec ion and access o ag icul u al land
•Suppo o exis ing a ms and ga dens
•Raising awa eness
Conc e e examples:
•Rosa io, A gen ina: In “U ban and pe i-u ban ag icul u e sou cebook” communi y g een space designed is desc ibed as
a key ac o o he success o UA policy wo k (FAO, Rikol o and RUAF. 2022)
•"Co-designing Na u e-based Solu ions in Li ing Labs” shows he whole p ocess o app oaching ‘inno a ion and
ans o ma ion’ wi h di e en UA p ojec s in Do mund, Ge many, Tu in, I aly, and Zag eb, C oa ia (Hanania &
An on 2019)
Li ing lab spo ligh : Alme e
Th ough pa icipa o y wo k and u ilizing he DEED amewo k (see p e ious page), he Ag ome e p ojec b ough oge he
local a me s, policymake s a he ci y and egional le els, and o he social and p i a e in e es s in a se ies o wo kshops.
This p ocess helped ag ee upon sha ed p inciples o he p ojec and c ea e mul iple u ban a m designs o po en ial
implemen a ion. The p ojec was one s ep owa d he local go e nmen ’s o mal inco po a ion o UA in o spa ial planning
documen s (Jansma & Visse , 2011; Visse e al., 2009)
Li ing lab spo ligh : Flande s
In Flande s, he “Open Space O ensi e” (He OpenRuim e O ensie ) acili a ed en isioning mul i unc ional land-use on a
egional scale and engage a b oad public in an ambi ious, egional design p ojec . The concep o “ ood-landscapes”
(Voedsellandschap) has been an ex ension o his wo k, ackling mul iple goals ac oss local pa ne ships: local ood
p oduc ion and sales, landscape aes he ics, biodi e si y, clima e measu es, accessibili y o he coun yside, enewable
ene gy, soil and wa e managemen , and o he s. The ood-landscape app oach cen es coope a ion among a me s and
be ween a me s and o he social, poli ical, and economic ac o s as a s a ing poin o angible landscape e-design.
37

Phase 2: S a egy & Ac ion Planning
Moni o ing and e alua ion a e help ul ools no only o assess he p og ess o ou comes o a s a egy o ac ion, bu
also o help in e nal and ex e nal communica ion. While moni o ing and e alua ion come a e an idea is implemen ed
(see Phase 4 o his guide), hese ac i i ies need o be conside ed in ad ance, ideally du ing p ojec o p og amme
planning s ages. The e o e, his guide includes Alloca ing moni o ing in he S a egy & Ac ion Planning s age.
The e a e di e en app oaches o moni o ing he implemen a ion and success o an in e en ion, bu some ecu ing
conside a ions help demons a e common hemes:
-Connec ing goals wi h measu able o obse able ou comes
-De e mining who conduc s moni o ing and e alua ion, and
-Planning o di icul ies
UA p ojec s, p og ammes, and ac i i ies can p oduce many di e en social and en i onmen al bene i s, bu he e a e
common isks ha hese bene i s 1) may no be eached, 2) may no be conside ed o unde s ood, 3) may encoun e
challenges which go unno iced, and 4) a e achie ed bu no communica ed o b oadly app ecia ed.
By planning o and alloca ing he moni o ing o asks, UA ini ia i es can:
-Unde s and and p epa e o po en ial isks
-Think abou communica ing esul s
-Cla i y oles, including ones ha may be missing
( o moni o ing and possibly also implemen a ion, communica ion, o managemen )
Recommended/guiding ques ions:
-Wha does success look like?
-Do we measu e success wi h ce ain key numbe s? O opinions and eedback?
-Who can e alua e success o ou ac i i y o p ojec ?
-Who needs o know abou he p og ess and ou come o he ac i i y o p ojec ?
-How do we plan o success? How do we plan o ailu e?
Alloca ion and collabo a ion:
When conside ing he hi d ques ion abo e (Who can e alua e success?), we know ha he e a e di e en answe s
depending on he goals and esou ces o an UA ini ia i e o go e nance g oup. The e a e wo key ac o g oups which
a e commonly (and necessa ily) conside ed: hose wi h he expe ience o echnical skills o moni o o measu e
success, and hose who a e in ended o bene i . On he expe ience and echnical skills side, UA ini ia i es ha e
success ully os e ed collabo a ion wi h acul y and s uden s a local uni e si ies, public and p i a e esea ch cen es,
and dedica ed s a in depa men s o local and egional go e nmen s. In ended bene icia ies o a policy in e en ion
o p og amme may include hose wo king in UA, s uden s in a school dis ic , a - isk and ma ginalised g oups, o he
a ge ed s akeholde s, o he gene al public. By including ea ly inpu om each g oup o e en os e ing deep co-
c ea ion o s a egy and ac ion planning, moni o ing and e alua ion can become mo e p agma ic and mo e socially
ele an . In cases whe e people join he moni o ing and e alua ion p ocess as an educa ional ac i i y ( o ins ance,
h ough in e nships, school and uni e si y p og ammes, job aining, o ci izen science), he e is also he oppo uni y
o capaci y building.
Alloca ing moni o ing
38
Fea u ed good p ac ices
❖Ins i u ional homes
❖Zoning e o m
❖Commoning
❖Municipal p ojec unding
❖Pilo p ojec s
Phase 3: Implemen ing & Ope a ionalizing
39
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Ci y ~1 yea 
Low-Medium

High
Ins i u ional homes
Phase 3: Implemen ing & Ope a ionalizing
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
The idea behind “ins i u ional homes” e e s o es ablishing a designa ed posi ion o o ice o UA wi hin a go e nmen
body o depa men . This app oach ypically helps coo dina e and ocus engagemen ac oss a ious ci y agencies. The
s uc u e can be o mal o in o mal, depending on he con ex . The placemen o his ins i u ional home wi hin a ci y’s
poli ical and adminis a i e amewo k a ies based on ac o s such as poli ical will, unding, le el o in e es , and
s akeholde engagemen . While mo e in o mal, collabo a i e a angemen s may span mul iple depa men s o o ices,
hey o en concen a e decision-making, unding, and leade ship wi hin a single en i y.
Examples o ins i u ional homes include he mayo ’s o ice, ci y council, depa men s o heal h, economic de elopmen ,
en i onmen al managemen , o in e -agency commi ees. These a ia ions e lec bo h he di e se possibili ies o
ins i u ionalising UA and he impo ance o ailo ing he app oach o local con ex s. See he box below o some
possible examples in an o ganiza ional cha o ma .
Es ablishing an ins i u ional home suppo s policy cohe ence and consis ency by assigning clea esponsibili y o UA.
When a speci ic pe son o eam is accoun able o his a ea, hey can wo k ac oss depa men s o iden i y policy gaps,
o e laps, o con lic ing agendas o egula ions. This ocused a en ion os e s be e communica ion wi hin go e nmen
and wi h he public, acili a ing mo e e ec i e p oblem-sol ing. Addi ionally, ha ing an ins i u ional home signals
poli ical and adminis a i e suppo o bo h new and exis ing UA ini ia i es, while os e ing capaci y building o locally
speci ic UA policy wo k wi hin go e nmen s and p o iding a poin o con ac o collabo a ion ac oss sec o s.
Policy appoin men example Depa men posi ion example Commi ee example
Ci y Council /
Mayo ’s o ice
UA
o ice
Heal h
depa men
Senio
se ices
The public
Educa ion
depa men
Was e
managemen
Communi y
se ices
depa men The public
UA
o ice
En i on.
managemen
Pa ks
depa men O he
depa men s
Mayo ’s
o ice
The public
Planning
depa men
You h
se ices
UA
ask
o ce
O he
depa men s
Policy P inciples
Policy
consis ency
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Public
o icials Ci izens NGOs Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies Resea che s
Public
o icials
Capaci y
building
Cohe ence-
scales and le els
40
Implemen ing & Ope a ionalizing –Ins i u ional homes
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
In e ec , his p ac ice is abou c ea ing o s ee ing human
esou ces. Skilled pe sonnel can de elop and implemen
policies, engage s akeholde s, and in eg a e UA in o
b oade u ban planning. Human esou ces a e also c ucial
o es ablishing an ins i u ional home o u ban
ag icul u e: Expe ise, coo dina ion, and commi men
ensu e ha he posi ion o home c ea ed o UA
ansla es o leade ship and p ac ical ele ance.
Physical esou ces:
Commi ees can be c ea ed using exis ing s a , bu se ing
up a dedica ed UA posi ion akes ime and budge
planning. Local esiden s and depa men s may ha e mo e
o less o a say in how budge s a e made. S ill, he di e se
bene i s o UA may enhance he likelihood ha a mayo ,
adminis a o , o ci y council ecognizes how suppo ing
UA aligns wi h exis ing budge p io i ies.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
Fo mal suppo o house an ins i u ional home is he basis
o his p ac ice. Ins i u ional backing ensu es long- e m
suppo , access o unding, and he abili y o collabo a e
ac oss depa men s, making UA mo e e ec i e,
sus ainable, and aligned wi h o mal ci y plans and
p io i ies., and con inui y.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
One challenge o ins i u ionalizing UA is ensu ing
anspa ency. Once oles and esponsibili ies a e clea ly
de ined, i becomes c ucial o communica e how and
why decisions a e made o main ain legi imacy. When
esiden s unde s and who o e sees o ganising o
de eloping UA policies o p ojec s, hei us in he
compe ence o he esponsible o ice o commi ee can
signi ican ly in luence he posi ion’s pe cei ed success.
An impo an ole o hose posi ioned in he
ins i u ional home o UA is communica ion be ween
ac o s abou he successes and challenges o
p og ammes and policies.
A isk o ins i u ional homes is limi ed capaci y due o a
lack o su icien esou ces. The c ea ion o a posi ion can
signi ican ly help loca e whe e UA policy and go e nance
a e ocused in a local go e nmen , bu wi hou enough
skilled s a o ime alloca ed, success is likely limi ed.
Needs & goals add essed
•Poli ical suppo
•Poli ical s abili y and policy con inui y o UA
•Funding oppo uni ies
•Add essing policy agmen a ion and cohe ence
Conc e e examples:
•San F ancisco, USA: Policy wo k including a ood s a egy and zoning e o m was pu sued wi h a “Di ec o o Food
Sys ems” in he Public Heal h depa men , while inpu came om he local UA Alliance as well as membe s o ci y
depa men s o Rec ea ion and Pa ks, En i onmen , Planning, Aging and Adul Se ices, Child en You h and Thei
Families, and he Rede elopmen Agency (Mans ield & Mendes, 2013).
•Lima, Pe u: Pe i-u ban municipali ies c ea ed a UA Uni unde di e en ci y depa men s, ocusing mo e on economic
de elopmen , acili a ing policy capaci y building, building local alliances o UA, and ne wo king on local o na ional
and in e na ional scales (Me z hal, 2006; Koo , 2014).
•No way: Some la ge ci ies in he coun y ha e ins i u ionalised UA and pu sued di e en unding s a egies, along
wi h c ea ing posi ions in di e en o ma ions. In T ondheim, a wo king g oup consis ing o “ci y planning,
in as uc u e, public space managemen , land owne ship, and ag icul u e“, while in Be gen, a “ci y- a me ”
posi ion co- unded wi h a local a me s’ associa ion has c ea ed links be ween UA and o he o ms o ag icul u e,
b idging u al and u ban communi ies and p ac ices (Saglie, 2024 ).
•New Yo k, USA: Th ough a mayo al di ec i e, he ci y es ablished he O ice o U ban Ag icul u e o he pu poses o
add essing policy consis ency and le e aging mul iple bene i s o UA ac oss sec o s (Smaal, 2023).
41
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Si e/Dis ic -Ci y/Region 2-6+ yea s 
Low-Medium

Low
Pilo p ojec s
Phase 3: Implemen ing & Ope a ionalizing
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
While p ojec s o UA may desc ibe any ac i i y o p og amme ca ied ou by ga dene s o a me s, pilo s o e a chance
o es ideas and inno a ions, iden i y and add ess challenges, and aise awa eness and local engagemen in a policy a ea
and in UA gene ally. Pilo p ojec s a e impo an es s o UA ideas and inno a ions be o e scaling up o la ge
p og ammes. Due o hei explo a o y and expe imen al na u e, hey also ha e he bene i o empowe men and
capaci y building o hose in ol ed. Pilo p ojec s a e planned and implemen ed by many g oups o many easons:
•A social agency es ing ga dening o economic bene i and in eg a ion o a ulne able g oup
•An associa ion o a me s wan ing o s eng hen sho ood supply chains and local ma ke ing
•Communi ies wan ing o s a allo men o communi y ga dens, o es new en i onmen al echniques in hem
Since pilo p ojec s can in ol e a ange o people in no only he implemen a ion bu also in he planning and
o ganisa ion, hey se e as a lea ning oppo uni y in a numbe o ways:
•Technical wo k and logis ics
•Budge ing
•“Deep di e” in o policy a ea/p oblem opic
•O ganisa ion, managemen , and go e nance
•Local alues and communi y in e es
Policy P inciples
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Con lic esolu ion,
consensus building
Capaci y
building
Ci izens
NGOs Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies
Resea che s P i a e
companies
48

Implemen ing & Ope a ionalizing –Pilo p ojec s
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
Pilo p ojec s equi e a leade o coo dina o o o e see
he ac i i ies, as well as he communica ion and
o ganisa ion in e nally and ex e nally. They also ypically
need he expe ise and in ol emen o esea che s, and
a ge use s (e.g. local a me s, ulne able g oups, u ban
consume s).
Physical esou ces:
Pilo p ojec s equi e a ious physical esou ces o es
ideas and inno a ions be o e scaling up. Key esou ces
include secu e land (ei he dona ed, co- inanced, o
h ough pa ne ships), unding o p ojec cos s (ma e ials
and s a ), and essen ial in as uc u e such as ools,
i iga ion sys ems, s o age, o compos ing acili ies.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
The inclusion o local policymake s o adminis a o s may
help access some o he human and physical esou ces o
a p ojec , while ha ing he impo an bene i o aligning
he pilo wi h policy goals and p io i ies likely necessa y
o la e ins i u ionalisa ion and scaling up.“Owne ship”
o he p ojec , whe he o mal o symbolic, can p o ide
he necessa y engagemen o policymake s and esiden s
alike. I ci y o egional agencies a e no he ini ia ing
pa y, hei expe ise should be consul ed in he planning
s ages, and hey should be in o med o he p og ess and
ou comes h oughou he p ocess.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
Unce ain y is an ine i able pa o pilo p ojec s, and
while he implemen e s and coo dina o s canno o esee
e e y possible p oblem, planning s ages can y o
iden i y possible o likely isks ( o ins ance, wi h a SWOT
analysis), d a po en ial p e en ion and con ingency
plans, and ou line communica ion and anspa en oles
o when p oblems (and successes) do a ise.
As an example, sus aining engagemen om people
in ol ed in he egula ac i i ies o a p og amme may be
a common challenge. P ojec planne s may engage in
communi y ou each o unde s and peoples’ mo i a ions
o pa icipa ing, inco po a e engagemen checks in o
s a us epo s, ou line who is esponsible o
ec ui men , and d a a lis o possible indi iduals and
o ganisa ions o include o a pool o po en ial ac o s.
Scaling up o con inuing a p ojec a e he ial phase
p esen s ano he challenge. To le e age success and
lea n om ailu es, iden i ying goals and d a ing
po en ial ou comes o he pilo should be done ea ly on.
Needs & goals add essed
•P o ec ion and access o ag icul u al land
•Pa hways and al e na i es o comme cialisa ion
•Funding oppo uni ies
•Suppo o exis ing a ms and ga dens
•Raising awa eness
Conc e e examples:
•Is anbul, Tü kiye: Pe i-u ban a ming o low-income mig an women wo ked wi h communi y g oups and local
uni e si ies o echnical inpu s and economic managemen (Ko kmaz, 2007)
•Casablanca, Mo occo: Collabo a ions in 4 pilo p ojec s amed di e en u ban challenges whe e UA was a po en ial
solu ion. Key lessons included de ining and ag eeing on he s uc u e and oles, managing expec a ions, and good
communica ion (Ge s e -Ben aya e al., 2015)
•Minneapolis, USA: Fou ga dens we e ended by p ojec s a and olun ee s o show how a ci y add esses land access
and acially-conscious equi y h ough UA wi h bo h local municipal suppo and communi y ac ion and go e nance.
A e he i s ial, he p ojec doubled in size and con inued o g ow (Rame & Helson, 2023).
•The Floa ing Del as p ojec (D ij ende Del a’s in Du ch) is one example om wi hin he Alme e li ing lab which es s
de elopmen o loa ing ag icul u e. Being pa ially unded by local go e nmen , his pilo p ojec also o e laps wi h
municipal p ojec unding.
49
Fea u ed good p ac ices
❖Pe o mance e alua ion models
(impac e alua ion, sus ainabili y accoun ing)
Phase 4: Moni o ing & E alua ion
50
Scale Time Complexi y Poli ical will
Neighbou hood -
Na ional Ongoing 
Medium-High

Mode a e
Pe o mance e alua ion models
Phase 4: Moni o ing & E alua ion
Good p ac ice by / o whom?
Policy moni o ing and e alua ion play a c ucial ole in assessing he ou comes and impac s o UA measu es (such as pilo
p ojec s, policies, s a egies, e c.), p o iding insigh s ha can e ine he measu es and imp o e u u e implemen a ion.
They help iden i y de iciencies, ack he p og ess o ag icul u al policy objec i es, guide cou se co ec ions, and ensu e
accoun abili y, especially in he use o public unds (Du ic e al., 2023; Ei e e al., 2025). C ea ing an e ec i e moni o ing
plan equi es a clea unde s anding o he long- e m goals o he esul s, including he igh opics, indica o s, me hods,
and da a handling (Cassa ella e al., 2022; Ei e e al., 2025).
Moni o ing models a y based on he speci ic goals o he e alua ion. The mos common model is Pe o mance
E alua ion, which ocuses on acking he e ec i eness and impac s o ag icul u al policies by measu ing hei
pe o mance. Repo s gene a ed h ough his p ocess highligh a eas o imp o emen , allowing o adjus men s in
u u e ag icul u al planning (Du ic e al., 2023).
Impac Moni o ing ocuses on he ou comes o speci ic in e en ions, such as changes in he li elihoods o hose a ec ed
by he policies. This helps assess whe he he objec i es o a policy o s a egic agenda ha e been me , o e ing insigh s
in o he b oade impac s on he communi y (Dubbeling e al., 2010).
Ano he pe o mance model is Sus ainabili y Accoun ing, which assesses he en i onmen al, economic, and social
impac s o UA. This model helps policymake s make in o med decisions abou whe e o p io i ise UA in he ace o
compe ing in e es s (Ei e e al., 2025). Moni o ing in his con ex in ol es sys ema ically acking changes o e ime,
ensu ing ha he balance be ween sus ainabili y's economic, social, and en i onmen al dimensions is conside ed.
Tools and me hods o e alua ion and moni o ing a y depending on he p ojec bu o en in ol e a di e se g oup o
s akeholde s, each playing a c ucial ole. Academic ins i u ions, such as uni e si ies, p o ide expe ise in e alua ing he
ecological and socio-cul u al impac s o UA p ojec s. Local go e nmen s o e see policy implemen a ion, o e unding,
and ensu e compliance. Communi y-based o ganisa ions ep esen local in e es s, assis in da a collec ion, and os e
communi y engagemen . Mul i-ac o wo king g oups, made up o a me s, u ban planne s, and ci il socie y, help ensu e
ha a ious pe spec i es a e conside ed in e alua ions (Dubbeling e al., 2011; Quaglia, 2024; To e & Walle , 2022).
One inno a i e me hod is ci izen science, whe e he public ac i ely pa icipa es in da a collec ion and esea ch e o s,
making moni o ing mo e easible and inclusi e (Ei e e al., 2025).
Rega dless o he me hod used, he da a ga he ed h ough hese p ocesses a e essen ial o gene a ing e alua ion
epo s. These epo s play a c ucial ole in assessing he e ec i eness o policies and ini ia i es, iden i ying a eas o
imp o emen , and guiding adjus men s o u u e planning.
Policy P inciples
Policy
consis ency
Di e se
ep esen a ion
Ac oss disciplines
and sec o s
Con lic esolu ion,
consensus building
Public
o icials Ci izens
NGOs
Fa me s/
ga dene s
P i a e
companies
Resea che s
51
Moni o ing & E alua ion –Pe o mance e alua ion models
Keys o success
Human esou ces:
The success o moni o ing and e alua ion elies on
knowledgeable and commi ed indi iduals. Fo example,
acili a o s mus unde s and exis ing p ocedu es and
ensu e op imal use o ga he ed da a. Uni e si ies o
esea ch cen es o en play a key ole in assessing impac s
and d awing lessons. S a om a ious o ganisa ions
need guidance o implemen moni o ing p ocesses
e ec i ely. Addi ionally, a dedica ed eam wi h ime and
esou ces is necessa y o ca y ou da a collec ion,
analysis, and epo ing. In cases o limi ed esou ces,
engaging ac o s wi h an in e nal d i e o con ibu e can
help sus ain da a collec ion h ough low- h eshold
sys ems.
Physical esou ces:
To collec and analyse da a, physical esou ces like ools,
echnology o da a managemen , and pla o ms o
s o age and analysis a e needed. Access o in as uc u e
o ga he ing da a (such as communi y-based in o ma ion
sys ems) and ools o acking sus ainabili y indica o s is
essen ial.
Ins i u ional esou ces:
E ec i e moni o ing equi es ins i u ional suppo ,
including amewo ks o da a collec ion, analysis, and
dissemina ion. Collabo a ion wi h esea ch ins i u ions,
policymaking bodies, and local o ganisa ions ensu es ha
he igh indica o s a e chosen and e alua ed.
Addi ionally, a coo dina ed app oach among mul iple
s akeholde s is c ucial o ga he ing and analysing di e se
da a on UA policies and o he measu es.
Risks, Challenges & Mi iga ion
Moni o ing and e alua ion o UA policies encoun e
se e al challenges ha can unde mine hei
e ec i eness. A key issue is he lack o knowledge om
pas e alua ions, which makes i di icul o build on
p e ious successes o lea n om ailu es. Addi ionally,
ague objec i es and poo ly de ined bene icia ies
complica e he abili y o assess he impac o policies.
The di e se na u e o UA ac i i ies u he complica es
he selec ion o s anda dised indica o s, making i ha d
o c ea e a one-size- i s-all e alua ion sys em. In
pa icula , inconsis encies in da a collec ion and limi ed
esou ces p esen signi ican challenges in ensu ing he
quali y and eliabili y o moni o ing esul s (Ei e e al.,
2025). Mo eo e , esis ance o moni o ing o en a ises
due o he ime and esou ces equi ed, highligh ing he
need o open discussions o add ess conce ns
(Dubbeling e al., 2010). Communica ing he ou comes o
a policy o p ojec may depend on p ope moni o ing
and e alua ion, o may ail o be ully in eg a ed i sel .
Add essing hese challenges equi es clea objec i es,
commi men om all s akeholde s, and e ec i e sys ems
o o e come esis ance and ensu e consis en da a
collec ion.
Needs & goals add essed
•Public engagemen
•Poli ical s abili y and policy con inui y o UA
•Raising awa eness and changing habi s
•Aligning local policy wi h communi y needs
Conc e e examples:
Fo an example o Pe o mance E alua ion which looks a
ag icul u al policy a na ional and Eu opean le els (bu
gi es an o e iew o indica o s which migh apply in
mul iple con ex s) see:
•“Moni o ing and E alua ion as a Mechanism o
Ag icul u al Policy Managemen ” (Đu ić e al., 2023)
An o e iew o a Sus ainabili y E alua ion p ocess which
looks a p ac ical moni o ing conside a ions (such as he
scope and alloca ing oles) and using cases in i e
Eu opean ci ies, see:
•“Moni o ing sus ainabili y o u ban ag icul u e: Who is
going o do i and how?” (Ei e e al. 2025)
Impac E alua ion, as pa o he o e a ching Mul i-
S akeholde Policy o mula ion and Ac ion Planning
app oach, can be seen as he 6 h and inal phase o he
p ocess, es ed in mul iple ci ies a ound he wo ld in:
•“Ci ies, po e y and ood“ (Dubbeling e al. 2010)
Li ing lab spo ligh : Flande s
In 2024, he VLM commissioned an e alua ion o 25
p ojec s unde he u al de elopmen pilla o he
Common Ag icul u al Policy wo king on ansi ioning
owa ds mo e sus ainable local ood sys ems. This s udy
p oduced key ecommenda ions wi h implica ions o UA:
1. P o ide a s a egic amewo k ha s eng hens he
le e age po en ial o local u al p ojec s.
2. Ensu e mechanisms ha enable he sus ainable
con inua ion and g ow h o p ojec s.
3. T ea a me s as ull pa ne s.
4. In ol e all ac o s in he ood chain.
5. Cen alise in as uc u e, coope a ion and logis ics in
ood hubs o o he o ms o collec i e o ganisa ion o
upscaling e o s.
6. C ea e new holis ic policy amewo ks and ins umen s
a ound ood.
7. S eng hen coo dina ing and connec ing oles in he
ood sys em.
52
Recommenda ions o policy in p ac ice
Key e lec ions
❖Con ex is key! This ca alogue p esen s guiding in o ma ion and an a ay o p ac ices
o p omo e and sus ain posi i e UA policy and go e nance wo k, bu expe ience and
common sense ell us ha wha wo ks in one ci y may no wo k o may need
modi ica ion o achie e success in ano he . These pages should spa k inspi a ion o
policymake s and communi ies, while p o iding angible conside a ions o app oach
good p ac ices and de e mine o adap hei goodness in di e en loca ions.
❖Poli ical will is key! Many o he p ac ices ou lined in his ca alogue equi e mode a e
o high poli ical will. In some cases (as in Agenda Alignmen and o he s), poli ical will
is bo h a necessa y condi ion and an ou come. In di e en con ex s, ins i u ional
suppo is o ged h ough he dedica ion o whiche e depa men o agency has he
capaci y and in e es , some imes shi ing o e ime. Whe e poli ical landscapes a e
unce ain, al e na i e go e nance s uc u es and collabo a ions ha include
municipal ac o s bu emain independen can help ou las policy cycles and shi s in
agendas.
❖P incipled app oaches a e key! Recognizing and cen ing he alues o UA policy and
go e nance wo k is no jus a ma e o p inciple, bu a p ac ical conside a ion. Policy
in eg a ion and mul i-s akeholde app oaches a e emphasised he e o b ing good
p ac ices owa d a common good. The p ac ices selec ed and p esen ed suppo
accoun abili y, e icien decision-making, adap i e lea ning, and meaning ul
collabo a ion, jus as he p inciples guiding policy and go e nance con ibu e o
anspa ency, equi y, social esilience and sus ainabili y. Complemen ing his, when
communi ies iden i y and pu sue social and en i onmen al bene i s o UA, hese goals
and alues necessa ily p o ide oppo uni ies and a eas o policy o demons a e
social ele ance h ough UA.
To close, we o e some pa ing wo ds o he use s o his ca alogue. Ou hope is ha he
con en o hese pages has illumina ed some o he possibili ies o pu suing and imp o ing
policy and go e nance wo k o UA, and in doing so, made his wo k mo e app oachable. I
we can o e one gene al ecommenda ion o he decision-make s, ad ocacy g oups, and
o he s eading, i would be: do i ! Policy and go e nance equi es (and equen ly bene i s)
hose wi h he desi e o p ess on. I you a e eading his ex , i is likely ha you ha e he
equi ed in e es and mo i a ion o each ou o o he s o wo k on sha ed causes and es
o y he phases and p ac ices ou lined in hese pages. As you do so, we ecognize ha his
ca alogue is no a one-size- i s-all esou ce. You a e encou aged o ake wha is use ul and
adap he es as needed. On ha no e, we sha e he ollowing:
53

Recommenda ions o local go e nmen s
People:
❖Es ablish o join mul i-s akeholde pla o ms. Facili a e he c ea ion o ood councils o in e -
agency commi ees ha b ing oge he di e se s akeholde s, including go e nmen bodies, NGOs,
esea che s, local businesses, and communi y g oups. These pla o ms should p omo e dialogue,
collabo a ion, and consensus-building.
❖Enhance ho izon al in eg a ion. P omo e coo dina ion be ween di e en sec o s a he same
go e nance le el. Adminis a i e depa men s wi h he same egional ju isdic ion, along wi h a
us ed NGO o communi y g oup wi h he same scope, help embed he go e nance wo k in eal-
wo ld condi ions.
Diagnosis & Commi men :
❖C ea e syne gies ac oss sec o s. Use UA as a b idge o explo e syne gies be ween a ious
depa men s and p ojec s (e.g. coo dina ing ood sys ems wi h en i onmen al sus ainabili y,
heal h, and educa ion ini ia i es). Encou age c oss-sec o collabo a ion o maximise he impac o
UA policies.
❖Fos e us and collabo a ion. Build and nu u e ela ionships o us among s akeholde s by
encou aging collabo a ion, join p oblem-sol ing, and knowledge sha ing. This will suppo ongoing
lea ning and he success ul implemen a ion o policies.
S a egy & Ac ion Planning:
❖De ine he ole o local go e nmen . Clea ly de ine and communica e he ole o local
go e nmen s in he UA agenda. This helps o s eamline decision-making and ensu es consis en
leade ship and esponsibili y a he local le el.
❖Secu e sus ainable unding. Ensu e ha adequa e and ongoing inancial esou ces a e alloca ed o
UA ini ia i es, enabling long- e m sus ainabili y. Local and egional go e nmen s should also
explo e oppo uni ies o inc ease unding and suppo h ough public-p i a e pa ne ships wi h
us wo hy, socially esponsible pa ne s.
Implemen ing & Ope a ionalizing:
❖Ensu e e ical UA policy consis ency. Align local UA policies wi h egional and na ional s a egies
o ensu e ha highe -le el policies suppo local ini ia i es. This can be achie ed by iden i ying a
na ional lead agency o UA and connec ing and ne wo king ac oss policy le els.
❖Align policies ac oss adminis a i e depa men s. Ensu e ha UA goals a e suppo ed by
coo dina ed policies ac oss a ious depa men s (e.g. ag icul u e, heal h, educa ion, en i onmen ).
Align adminis a i e s uc u es o e ec i ely p io i ise and implemen UA ini ia i es.
Moni o ing & E alua ion:
❖U ilise exis ing moni o ing sys ems. Make use o na ional o global moni o ing sys ems whe e
possible o ack UA's p og ess and ou comes. Ensu e ha da a is s o ed in accessible o ma s o
allow o compa ison and u u e lea ning ac oss ci ies/ egions and ini ia i es.
❖Le e age esea ch, da a, and ci izen science. Collabo a e wi h local uni e si ies, esea che s,
en i onmen al o ganisa ions, and communi ies o collec da a and moni o he impac o UA
ini ia i es. P omo e low- h eshold ci izen science sys ems o in ol e esiden s, schools, and
uni e si ies in da a collec ion. This app oach will no only os e communi y engagemen bu also
p o ide aluable, e idence-based insigh s o in o m decision-making and adjus policies as needed.
By adop ing hese ecommenda ions, local and egional go e nmen s can os e e ec i e, inclusi e, and
sus ainable UA go e nance, ensu ing ha policies and p ac ices con ibu e o esilien , equi able, and
en i onmen ally sus ainable u ban ood sys ems.
54
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