SiEUGreen aspires to enhance the EU-China cooperation in promoting urban agriculture for food security, resource efficiency and smart, resilient cities. Nordregio is leader of the work package: “Support to Institutional and Social Structures for creating resilient cities with urban agriculture” and contributes to other working papers as well.
Building on the model of zero-waste and circular economy, it will demonstrate how technological and societal innovation in urban agriculture can have a positive impact on society and economy, by applying novel resource-efficient agricultural techniques in urban and peri-urban areas, developing innovative approaches for social engagement and empowerment and investigating the economic, environmental and social benefits of urban agriculture.
In order to achieve its objectives, SiEuGreen gathers a multi-disciplinary Consortium of European and Chinese researchers, technology providers, SMEs, financiers, local and regional authorities and citizen communities. See the project website for more information.
The project will analyse 5 cases in selected European and Chinese urban and peri-urban areas: a previous hospital site in Fredrikstad, Norway, community gardens in Århus, Denmark, previously unused municipal areas with the dense refugee population in Turkey and big urban community farms in Beijing and Central China. Find out more about the Århus case here.
Throughout SiEUGreen’s implementation, the EU and China will share both technologies and experiences from social engagement, thus contributing to the future developments of urban agriculture and urban resilience in both continents. The impact measurement during and especially beyond the project period is a key component in the project’s design.
Information and results obtained from the project will be disseminated through diverse communication and dissemination tools including, social media, an innovative app enhancing urban co-design, stakeholder conferences, hands-on training workshops, showcase demonstration forums, municipality events.
A sustainable business model allowing SiEUGreen to live beyond the project period is planned by joining the forces of private investors, governmental policymakers, communities of citizens, academia and technology providers.
