Urban Agriculture: Policy, Law, Strategy, and Implementation

Interest in urban agriculture continues to flourish, and as a result more communities are faced with the demand for a variety of agricultural activities within the urban environment. Urban Agriculture is a current and practical resource examining all aspects of agricultural activities within non-rural settings, from neighborhood gardens and backyard livestock to commercial farming operations. It addresses the many land use, environmental, and regulatory legal issues that confront local governments, property owners, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and neighborhood groups when addressing urban gardening or farming. In addition, the authors describe and analyze the experiences of specific urban areas, providing perspectives on their different approaches, including those that have been successful, those that have not, and those not yet fully evaluated. Written by attorneys and planners with extensive experience in this evolving area, the book follows a logical organization for understanding the challenges and opportunities involved in urban agriculture: - Part 1: The Context for Urban Agriculture - discusses the historical, cultural, and policy contexts within which urban agriculture is developing in the US- Part 2: Government Regulation of Urban Agriculture - explores the legal and regulatory framework in which urban agriculture operates, analyzing typical regulatory issues faced by local governments in this context- micro-livestock. - Part 3: Legal Rights and Responsibilities - analyzes relevant laws in the urban agriculture context as well as the implications of applying laws intended for rural agricultural practices within an urban environment- Part 4: Urban Agriculture as a Tool to Address Economic, Social, & Natural Resource Issues - focuses on how urban agriculture addresses problems faced by many urban areas, including lack of access to healthy foods and an abundance of vacant properties. - Part 5: Case Studies: Urban Agriculture in Action - analyzes the experiences of specific urban areas with urban agriculture, providing perspectives on various approaches, including those that have been successful, those that have not, and those not yet fully evaluated

Martha H. (＂Marti＂) Chumbler is an attorney with the Tallahassee, Florida, office of Carlton Fields Jorden Burt P.A., where she has practiced in the area of state and local government law for more than thirty years. Her practice includes land use regulation and litigation, state and local tax disputes, public records law, public procurement, and general administrative litigation. Sorell E. Negro is a lawyer with Robinson & Cole LLP in Hartford, Connecticut, where she practices land use, real property, and environmental litigation. She provides guidance to clients on a variety of land use issues, including zoning, permitting and development, smart growth initiatives, coastal development, property rights, eminent domain, and impacts of proposed land use regulations and recently enacted legislation. Lawrence E. Bechler is a shareholder in the Madison, Wisconsin office of Murphy Desmond S.C. He concentrates his practice on municipal law, and serves as municipal attorney or special counsel for a number of Wisconsin local governments.