Planning to Grow

Urban agriculture is transitioning from a predominantly fringe activity into a land classification with increasingly mainstream appeal for achieving neighborhood improvements. Cities around the world have reversed earlier positions prohibiting agricultural uses on urban land. Some, such as Baltimore, MD have gone even further into a full embrace of urban agriculture in hopes of reaping the social, economic and environmental benefits touted by urban agriculture advocates. This study takes a qualitative look at Baltimore’s plan to expand and support urban agriculture through a formal plan: Grow Local. The plan was written with the intent to help Baltimore create an environment that facilitates urban agricultural practice. This study examines and challenges the robustness of the Grow Local plan, and attempts to identify critical barriers to implementation to date. The research attempts to answer the question of whether planning for urban agriculture is relevant and if so, how can other cities learn from the implementation challenges facing the city of Baltimore.