If every council supported community-led urban agriculture, what would our cities look like? In Victoria, Canada, the council is getting behind urban food growing because it realises the benefits to the community: promoting health, wellbeing, social interaction and environmental education, as well as increasing food security through the diversification of ecosystems.
The council supports things like urban gardening courses, micro-food forest programs and transformation of grass areas to edible gardens and habitats, as well as the building of rooftop greenhouses. There are no restrictions on beekeeping and urban gardeners can keep up to 15 chickens. The city also helps to make under-utilised lots available for temporary gardens, weaving in edible and pollinator gardening as well as community gathering places into council-managed landscapes. It also offers grants to make this all possible.