Urban Ag & Hort

Plant Breeding and Cultivation

Humans cultivated and used plants since the foundation of early cities and towns. While breeding, trait selection and trade significantly boosted nursery offerings and market diversity, opportunities still remain when producing plants able to survive and thrive in urban areas. Here we want to understand to what extent we can bring back heirloom productions, forgotten species, cultigens and varieties, as well as breed the 'ultimate urban plants'.

Gardening and Food Production

Growing plants and produce is urban areas is often a social practice bringing together people with similar values and mindsets. People's knowledge, attitudes and preferences can greatly affect the extent to which urban plants produce, bloom and provide much needed ecosystem services to communities. Here we are interested to know how plants can help mitigate social and public health issues related to food access, inequality, nutrition, and more.