BYFORSK - Cultivating Public Spaces: urban agriculture as a basis for human flourishing and sustainability transition in Norwegian cities.

In the project period 2021/22, we mainly worked on key deliverables of the project - a project-based scientific anthology that presents overall results from the project with contributions from the Norwegian project group and the international partners (to be published with Springer Dodrecht in mid-2023, and afterwards in Norwegian with Capellen Damm - with minor adjustments), a cartoon "Byens Bønder" - a toolbox for urban farmers in Norway (published with Fagbokforlaget during spring 2023), and a short book that deepens theoretical discussions about urban agriculture and human well-being in cities (published with Springer New York). All books are published with open access and the possibility to order a printed version on the publisher's website. In addition, we have published project-based articles in international scientific journals. Some articles will be published in 2023. There are also two project related presentations scheduled for 2023: Liveable Cities conference and EDRA conference. Due to COVID-related restrictions, we had to limit the number of planned physical events in recent years. We have nevertheless planned two physical events open to the public inLitteraturhuset in Oslo in 2023 - in connection with the launch of project-based books, where we will also talk more generally about the project's findings. The first event will take place during the spring of 2023 (launch of the "Byens Bonder" cartoon/toolbox for urban farmers in Norway), and the second will take place during the autumn of 2023 when the project-based anthology is finished. The toolbox for urban agriculture is a practical publication aimed at Norwegian urban farmers and individuals/groups who plan to start a new urban agriculture project. The toolbox has an innovative graphic form, a large part of the content is presented as a cartoon (we engaged a graphic artist to work on drawings). Our intention in using this format is to make the publication accessible and engaging for a wide audience. The project-based anthology (which is published in English and Norwegian) provides a good overview of both theoretical discussions in the project and our case work in Norway and internationally, and can be used as a syllabus in urban agriculture and urban development courses in Norway and internationally. It is a scientific, peer-reviewed publication, but we have tried to write it in an accessible and engaging way, so that it is also attractive to practitioners, municipal actors and the general public. We had a very good collaboration with the international partners on the book and it also includes perspectives from their countries - UK, Denmark, Germany. We also included perspectives from our private sector partners, with their experiences. The small theoretical book to be published in addition is aimed more specifically at researchers interested in urban theory/philosophical perspectives on human well-being in cities. The recent project period was also a time of international mobility - UC Berkeley stay for the project manager in the first half of 2022 where she worked mainly on editing the project-based anthology, and deepened the project's theoretical discussions (to be published in a separate short book), but also had an opportunity to present the project's findings. This project period was also time for some spin-off activities, such as the development of two project applications that build on the findings of the Cultivating Public Space project, and continue with an exploration of the role of the city's public space in relation to human well-being. It includes an ERC Consolidator Grant application to be submitted in February 2023, as well as an application to the Research Council in collaboration with Oslo Municipality (to be submitted within the "Collaboration project to meet challenges in society" call for proposals in February 2023). The results of the last project period contribute to sustainable urban development with a wide range of open access publications and two open events aimed at the public, which will engage researchers, civil society, as well as private and public actors, in the discussion of social and environmental challenges related to today's urban development, and in exploring the potential of urban agriculture in this context. Our publications and other communication activities point to ways to achieve the UN's sustainability goals in Norwegian cities. We have been particularly concerned with the following goals: Good health and well-being; Reduced inequality; Sustainable cities and communities; Climate measures.

Resultatene fra prosjektet inkluderer en brede av vitenskapelige publikasjoner, populærvitenskapelige formidling og publikum rettet åpne arrangementer. Vi har klart å engasjere forskere, sivil samfunn, samt private og offentlige aktører, i diskusjonen om sosiale og miljømessige utfordringer knyttet til dagens byutvikling. De har også vært med å utforske potensialet til urbant landbruk i denne sammenheng. Prosjektets virkninger og effekter skal forsterkes i 2023 med fire open access bok publikasjoner: en omfattende prosjekt basert antologi på engelsk (Springer Dodrecht), en norsk oversettelse av antologien med mindre justeringer (Capellen Damm), en innovativ tegneserie publikasjon - en verktøykassa til urbane bønder i Norge (Fagbokforlaget), samt en liten bok med utdypelse av prosjektets teoretiske diskusjoner (Springer New York). Vi også er i planleggingsprosessen av to åpne arrangementer på Litteraturhuset (vår og høst 2023), og skal videreformidle prosjektets funn til en internasjonal publikkum på to konferansebidrag oppsumering prosjektets funn (vår 2023). På disse konferansene skal vi også formidle informasjon om prosjekt baserte open access bøkene. Med mange internasjonale vitenskapelige publikasjoner, konferansedeltakelse, bred internasjonal samarbeid og mobilitet, har vi klart til å synnligjøre prosjektet og viktigheten av prosjektets tematikken internasjonalt. Vi har også bidratt til utvikling av kompetanse og internasjonalt synnlighet av prosjektets forskere. Prosjektet har hatt betydelige effekter innen utdanning. Disse inkluderer etablering av en NMBU-finansiert ph.d.-stilling innen urbant landbruk for vår forskningsassistent med tema UA som arena for transformativ læring. Våre teammedlemmer har vært involvert i utviklingen av det nye masterprogrammet i urbant landbruk ved NMBU, hvor de også bidrar med forelesninger/kurs. Vi har også vært med på etablering av the Norwegian Center for Urban Agriculture (NCUA), hvor vi fortsetter å bidra med åpne offentlige foredrag og seminarer for formidling av prosjektfunn. I tillegg har vi jobbet med rekruttering og veiledning av NMBU masterstudenter tilknyttet prosjektet. Prosjekt baserte open access publikasjoner, særlig to antologier, kan brukes som pensum bøker i kurs om urbant landbruk og byutvikling i Norge og internasjonalt. Impakt til prosjektet vårt har blitt betydelig utvidet av samarbeidet med våre partnere fra offentlig og privat sektor. Nabolagshagen og Vitenparken Campus Ås hadde holdt jevnlige praktiske arrangementer med lærings- og nettverksmuligheter innen urban farming. Fylkesmannspartneren har vært aktiv med å formidle prosjektresultater internt og aktivt bidratt til Nasjonal strategi for bylandbruk med noen prosjektbaserte innsikter. Våre publikasjoner og andre formidlingsaktiviteter peker på måter å nå FNs bærekraftsmål i norske byer. Vi har vært spesielt opptatt av følgende mål: God helse og velvære; Redusert ulikhet; Bærekraftige byer og lokalsamfunn; Klimatiltak.

NMBU in cooperation with Vitneparken Campus Ås, Eriksen and Skajaa Architects, Nabolagshager, the County Governor, Agency for Urban Environment and international partners present an interdisciplinary project addressing the potentials of UA as a driving force of a sustainability transition in contemporary Norwegian cities. We focus on the following themes, related to the thematic areas set out in the Byforsk call: -The social dimension: UA initiatives as an arena for the development of capabilities - real, multidimensional opportunities to do and be what urban dwellers have reason to value (Nussbaum 2010). In this UA contributes to personal growth, sustaining social justice, improving public health, and ultimately enhances the overall quality of life in a compact city. -The environmental/spatial dimension: UA as an integral element of public space development and a stimulus for innovative landscape architecture/urban design solutions and functional programs. We also address the role of spatial planning, legal frameworks, and maintenance models in implementation of UA in public spaces in Norway. -The economic dimension: UA as a stimulant for innovation - development of a mobile app supporting UA in Norway and novel landscape architecture solutions. In the initial stage of research we will elaborate a theoretical framework based on the capability approach, that will be applied in analyses of urban public spaces in case studies (international and in Oslo region) and for further structuring of recommendations on integration of UA in public spaces in Norway. The outputs of the project include: a valuation framework for UA interventions, urban design proposals, a toolkit of design, functional and maintenance solutions for UA in Norway, a mobile app, a set of spatial planning recommendations, and an Action Plan for Change. The project will contribute to improving the basis for a policy and decision making for public and private sectors involved in urban development.