Synergizing urban agriculture with open space requirements for public housing design

Synergizing Urban Agriculture with Open
Space Requirements for Public Housing
Design
RAMOS, Rodelon M.
ARCH 262 – Research Methods on Housing
Prof. Michael Tomeldan

THE SHELTER SITUATION
-MAIN QUESTION
-OBJECTIVES
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
-KEY STATE POLICIES
PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE & IMPROVEMENT
-URBAN AGRICULTURE
-REVIEW OF OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS
-SYNTHESIS

Source: The Philippine Housing Industry Roadmap: 2012-2030 by SDHA & CRC-UAP
The Housing Industry’s Targets,
Projections and the Roadmap
The housing industry of the
country is still not at the top of
its game. The housing need for
the various market segments
have projected demands that are
mostly concentrated on the low
side, and housing production is
disproportionate to the
identified needs given the pace
of outputs in a given year. The
result is increasing gaps in
housing backlog that is pegged
at 6.5 million units.
The Shelter Situation

Food Production and Security
“Food insecurity is a major threat in
postmodern societies with known
and studied impacts on human
survival and well-being.”
“Urbanisation creates a challenge to
food availability in terms of evolving
consumption patterns and food
production. Increased urban growth
and progressive urbanization create a
scenario wherein availability of food
has to become more ready and
replenishable in an environment that
has traditionally been perceived as
inappropriate for agriculture.”
“Land resource in city and rural
outskirts become all the more
valuable for market enterprises and
farmers abandon agricultural
practices in exchange for quick
financial returns..”
Source: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/FAO-countries/Phillippines/Docs/2015_Regional_Overview_of_Food_Insecurity_-
Asia_and_the_Pacific.pdf; reddit.com/r/Philippines/comments/6q9s8i/metro_manila_lacks_parks_look_at_any_progressive/

The shelter situation in the Philippines is guided and directed by key
state policies that bring together objectives aimed at uplifting the conditions
of the marginalized and less privileged Filipinos. These included opening and
giving access to and affording humane housing and initiating urban land
reform to the indigent and vulnerable sectors.
Major thrusts that uphold social development are enshrined in the
Philippine Constitution and enacted into national laws which emanate from
the supreme responsibility of the state to safeguard the basic needs and
promote the human rights of its citizenry.
 Republic Act 7279
 Presidential Decree 957
 Presidential Decree 1216
 Batas Pambansa 220
 National Land Use Act (Pending Bill)
 Integrated Urban Farming Act (Pending Bill)
SituationalAnalysis

KEY POINTS IN THE RA 7279
xxxxx
(b) Provide for the rational use and development of urban land
in order to bring about the following:
(1) Equitable utilization of residential lands in urban and
urbanizable areas with particular attention to the needs and
requirements of the underprivileged and homeless citizens and
not merely on the basis of market forces;
(2) Optimization of the use and productivity of land and urban
resources;
(3) Development of urban areas conducive to commercial and
industrial activities which can generate more economic
opportunities for the people;
(4) Reduction in urban dysfunctions, particularly those that
adversely affect public health, safety and ecology; and
(5) Access to land and housing by the underprivileged and
homeless citizens;
xxxxx
REPUBLIC ACT 7279
URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND
HOUSING ACT OF 1992
ALSO KNOWN AS UDHA OR
THE LINA LAW

KEY POINTS IN THE PD 1216
xxxxx
"Sec. 31. Roads, Alleys, Sidewalks and Open spaces. The owner
as developer of a subdivision shall provide adequate roads,
alleys and sidewalks. For subdivision projects one (1) hectare or
more, the owner or developer shall reserve thirty percent (30%)
of the gross area for open space. such open space shall have
the following standards allocated exclusively for parks,
playgrounds and recreational use:
(a) 9% of gross area for high density or social housing (66 to
100 family lot per gross hectare).
(b) 7% of gross area for medium-density or economic housing
(21 to 65 family lot per gross hectare).
(c) 3.5 % of gross area low-density or open market housing (20
family lots and below per gross hectare).
These areas reserved for parks, playgrounds and recreational
use shall be non-alienable public lands, and non-buildable. The
plans of the subdivision project shall include tree planting on
such parts of the subdivision as may be designated by the
Authority.
Xxxxx
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE
1216
DEFINING "OPEN SPACE" IN
RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS
AND AMENDING SECTION 31
OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE
NO. 957 REQUIRING
SUBDIVISION OWNERS TO
PROVIDE ROADS, ALLEYS,
SIDEWALKS AND RESERVE
OPEN SPACE FOR PARKS OR
RECREATIONAL USE

KEY POINTS IN THE BP 220
c. Key points in BP 220
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policies. — It is a policy of the
government to promote and encourage the development
of economic and socialized housing projects, primarily by
the private sector in order to make available
adequate economic and socialized housing units for
averaged and low-income earners in urban and rural
areas.
BATAS PAMBANSA 220
An Act Authorizing the
Ministry of Human
Settlements to Establish and
Promulgate Different Levels
of Standards and Technical
Requirements for Economic
and Socialized Housing
Projects in Urban and Rural
Areas from Those Provided
Under Presidential Decrees
Numbered Nine Hundred
Fifty-Seven, Twelve Hundred
Sixteen, Ten Hundred
Ninety-Six and Eleven
Hundred Eighty-Five

SENATE BILL NUMBER 141
INTEGRATED URBAN
AGRICULTURE ACT OF 2016
AN ACT MANDATING THE
DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE TO PROMOTE
URBAN AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT IN THE
COUNTRY'S METROPOLITAN
AREAS, TO ADDRESS FOOD
SECURITY, AND PROVIDING
FUNDS THEREFOR
KEY POINTS IN SBN 141
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policies. — It is a policy of the
government to promote and encourage the

Proposalfor Change & Improvement
 URBAN AGRICULTURE (forms & typologies,
socio-cultural considerations, community
initiatives)
 OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS (planning &
design considerations in housing design)
 CONTEXTUALIZATION (area allocations for
UA, dissecting open spaces in housing,
analyzing present conditions)
Source: philstar.com; newsbits.mb.com.ph;

What is being inquired upon?
Can the concept of Urban Agriculture
be synergized and integrated with the
open space provisions for housing
projects?

What are the objectives to be achieved?
1. To examine forms of urban agriculture, present local
community initiatives in urban agriculture and present
sociocultural considerations from studies.
2. To gather data on the minimum standards on open
space allocations as mandated by the law, and review
compliance of existing housing projects.
3. To develop conceptual planning standards for the
integration of urban agricultural spaces in the open
spaces allocations for public housing.

RESEARCH QUESTION OBJECTIVES ACTIONS& STRATEGIES DATA TO COLLECT ANALYSIS
Review forms and types of
Urban Agriculture
Urban Agriculture concepts
and their description
Identify local Urban
Agriculture initiatives and its
context in communities
Urban Agriculture projects
in the local setting with brief
background and photos
Enumerate the sociocultural
considerations of Urban
Agriculture in communities
Social benefits,
opportunities, and potential
marginalization/exclusion
Review existing laws on the
design and planning
parameters for open spaces
in socialized housing
Mininum Design Standards;
Community Facilities
Allocation based on BP 220
Identify, compile and
tabulate all given standards
Look into actual and
proposed housing projects
and determine the
percentage of open spaces
Subdivision plans of at least
three projects; percentage
of open spaces & area
tabulation
Calculate the percentage of
open spaces with respect to
overall lot area and number
of housing units
Review area standards for
urban agricultural crops
Area standards, sizes, and
dimensions for types of
urban agriculture
Establish area baselines for
certain types of urban
agriculture
Explore Urban Agriculture
configurations that can be
integrated with open space
allocations in housing
developments
Matrix of Open Spaces
Requirements and Possible
Urban Agriculture Function
Match and juxtapose open
space rquirements with
possible urban agriculture
configurations based on
minimum areas required
To examine forms of urban
agriculture, present local
community initiatives in
urban agriculture and
present sociocultural
considerations from studies
R E S E A R C H D E S I G N
To develop certain planning
and design standards for the
integration of urban
agricultural spaces in the
open spaces allocations for
public housing.
How can Urban Agriculture
be synergized and
integrated with the open
space allocations for public
housing design?
Extract the significance of
urban agriculture and its
merits for the possible
contextualization with
housing projects
To gather data on the
minimum standards on open
space allocations as
mandated by the law, and
review

DEFINING URBAN AGRICULTURE
It is defined as an industry located within,
or on the fringe of, an urban center
which raises, processes and distributes a
diversity of food and non-food products
serving an urban economic and
ecological system -Growing Cities,
Growing Food, Urban Agriculture on the
Policy Agenda
It is the growing of plants and the raising
of animals within and around cities.
Urban Agriculture provides food
products from different types of crops
(grains, root crops, vegetables,
mushrooms, fruits), animals (poultry,
rabbits, goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, guinea
pigs, fish, etc.) as well as non-food
products (e.g. aromatic and medicinal
herbs, ornamental plants, tree products).
-Food and Agricultural Organization
It can be defined shortly as the growing of plants and
the raising of animals within and around cities. The most
striking feature of urban agriculture, which distinguishes
it from rural agriculture, is that it is integrated into the
urban economic and ecological system: urban
agriculture is embedded in -and interacting with- the
urban ecosystem -RUAF Foundation

FORMS & TYPES OF URBAN AGRICULTURE
• Agrihoods: As per the Urban Land Institute, an
Agrihood is a master-planned or residential
housing community built with a working farm
as its centrepiece Urban Farming practices come
to the fore of the planning, design and
development of Agrihoods. Agrihoods promote
healthy, simple and community-centric
lifestyles, and rustic connection to the earth.
• Community Gardens / Allotments are a
concentrated area of several small parcels of
communal/housohold plots of land used
exclusively to grow vegetables, fruits, and cut
flowers. It includes a shed for tools and other
garden implements. Called "garden of the
poor," allotment gardens trace it roots back in
Europe about 150 years ago when at the peak of
industrialization where cities, towns and
monasteries provisioned for considerable plots
of lands for the urban poor to grow and provide
food for their families all by their own.
Source: philstar.com; newsbits.mb.com.ph;

FORMS & TYPES OF URBAN AGRICULTURE
• Permaculture combines land, resources, people
and the environment itself through mutually
holism – propagating closed-loop systems based
on natural conditions. Permaculture looks into
integrative solutions and concepts that are
workable in any human context. In optimizes best
practices in agriculture, hydrology, energy, natural
building, waste management, aquaculture,
appropriate technology, economics and
community development.
• Foodscaping / Edible Landscaping: it is the
creative take on the usual landscaping of public
and semi-public areas of neighborhoods and
communities with the intent of producing food
and enhancing the visual character of a physical
environment, both at the same time. A hybridized
concept of farming and landscaping, it brings
urban agriculture into otherwise unexpected
features of the city such as sidewalks,
embankments, public parks and lawns.
• Market Gardens
• Rooftop Gardens
• Building Integrated Agriculture
• Vertical (High-rise) Farming
• Hydroponics
• Containerized Gardens

SOCIO-CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IN URBAN AGRICULTURE
Reported Benefits Reported Limitations
1. Provision of opportunities for social interaction,
strengthening social ties and facilitating new social
connections
2. Catalyst for community organizing and broader
community improvement
3. Gathering places for community members to
interact, especially important in areas where open
green spaces are rare
4. Perceived sense of safety/reduction in crime, and
consequent strengthening of residents’ pride of place
Community cohesion and development
1. UA initiatives are instigated from different
organizational structures, e.g., community-led efforts
vs. persons or institutions outside the community,
which may restrict community development benefits
in some instances
Source: Vacant Lots to Vibrant Lots - A Review of the Benefits & Limitations of Urban Agriculture,
RAYCHEL SANTO ANNE PALMER BRENT KIM

1. Provision of opportunities for neighborhood
residents of diverse backgrounds to interact who
otherwise would not have such an impetus
1. UA initiatives have been led by mostly young, white
non-residents in predominantly black and/or Latino
neighborhoods, unintentionally excluding people of
color from participating in or reaping the benefits of
such efforts
2. Provision of opportunities for immigrants to
develop ties with host and other ethnic communities,
expand cultural competencies, and gain a sense of
belonging
2. Initiatives led by lower-income communities and/or
people of color have experienced disparities in access
to land, government funding, and political support
compared to urban agriculture efforts led by white
and middle-class groups
3. Provision of opportunities for expression and
maintenance of cultural heritage
4. Provision of opportunities to strengthen
intergenerational relationships
Cultural integration and preservation

1. Provision of opportunities to learn about the
provenance of food, agricultural processes, nutrition,
and sustainability, and to develop new skills
2. Provision of constructive activity for youth that
promotes youth development and as an alternative
for youth exposed to drug and crime economies,
including wage-earning opportunities
Education and Youth Development
1. Projects providing comprehensive/intensive
education beyond technical farming skills require
additional expertise (e.g. in social/moral support and
remedial education), which may require more staff
time and higher labor costs

1. Increased biodiversity, including provision of
habitat for pollinators
2. Reduced air pollution through filtration of
particulates by vegetation
3. Micro-climate regulation (e.g., reduction in the
“urban heat island effect”) through transpiration
processes
4. Increased rainwater drainage, reducing the risk of
flooding, ground water contamination, and
depleted groundwater levels
5. Recycling of organic waste (e.g., through
composting)
Local Ecosystems and Services
1. Soil management and amendment, irrigation, and
fertilizer use practices by UA growers may not be
ecologically sound

1. Potential reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions associated with food transportation,
particularly when replacing typically air-freighted
produce (e.g., greens, berries)
1. May increase GHG emissions and water use if plants
are grown in energy- or resource-intensive locations
2. Carbon sequestration by vegetation and
crops
2. Small-scale, fragmented UA may be less efficient in
resource use and transport emissions than
conventional agriculture
3. Some technological UA operations may reduce the
energy and resource inputs – and waste outputs –
associated with food production
3. If UA becomes ubiquitous in cities, it may reduce
population density, requiring more driving and GHG
emissions than the current system
4. Urban growing maintains collective memory of
food production and protects urban green spaces,
upholding cities’ capacity to produce food in times of
crisis
Climate Change Mitigation

1. Greater access to fresh, organic, and/or culturally
appropriate produce by gardeners
1. UA projects may not be supplying food to
communities in which they are located
2. Greater access to fresh food within the larger
community (e.g., via donations by gardeners)
2. Food may not be economically or physically
accessible to local residents
3. Cost savings on groceries and access to foods
otherwise unaffordable in supermarket
3. Potential to supply produce demand depends on
interest/support among urban dwellers to participate
in food growing and, in some cases, to adopt more
restricted seasonal eating patterns
4. In some cases, a significant proportion of
community/municipal fresh produce needs could be
met through urban and (especially) peri-urban
agriculture, particularly through the use of intensive
forms of production such as hoophouse and rooftop
farming
4. Modeled municipal food production scenarios
rarely account for practical constraints (e.g., current
land uses and suitability for food production, property
values, infrastructure limitations, zoning regulations,
or public accessibility)
Food Access and Security

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE
It has also already been noted that there was a significant increase in
agricultural activities concentrated on communities within Metro Manila.
Several surveys and studies that are local in nature have already uncovered and
observed the high prevalence of households that engage in self-production of
food by means of backyard farming or gardening. On the other hand, scarcity of
space that can be used for backyard farming are normally seen as a detriment to
the full
The Urban Agriculture Program of the Philippine government, being
managed and promoted by the Department of Agriculture, has established a
three-tiered agricultural system that has different social extent, function and
structure:
1. Household Gardening
2. Community Farming
3. Institutional Farming

BAGONG LIPUNAN PAG-
ASA COMMUNITY (BLPC)
Location: Brgy. Pag-Asa,
Quezon City
Project Owner:
Transition Community
Initiative Philippines (TCIP)
Area: Undefined
A thriving community farm and urban gardening project has been established
thanks to an NGO-led initiative called the Transition Community Initiative Philippines
(TCIP) or “Kaya Natin Magbago Pag Sama-sama. It is a social enterprise network that
aims to promote best practives in permaculture and urban farming partnership with a
community housing association. Photo source: google.com.ph/maps

JOY OF URBAN FARMING
Location: Quezon City, Metro
Manila
Project Owner: Quezon City
LGU
Area: 1,500 square meters
A demo farm spearheaded by the Quezon City LGU is productively yielding crops
from vegetable rows and flower beds in the Quezon Memorial Circle, a spacious public
park. Touted as the Joy of Urban Farming Program, the undertaking aims to educate the
public, develop the skills of interested participants, and offer lessons on other farming
practices within the confined context of the city. The demo farm is being communally
tended and maintained by students, volunteers, parolees, city agriculture representatives,
and nearby community members, with the produce being given to those who help in the
work. Corns, lettuce, lowland kangkong and herbs, are some of the principal plant crops
being planted and taken care of in the demo farm. Photo source: google.com.ph/maps

BAHAY TORO ‘GULAYAN
SA BARANGAY’
Location: Brgy. Bahay Toro,
Quezon City
LGU & Department of
Agriculture- Agricultural
Training Institute
Area: Undefined
A joint program undertaken by the Quezon City LGU and the Department of
Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), the location at Brgy. Bahay Toro is
the pilot site for the project and it is eyed to become model communal farm for the
succeeding projects. The agriculture program has three main components: urban
gardening training skills; mushroom culture; and feeding program. Photo source:
facebook.com © Owelle Decano

BASECO COMMUNAL
GARDEN
Location: Brgy. Bahay Toro,
Quezon City
LGU & Department of
Agriculture- Agricultural
Training Institute
Area: Undefined
Known as one of the largest informal settlements in the country, Baseco is
now becoming a beneficiary to the social benefits offered by urban farming. Kabalikat
sa Pagpapaunlad ng Baseco (Allies for Improving Baseco), an urban poor association
composed of 600-strong members, collectively manage and look after the communal
garden they have set up to augment their nutrition needs and to provide supplemental
source. Photo source: nextcity.org/informalcity/entry/growing-a-next-egg-through-urban-
gardening

Inaugurated by the Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and
Governance) organization, it is a private-led urban farm which is periurban in nature,
where trainees and individuals can get their hands on working on the field and learning
farming methods.
Equipped with a school, it features organic farming and showcases alternative
energy sources that can be replicated. In partnership with the SM Foundation, Harbest
Agribusiness Corporation, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Social
Welfare and Development, the Farm School trains program partners in the latest
farming trends and technologies for free. Source: villarsipag.org
VILLAR SIPAG FARM
SCHOOL
Location: Brgy. San Nicolas,
Bacoor City, Cavite
Project Owner: Villar Sipag
Foundation
Area: Undefined

Design and Planning
Considerations for Open
Spaces
BATAS PAMBANSA 220
MINIMUM DESIGN STANDARDS
(Economic & Socialized Housing)
PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
-Areas for Parks & Playgrounds
-Areas for Community Facilities
• Convenience/Retail Centers
• Schools
-Roadways & Sidewalks
-Utilities
PRIVATE OPEN SPACE
-Yards
-Setbacks

Design and Planning
Considerations for Open
Spaces
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 957
MINIMUM DESIGN STANDARDS
(Open Market & Medium Cost Housing)
PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
-Areas for Parks & Playgrounds
-Areas for Community Facilities
• Convenience/Retail Centers
• Schools
-Roadways & Sidewalks
-Utilities
PRIVATE OPEN SPACE
-Yards
-Setbacks

Review of Existing
Housing Projects LOCATION Laguna, Region IV-A
PROJECT TYPE Subdivision Dev't.
RANGE Low-Cost
TOTAL LOT AREA (sq. m.) 79,306.32
TOTAL SALEABLE LOT
AREA (sq.m.)
49,354.00
1002
PERCENTAGE ON TLA 62.23%
Total Open Spaces
(Parks & Playgrounds,
Community Facilities,
Streets & Sidewalks,
Utilities)
41421.69
PERCENTAGE ON TLA 52.23%
NO. OF HOUSING UNITS
BELLA VITA - ALAMINOS

Review of Existing Housing Projects
LOCATION Cavite, Region IV-A
RANGE Mid-Range
TOTAL LOT AREA (sq. 74,905.00
TOTAL SALEABLE LOT
AREA (sq.m.)
41946.8
591
PERCENTAGE ON TLA 56%
Total Open Spaces
Utilities)
32958.20
SILVERWINGS

LOCATION Tanza, Cavite
RANGE Low-Cost-Economic
TOTAL LOT AREA (sq. 1975000.00
TOTAL SALEABLE LOT
AREA (sq.m.)
1343000.00
2585
Total Open Spaces
Utilities)
632000.00
LUMINA HOMES

Analyzing the given projects, it can be said that these projects have complied
with the minimum requirement for open spaces, to the extent that there is a generous
allocation thereof. However, the percentage share of the open space components
should be looked into to study the efficiency of usable, functional open spaces where
proposed urban agriculture activities and uses can be proposed.
LOCATION Alaminos, Laguna LOCATION Sta. Maria, Bulacan LOCATION Tanza, Cavite
PROJECT TYPE Subdivision Dev't. PROJECT TYPE Subdivision Dev't. PROJECT TYPE Subdivision Dev't.
STATUS Completed STATUS Proposed STATUS Under Construction
RANGE Low-Cost RANGE Mid-Range RANGE Low-Cost-Economic
TOTAL LOT AREA (sq. 79,306.32 TOTAL LOT AREA (sq. 74,905.00 TOTAL LOT AREA (sq. 1975000.00
TOTAL SALEABLE LOT
AREA (sq.m.)
49,354.00
TOTAL SALEABLE LOT
AREA (sq.m.)
41946.8
TOTAL SALEABLE LOT
AREA (sq.m.)
1343000.00
1002 591 2585
PERCENTAGE ON TLA 62.23% PERCENTAGE ON TLA 56% PERCENTAGE ON TLA 68%
Total Open Spaces
Utilities)
41421.69
Total Open Spaces
Utilities)
32958.20
Total Open Spaces
Utilities)
632000.00
PERCENTAGE ON TLA 52.23% PERCENTAGE ON TLA 44% PERCENTAGE ON TLA 32%
NO. OF HOUSING UNITS NO. OF HOUSING UNITS NO. OF HOUSING UNITS
Bella Vita Silverwings Lumina Homes
KEY SUMMARY

How Much Area is Needed?
There have been a lot of contentions on how
much area should be really needed to efficiently support
and maintain the production of a communal urban farm.
In informal setups, vertical, trellis and containerized
gardening have found their way in constrained spaces,
while vegetable plots, hydroponics and mushroom
culture can be accommodated in modest spaces.
Western studies and literature point out that the MOST
GENEROUS land area that can be utilized by an
individual household is around one (1) acre or 4046.86
square meters.

Classification User Location Objective
Area
Required
Activities & Practices
Supported
Limitations
Involved
Alloment Gardens Household
Austria, Canada, France,
Germany, Norway,
Philippines, Poland, Sweden,
UK, US
Food Security, Nutrition,
Recreation, Livelihood,
Physical Activity
200 sq.m. to
400 sq.m.
Horticulture, Livestock,
Intensive Agriculture,
Aquaculture, Composting
Minimal limitations as
models have well-
adopted and complex
setups
Homestead Plot Household United States
Food & Nutrition, Income,
Physical Activity, Self-
sufficiency
4046.9 sq. m.
(1 acre)
Extensive Agriculture,
Microgeneration, Pasture,
Livestock, Horticulture,
Floriculture
Applicablity in Rural
Areas only
Homegarden Plot
(Pekarangan)
Household Java, Indonesia
Supplemental Income
100 sq.m. to
200 sq.m.
Horticulture, Small-scale
Agriculture
Plots were not
productive enough due
to limited size
House-and-garden
Plot
Household Kerala & Karnataka, India
Supplemental Income
1011.7 sq.m.
(1/4 acre)
Horticulture
Plots were not
productive enough due
to limited size
Dacha Gardens Household Russia
Supplemental Income
Not more
than 600 sq.
m.
Intensive Agriculture N/A
Kolkhoz (Collective
Farm)
Community
Farm
Soviet Union states
Food Security, Commercial
Output
6,000
hectares
Commercial Agriculture,
Aquaculture
Establishment of
cooperatives due to
size of landholdings
Communal Gardens
Community
Farm
United Kingdom Social Space Varies Horticulture, Floriculture Intensive and promotes
Planned Garden Plot
(USDA Standard)
Household /
Community
Farm
United States
Recreation, Supplemental
Income
60 sq. m.
(20 ft x 32 ft /
640 sq. ft.)
Horticulture, Intensive
Agriculture
Standalone feature
CONSOLIDATED TABLE OF FARM LAND PLOT TYPOLOGIES
AVERAGE AREA for HOUSEHOLD PLOTS: 827.325 sq. m.

SQUARE FOOT GARDENING, is the practice of subdividing a limited plot of land into
smaller, measured square sections typically around 12" (hence its name) where
intensive, polyculture farming activities can be carried out and sustained. This method,
developed by Mel Bartholomew, a former engineer who pursued fulltime farming
activities, have been claimed to introduce better harvest management and increased
productivity in contrast with traditional means of planting crops and monoculture.

Rethinking Open Space Allocations for Urban
Agriculture
Urban agriculture need not
entail complex and rigorous farming
setup and practices for local use and
consumption of a particular
community. Additionally, vast plots of
land are not exactly needed for
production since urban agriculture
thrives on the idea and challenges
brought by space limitations. The act
of informal planting and gardening of
local cash crops that can subsist
without irrigation, fertilizer and daily.
The Department of Agriculture, being
at the forefront of encouraging and
supporting urban agriculture projects,
programs and activities in key urban
areas around the country.
Source:

Agriculture
The food cycle, the
ecological footprint of humans and
nature itself, have resulted over
time in a shared space of critical
conditions and processes where
food production plays a central
role. The benefits emanating from
Urban Agriculture itself, as already
established earlier, espouse the
significant tenets of the concept
called Agro-Ecology. It makes use
of ecology to the design of farming
systems; applies a whole-systems
approach while it interconnects
ecology, culture, economics and
society to create holistic
communities.
Source:groundswellinternational.org

Agriculture
The study tries to examine the possible reuse, conversion, reassignment and
optimization of open space components (which are prescribed design and site
standards by the law) for housing projects and developments into communal areas
and shared spaces for small-scale, intensive, and recreational urban agriculture.
STREETS
PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
SIDEWALKS
UTILITIES
OPEN
SPACES

Agriculture
Indicative Area &
Dimensions
Code References Possible Types & Uses
Proposed Area &
Dimensions
1 Basketball Court 28.7 X 15.2 PD 957 IRR, NBA Garden Plotting, Livestock &
Poultry, Aquaponics
28.7 X 15.2
2 Multi-purpose Center
varies
PD 957 IRR Training Facility, Receiving Area,
Operations Center
varies
3 Convenience Store varies PD 957 IRR Food Terminal, Trade Hall varies
4 Elementary School
(Playground)
360 sq. m. PD 957 IRR 70% of Open Space
*Lawns DepEd Facilities Manual Edible Landscaping 60 sq. m.
* Flower Gardens DepEd Facilities Manual Horticulture, Edible Landscaping 60 sq. m.
* Flower Beds 1.2 m x 2.4 m, 3m x 3m DepEd Facilities Manual Horticulture, Edible Landscaping varies
* Rain Gardens DepEd Facilities Manual Horticulture, Edible Landscaping 60 sq. m.
* Agriculture Area 40 sq. m. (Area / pupil) DepEd Facilities Manual Aquaponics, Hydroponics 6m x 6m
5 Secondary School 60% open space PD 957 IRR 70% of Open Space
6 Parks & Playgrounds 100 sq. m. BP 220 Minimum Horticulture, Edible Landscaping 70% of Open Space
50 sq. m. (min) PD 957 70% of Open Space
7 Planting Strip 1.3 m 15 M ROW, PD 957 IRR, BP 220 1.3 m
0.8 m 12 M ROW, PD 957 IRR, BP 220 Varies
0.8 m 12M ROW,PD 957 IRR, BP 220 Varies
0.4 m 8 M ROW, PD 957 IRR,BP 220 Varies
8
Setbacks / Easements
(Front, Side, Rear)
varies
PD 957 IRR, NBC Standards
Fruit-bearing Trees, Trellis
Gardening, Container Gardening,
Square Foot Gardening,
Agroforestry
Varies
9 On-site Parking Space 2.5m x 5m PD 957 IRR, NBC Standards Receiving & Delivery Area 12.5 sq. m.
10 Garbage Depository PD 957 IRR Compost Pit, Waste Recovery 2m x 2m
TABLE OF OPEN SPACE COMPONENTS& THEIRPROPOSED EQUIVALENT USES
Item
Container & Trellis Gardening,
Edible Landscaping

Primary Recommendations
• Taking inspiration from the homestead and allotment garden configurations,
incorporate concepts of individual house plots with built-in provisions for urban
agriculture practices into socialized housing developments, existing or developed.
• Law-required open spaces (set backs & yards) within house plots should be
encouraged or enjoined to integrate small-scale, non-intensive agriculture in order to
yield first-hand results beneficial to the household’s needs.
• State policies on open spaces should still be complied with stringently, and
integration of urban agriculture activities should not come in conflict with, but rather
reinforce the communal significance and shared use of open spaces.
• Careful spatial design, layout and planning of the proposed agricultural typologies
should be further looked into, and must dovetail and complement with the open
space allocations without compromising their character, use, and primary essence
and other known standards and criteria.
• Reported limitations should be carefully studied, factored in and considered in the
process, in order to foresee, control or manage certain drawbacks related to the
proposed incorporation of Urban Agriculture.

Conclusion
Although already being officially recognized, Urban
Agriculture and its adoption will still have to undergo further
developments and mainstreaming. The possible and proposed
integration of Urban Agriculture and its related concepts into the
totality of public housing design still remains to be seen, but in the
study we can see several initiatives and public efforts that have
already leveraged on the system, and yielded favorable results.
The recognition of an Integrated Urban Agriculture Law is a
positive step, however.
As the benefits of urban agriculture has already been
defined, established and supported by various evidence, in all
likelihood it should be adopted into policies and programs in
housing in order to uplift the dismal conditions of the
underprivileged and the marginalized, and give them equitable
access to an improved, quality physical environment.

Synergizing urban agriculture with open space requirements for public housing design

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