Urban agriculture, urban farming, or urban gardening is the practice of
cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around
urban areas. Urban agriculture can reflect varying levels of economic and social development. It may be a social movement for sustainable communities, where organic growers, "
foodies", and "
locavores" form social networks founded on a shared ethos of nature and community holism. For others,
food security,
nutrition, and income generation are key motivations for the practice. In both scenarios, more direct access to fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat products through urban agriculture can improve food security and
food safety. This photograph depicts urban agriculture in the form of a
roof garden at
Essex Crossing in
Manhattan, New York City. Among the plants grown are tomatoes, chili peppers, lettuce, herbs, carrots and beetroots.
Photograph credit: Rhododendrites