Abstract:

Land use dilemmas brought about by rapid urban growth present complex challenges in urban governance toward sustainable and inclusive cities. To this end, urban farming has been promoted as a way to improve food security, livelihoods, well-being, and ecological resilience in cities. Yet, it remains largely invisible in urban planning and policymaking on land use and urban development in the Philippines. This chapter takes the case of urban farming to illustrate how urban development, land use, sustainability, equity, and governance intersect in Metro Manila. In discussing current challenges in initiating, maintaining, and governing urban farming activities, it proposes ways to make urban decision-making regarding a fundamentally land use problem more inclusive and equitable. It argues for the need to incorporate urban farming into the sustainable urban development agenda to strengthen its place in urban governance, while emphasizing grassroots access and participation at various stages of decision-making.

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