Urban Orchards - Mapping the patterns and the outliers in large cities: A comparative case study of Paris, Milan and Mexico City

Urban Orchards - Mapping the patterns and the outliers in large cities

Atkinson, Kilian

4. term

Sustaianable Cities, Master

2026

2026-06-04

118

Rapid urbanization and globalized food systems have created unequal food environments in many cities. The issue is not the absence of food, but the poor quality of much of what is available and a growing disconnect between city residents and the origins of their food. Drawing on Popkin’s nutrition transition theory (how diets shift toward more processed, sugary and fatty foods as societies urbanize), Moreno’s 15-minute city framework (meeting daily needs within a short walk or bike ride), and SDGs 2, 11, and 12, this thesis examines urban orchards as a multifunctional planning response. It asks: how can mapping food environments and the distribution of urban orchards in dense city centers reveal the needs, opportunities, and conditions for integrating orchards to address food insecurity? The study uses a mixed, comparative approach: it maps 38,446 food-related points of interest and scores them on a 1–5 healthiness index via the Google Places API, and combines this with orchard distribution data from institutional registries across three case cities. Spatial analysis is conducted within each city’s beltway boundary in QGIS, supplemented by site visits and expert consultations. Findings show that “food swamp” conditions predominate in all three city centers—areas where unhealthy options far outnumber healthy ones. At the same time, urban orchards are extremely scarce and mostly located in institutional settings rather than in areas of greatest need. This misalignment reveals a structural shortfall against planning ideals and the intent of the SDGs. Three outliers—the Maison du Jardinage in Paris, the Brera Botanical Garden in Milan, and Huerta Polakas in Mexico City—point to three complementary pathways for integration: the infrastructure of enablement (city-provided spaces, tools, and rules that make orchards possible), the activated monument (using historic or symbolic sites as lively public food spaces), and the grassroots social model (community-led, self-organized orchards). The thesis concludes that the main barrier to integrating urban orchards is not a lack of space but the absence of governance frameworks capable of activating and coordinating it. Aesthetic quality, programming (activities and stewardship), and community ownership are as decisive as any spatial or technical factor.

Hurtig urbanisering og globaliserede fødesystemer har skabt skæve fødevaremiljøer i mange byer. Problemet er ikke, at der slet ikke er mad, men at meget af det, der er tilgængeligt, er af lav kvalitet, og at byboere bliver stadig mere frakoblet, hvor maden kommer fra. Med afsæt i Popkins teori om ernæringsovergang (hvordan kostvaner skifter mod mere forarbejdede, sukker- og fedtrige produkter, når samfund urbaniseres), Morenos 15-minuttersby (hverdagsbehov inden for kort gå- eller cykelafstand) og verdensmål 2, 11 og 12 undersøger afhandlingen urbane frugthaver som et multifunktionelt planlægningsgreb. Spørgsmålet er: Hvordan kan kortlægning af fødevaremiljøer og fordelingen af urbane frugthaver i tætte bycentre vise behov, muligheder og betingelser for at integrere frugthaver som et svar på fødevareusikkerhed? Studiet bruger en blandet, komparativ metode: 38.446 madrelaterede steder kortlægges og vurderes på et sundhedsindeks fra 1 til 5 via Google Places API, og disse data sammenholdes med registrerede frugthaver fra institutionelle registre i tre casebyer. Den rumlige analyse gennemføres inden for hver bys ringvejsafgrænsning i QGIS og suppleres med feltbesøg og ekspertkonsultationer. Analysen viser, at forhold svarende til såkaldte “food swamps” præger alle tre bymidter – altså områder, hvor usunde muligheder langt overgår de sunde. Samtidig er urbane frugthaver meget sjældne og ligger oftest i institutionelle sammenhænge frem for dér, hvor behovet er størst. Denne skævhed peger på et strukturelt misforhold, som ikke lever op til planlægningsidealer eller relevansen i verdensmålene. Tre undtagelser – Maison du Jardinage i Paris, Brera Botaniske Have i Milano og Huerta Polakas i Mexico City – peger på tre supplerende veje til integration: en muliggørende infrastruktur (kommunale rammer, værktøjer og regler, der gør frugthaver mulige), det aktiverede monument (historiske eller symbolske steder aktiveret som levende, offentlige madmiljøer) og en græsrodsbaseret social model (selvorganiserede, lokalt forankrede frugthaver). Afhandlingen konkluderer, at den primære barriere for at integrere urbane frugthaver ikke er mangel på plads, men mangel på styrings- og governance-rammer, der kan aktivere den. Desuden er skønhed, programindhold (aktiviteter og forvaltning) og lokalt ejerskab lige så afgørende som rumlige eller tekniske forhold.

[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

urban agriculture ; urban orchards ; sustainability ; SDGs ; SDG 2 ; SDG 11 ; SDG12 ; Paris ; Mexico City ; CDMX ; Milan ; 15minute city ; nutrition transition ; GIS ; spatial mapping

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