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Over the past two decades, urban agriculture (UA) has boomed. A wide variety of forms have developed, from allotment gardens to UA rooftop greenhouses. Yet local authorities often struggle to define the specificities of the urban spaces and territorial dynamics involved. We propose a multi-phase method based on territorial analysis. This framework may be used to help landowners select the most appropriate forms of urban agriculture in the light of overarching territorial characteristics. We have applied our method, stemming from an action research approach, to three case studies: the town of Montrouge, a priority district in Lille, and a new district in Bordeaux. These reveal its potential and its shortcomings. We demonstrate how the structural, technical, and social characteristics of the spaces and agents concerned can rule out certain forms of UA which do not correspond to the territory’s (current) needs.

Since two decades urban agriculture has been booming and a wide range of forms, from urban allotment gardens to rooftop farming under greenhouse are developing. However, local authorities are often powerless to define forms of urban agriculture with regard to the specificity of the urban spaces and the territorial dynamics. We propose a methodological itinerary, based on the territorial analysis. This framework is a useful tool to orient and guide the choice of forms of urban agriculture with regard to the territorial characteristics as a whole. Designed and tested within the framework of a research-action dispositive, this methodological itinerary was implemented on three case studies: the city of Montrouge, a priority district within Lille municipality and a new district in Bordeaux. These applications allowed to test the itinerary and to reveal its potential but also its limits. We demonstrate how the structural, technical and social characteristics of the spaces and actors concerned can lead to the exclusion of certain forms of UA which do not correspond, or not already, to the needs of the territory.