UBC Land, Food & Community students report back: Brownfields & Community Gardens

1. UBC Land, Food & Community students report back: Brownfields & Community Gardens UBC-Based Community Food Assessment Project Vancouver, Team 6 Presentation to: Social Planning and Research Council of BC December 4, 2007 Iris Lam and Yona Sipos

2. UBC-basedCommunity Food Assessment Project (CFAP): What? Why? AGSC 350: Land, Food and Community II “Food connects us all. It has the potential of bringing together different sectors of our communities to talk about achieving food security and how to address a wide range of community issues.” –Riches, 2004

3. Who? Where? www.hellobc.com

4. www.hellobc.com

5. Community food security is a growing concern Why these communities Methodology: community-based action research, community service learning Context

6. Food Security Availability Accessibility Affordability Acceptability Safety Sustainability http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/ foodpolicy/systems/just.htm http://www.explorecrete.com/albums/album19/donkey.jpg

7. * Food Access (availability, affordability) * Food Nutrition * Food Systems and Aboriginal Health * Food Policy * Food Production (agriculture, community gardens) * Food Distribution (grocery chains, farmers' markets, emergency handouts) * Food Safety (processing) * Food Marketing * Food Culture UBC-based CFAP Food Security Themes across urban, suburban, rural

8. Brownfields & Community Gardens UBC-Based Community Food Assessment Project AGSC 350, “Land, Food & Community II” Vancouver, Team 6 Kai Ho Lee Michael Kwan Carol Lam Iris Lam Karen Lam Sharon Lee Presentation to: Social Planning and Research Council of BC December 4, 2007

9. Outline • Introduction • Method • Findings • Recommendations • Reflections • Conclusion

10. Introduction UBC-based Community Food Assessment Project • Brownfield remediation • Promote: Community/community gardens • Focus: safety

11. Introduction • Brownfield remediation • Promote: Community/community gardens • Focus: safety;

12. Introduction • Brownfield remediation • Promote: Community/community gardens • Focus: safety;

13. Introduction • Brownfield remediation • Promote: Community/community gardens • Focus: safety;

14. Findings • Concerns with starting community gardens in brownfield sites • Safety • Cost

15. Findings • Concerns with starting community gardens in brownfield sites • Safety • Cost

16. Findings • Concerns with starting community gardens in brownfield sites • Safety • Cost

17. Research Questions • Concerns with starting community gardens on brownfield sites • Potential in starting community gardens on brownfield sites • Best practices that should be used to address remediation of brownfield sites prior to planning • Testing the sites over time to ensure safety

18. Methods • Internet sources • Research papers • Contacts • Rebecca Siggner • Chris Miewald • Heidi Braun • Peter Ladner

19. Community Based Learning

20. Community Based Learning

21. Findings • Concerns with starting community gardens in brownfield sites • Safety • Cost

22. Findings • Best practices that should be used to address remediation of brownfield sites prior to planning • Physical remediation • Excavation, geotextiles, soil washing and soil vapour extraction • Biological remediation • Microbial remediation, phytoremediation, fungal remediation and composting

23. Findings • Testing the sites over time to ensure safety • Currently little/no testing in community gardens • Specific tests for brownfields

24. Findings • Assets • Supportive community garden coordinators • Availability factor in sustainability • Barrier • Land ownership • Industrial land preservation • Political • Financial

25. Recommendations • Scientific solutions • Safety issues • Surveying community concerns • Political solutions • Financial assistance • Remediation support • Public-private partnership for remediation

26. Reflections

27. Reflections

28. Reflections

29. Reflections

30. Reflections

31. Reflections

32. The End