Urban Expansion and Food Security in New Zealand: The Collapse of Local Horticulture

This book explores suburban development in New Zealand and its conflict with local horticulture and food security. It examines how profit-making strategies of property developers and landowners reshape work and life at the edge of cities, placing unprecedented pressure on croplands. It combines land use policy, historical records, and physical patterns of development with interviews with government officials, property developers, landowners, local residents, and horticulturists to show how the realignment of New Zealand's interests led to the transformation of urban peripheries from a productive food bowl to an investment vehicle.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 21 August 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate dynamics of suburban development in New Zealand, exploring its profound conflicts with and significant impacts on local horticulture and food security. Through an ethnographic study of Auckland's rapidly expanding urban periphery, complemented by comparative case studies from California in the United States and Victoria in Australia, the book uncovers how the profit-making strategies of property developers and landowners reshape work and life at the urban fringes. Given that a significant portion of the world's croplands reside adjacent to cities, the accelerating pace of urban sprawl across the globe exerts unprecedented pressure on the productivity and very existence of these vital food bowl regions. The book examines how the demand for more land for development at the urban periphery clashes with concerns over local food security and the preservation of ecosystem services. It employs a multi-faceted approach, analyzing land use policy, historical records, and physical development patterns, alongside participant observation of local events. This is complemented by in-depth interviews with government officials, property developers, landowners, local residents, and horticulturists, providing a rich tapestry of narratives. By seamlessly merging these accounts of the bustling and lucrative business of suburban property development with the collapse of local horticulture, the book reveals how the prioritization of financial profitability over other concerns has transformed urban peripheries from productive food bowls to investment vehicles.

This book holds immense value for students and scholars engaged in the fields of urban food and agriculture, urban planning and development, and rural-urban studies. It offers a deep understanding of the complex interplay between suburbanization, food systems, and social dynamics, shedding light on the urgent challenges and opportunities facing cities in the 21st century. By examining the case of New Zealand, the book provides valuable insights into the global trends shaping urban landscapes and the urgent need for sustainable and equitable development practices.

In conclusion, this book is a crucial contribution to the literature on urbanization, food systems, and rural-urban relations. It offers a comprehensive and nuanced analysis of suburban development in New Zealand, providing valuable insights into the complex dynamics that shape urban landscapes and the implications for food security and sustainability. It will be of great interest to students, scholars, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the future of our cities and the well-being of their residents.

Weight: 594g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032504223