Urban agroforestry as a strategy for aligning agroecology with resilience planning initiatives

The integration of urban agroforestry (UAF) into an urban setting offers exciting opportunities to build capacity for the production of healthy fruit and nuts. The design of these UAF systems could be improved by including agroecological principles. In many urban areas, built development is prioritised over green space, particularly compared with land uses such as urban agriculture, which can be seen as transgressive and as inefficient for valuable urban land. UAF, however, could be intentionally integrated into the existing or planned urban landscape. Potential synergies with adjacent, complementary, or similar land uses should also be considered when siting UAF. Guidelines for planting design and arrangement can be based on the multi-strata systems that are promoted in permaculture and other food forest literature. Edible mushrooms can also be grown on the surfaces of lower layers in the shaded canopy. Honey-producing bees can be included as another productive component with the added benefit of serving as pollinators.