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Project overview
CoFarm4Cities: Creating a sustainable model for urban fringe farming in Central Europe as an effective tool to prevent urban sprawl and to transition to a more sustainable food system and society
The rapid expansion of cities increasingly causes land use conflicts. Green areas are declining while citizens demand more community gardens and cultivable spaces. This calls for a new approach on urban land use, which the CoFarm4Cities project delivered. The partnership developed climate-friendly, nature-based solutions that increase urban resilience to climate change. They designed and piloted a replicable model for profitable urban farming with key stakeholders in five cities.
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2,24m €
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Project Budget
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80%
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of the Budget is funded by ERDF
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5
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Countries
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5
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Regions
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9
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Partners
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5
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Pilots
Duration
Start date
End date
Project progress
Project partnership
Project partners
Lead partner
Budapest III. District Óbuda-Békásmegyer Municipality
Project partner
Department for preparation and implementation international and regional projects
Total partner budget
326,280 €
Innovation and EU funds department
Total partner budget
216,898 €
International Relations
Total partner budget
158,879 €
Municipal Greenspace Authority
Total partner budget
282,812 €
Department for Environmental Protection – Section for Rural Development
Total partner budget
356,553 €
Total partner budget
148,412 €
Environmental Engineering and Natural Sciences Institute of the Rejtő Sándor Faculty of Light Industry and Environmental Engineering
Total partner budget
170,830 €
Total partner budget
128,121 €
Roadmap
1
Designing five locally adapted pilots
Nine partners from five countries analysed local conditions, available sites, legal requirements, stakeholder needs and existing urban farming practices. Based on this work, they prepared five pilot concepts with defined target groups, management structures, planned activities and infrastructure requirements.
2
Implementing urban farming solutions
The partnership established or further developed five pilot sites in Budapest, Kraków, Ljubljana, Turin and Zagreb. The pilots included an urban farm, a parcel-based community garden, a mini urban farm, an urban orchard and an educational farming site, each adapted to its local environmental and social context.
3
Testing practices and involving local communities
Partners tested practical solutions related to rainwater collection, irrigation, composting, bio-waste processing, soil improvement, biodiversity, crop cultivation and shared gardening infrastructure. They also organised workshops, training sessions, educational activities and community events for residents, gardeners, pupils, teachers, municipal staff and other local stakeholders.
4
Developing the UFSLU Model and local action plans
The experience collected from the five pilots was analysed and used to develop the Urban Farming-based Sustainable Land Use Model. The model brought together implementation guidance, sustainability criteria, indicators, risk-management measures and stakeholder-engagement methods, while the pilot cities prepared local action plans describing how the tested solutions could be maintained, expanded or replicated.
5
Continuing the work after the project
The pilot sites remain active, producing crops and supporting local urban farming activities. Partners began implementing their action plans, using the project results to guide the continued operation and gradual development of the sites.
News
Events
No events found
Pilot actions
Outputs
Action plans for partner cities
Five local action plans set out how urban farming would be maintained, developed and integrated into city policies in Óbuda-Békásmegyer, Kraków, Ljubljana, Turin and Zagreb. Each plan adapted the Urban Farming-based Sustainable Land Use model to local regulations, land conditions, governance, financing and stakeholder needs.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
Obraz autorstwa Freepik
Jointly developed strategy for adapting the Urban Farming-based Sustainable Land Use model
The project partners jointly developed a strategy for adapting and transferring the Urban Farming-based Sustainable Land Use model to other Central European cities. Drawing on the five pilots, it guides local authorities through assessment, stakeholder engagement, solution selection, implementation and the legal, environmental, economic and social requirements of urban farming.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
Urban farming solutions developed and tested
Five urban farming solutions were developed and tested in Budapest, Turin, Kraków, Zagreb and Ljubljana. They covered community-managed farming, circular multifunctional agriculture, mixed individual and shared cultivation, a public orchard linked to education and bio-waste composting, and a school-based programme supporting food production, biodiversity and community learning.
Type of output: Solutions
Project videos
Project documents
Urban Farming - Infographics
Urban School Gardens
U-Grow School Education
Project images
CoFarm4Cities
Priority 2: Cooperating for a greener central Europe
SO 2.4: Safeguarding the environment in central Europe
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Project on social media
Project contact
András Guti
Email: guti.andras@obvf.hu