Farm cooperatives - connecting city and landscape

Cities can only be sustainable when smartly connected to their hinterland – not only do rural areas provide for local food and energy supply, they also gives city inhabitants a place to unwind, energize and get fresh air. Farms play an large role in this first aspect, and nowadays increasingly become a place for recreation.

In farming we see the latest technologies, concerning sustainable sources of energy, residual heat, bio-waste or growing new types of crops. How can the integration of these contribute to  the landscape and its connection to the city? How do we stimulate organic cultivation that respects or even reinforces the ecology of the area? Can we integrate this with recreational purposes, such as sports, biking and water routes? How does farming of the future create an inclusive landscape?

The ‘Central Park’ of the Metropole Region is Midden-Delfland, a relatively large peatland area dotted with villages that is centered in between the bigger cities. The pressure on the landscape is high, as it is threatened by urban sprawl, cluttering, intensive livestock and infrastructure. This results in a broad range of challenges, all revolving around the relationship between a city and its hinterland. The smart integration of innovative technologies is needed to connect Midden-Delfland to the circular economy.