IN-PERSON Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

Urban blue and green commons (UBGC), such as public parks and lakeshore access, are recognized for their importance to human health, well-being, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. However, while UBGC are increasingly studied for their recreational and ecological value, their potential as wild food commons remains largely unexplored, despite an intensifying food security crisis. Our research examines the role of wild food self-provisioning (e.g. foraging, fishing) among diverse urban populations in the Great Lakes (GL) region in North America. Particularly, we examine the barriers and facilitators of wild food harvesting in UBGC, in addition to exploring cultural ecosystem services (e.g. wellbeing, social cohesion) associated with these practices. Drawing on socio-ecological systems theory and the concept of foodscapes, this mixed-methods research examines two case study cities in the GL region (Cleveland, OH & the Greater Toronto Area, ON) to explore the role of UBGC in the foodscapes of diverse urban populations. Focus groups were conducted with urban foragers (n=13), immigrants (n=17), and urban anglers (n=14), alongside intercept surveys with urban shore anglers (n=31). Results highlight the value of land and water-based urban wild food harvesting in fostering environmental stewardship, honouring and expressing cultural heritage and identity, and changing urban residents’ relationship to space in the city by blurring the lines between private and public property. This exploratory research emphasizes the contested nature of UBGC as sources of nourishment and cultural expression, but also spaces of inequity, with implications for the design and management of cities’ natural spaces.