Feeding the city and solidarity

The right to the city is a cry for help and a demand for renewed cities that meet the needs and aspirations of citizens. Yet, although food is a cornerstone of human life, urban hunger is widespread, and it clearly violates the right to the city, few studies have linked these two rights. This essay addresses this gap by examining the community initiative Notre Quartier Nourricier (Our Nourishing Neighbourhood) in Montreal's Centre-Sud neighbourhood, which creates an inclusive space where citizens reclaim their neighbourhood through food production and consumption, while simultaneously developing a sense of belonging to their living environment and community.

A constant racket.
Burning concrete.
Grey skies.
A horizon narrowed by thousands of buildings.
A neighborhood populated by strangers.

As the growth and sprawl of major urban centers continue in Canada and elsewhere, is it possible to imagine a new way of living together? What if cities also became green and nourishing? This essay explores the role of food – beyond urban agriculture – in the reappropriation of neighborhoods by their residents.

What if, by (re)integrating food into the urban fabric, we reinvent the city?

With this attempt at repair, I hope to inspire a reconnection to others, to the world around us. Our future depends on it.

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Author: Marie-Pierre Beauvais
Edition: XYZ
Dimensions: 12.7 x 20.32 cm (5 x 8 in)
Page: 192
Publication date: November 2, 2022
ISBN: 9782897724108