Resilient Cities Rely on Resilient Food Systems

TitleResilient Cities Rely on Resilient Food Systems
Publication TypeWeb Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsParekh, N, Ng, JX
LanguageEnglish
KeywordsCOVID-19; Food system; Resilient city
Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic is disrupting already fragile food supply chains across the world, and our most vulnerable citizens — children, low-income families, and the elderly — are being impacted the most. Even before COVID-19, there was an urban food crisis in the world’s cities. The pandemic is adding to the challenge.

The fact is, cities can only be resilient if they have resilient food systems. By 2050, two in three people in the world will be living in urban areas. This ongoing pattern of movement into cities has led to the loss of arable land, furthering reliance on imported food sources to support growing urban populations. As a city-state with 100% of its population living in urban areas, Singapore currently imports 90% of the food consumed. Its limited land area of approximately 720 square kilometers presents a challenge of access to space for agriculture and food production.

Notes

Nayan Parekh
Nayan is a principal and a global leader in Gensler’s Consulting practice with a focus on the firm’s business in the Asian Pacific. Her 15 years of experience includes providing clients with workplace consultancy, real estate advice, and design and urban strategy services across projects in Asia, the U.K. and Europe. Nayan is based in Singapore. Contact her at Nayan_Parekh@gensler.com.

JinXi Ng
JinXi is a strategist with experience working on projects across Gensler’s Consulting + Real Estate Services, Cities + Urban Design, and Hospitality practices. She has offered strategic expertise for a range of workplace, urban planning, mixed-use, and hospitality projects throughout Vietnam, Singapore, and Cambodia. JinXi is based in Singapore. Contact her at Jinxi_Ng@gensler.com.

URLhttps://www.gensler.com/research-insight/blog/resilient-cities-rely-on-resilient-food-systems