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Cities have recently loosened restrictions on
<br />keeping livestock in limited numbers or in areas
<br />where it would not be a nuisance.
<br />Boston takes a hybrid approach and has
<br />a particularcdmmunitygarden subdistrict
<br />as well as use categories that include urban
<br />agricultural activities. Boston has a widely
<br />used Community Garden subdistrict, one of
<br />its nine Open Space subdistricts. In addition,
<br />Boston has several relevant use categories.
<br />These include two open space categories that
<br />specifically mention gardens. Boston also
<br />hasthe Olmsted Green Smart Growth Overlay
<br />Zdne, where there is a use category for "Food
<br />production uses, including a farm, garden,
<br />food production center and/or incubatorand
<br />food-oriented retail," permitted in the mixed
<br />use partofthe zone. Chicago and Milwaukee
<br />are also in the process of creating overlay
<br />districts with particularly permissive language
<br />about urban agriculture to encourage urban
<br />agriculture incubator businesses as a tool for
<br />urban revitalization.
<br />Extensive/Less Intensive Urban Agriculture
<br />In addition to intensive urban agricultural.
<br />activities, a city m fight want to foster much
<br />more widespread urban agricultural activ-
<br />ity,such as backyard vegetable gardens,
<br />community gardens, school and church
<br />gardens, street vendors and small markets,
<br />farm stands, CSAs, and limited animal hus-
<br />bandry.While intensive urban agriculture
<br />can be addressed with specific districtdes-
<br />ignations, it is impossible to address urban
<br />agriculture completely without looking at
<br />agricultural uses for distri cts not specifically
<br />designated as agricultural. In many cases,
<br />this involves rethinking existing restrictions
<br />to gardening and urban agriculture.
<br />Several cities list community gardens
<br />as a permitted use in almost all industrial,
<br />residential, and commercial districts. Many
<br />cities also explicitly permit home gardens
<br />in their residential districts. To promote
<br />widespread urban food production, ptan-
<br />nersshould reconsider provisions limiting
<br />the height ofvegetation growing in yards
<br />or rights-of-way,.which could be ideal sites
<br />fqr food production. If there is a desire to
<br />maintain a neat, landscaped aesthetic, a
<br />revision can require that food crops be used
<br />as ediblelandscaping.ForGnstance,Sacra-
<br />mentohad afront landscape regulation that
<br />required all front yards to be landscaped,
<br />irrigated, and maintained with low ground
<br />cover or turf. In zoo7, the city revised the
<br />code, so that landscaping could include
<br />edible annuals, perennials, and otherde-
<br />sign elements "when integrated as part of
<br />the landscape" (Ordinance No.zoo7-oz5,
<br />amending section i7.68.oto of the Sacra-
<br />mento City Code). Note thatthis ordinance
<br />does not specifically enable edible land-
<br />scaping, but does so implicitly by removing
<br />the overly restrictive provisions.
<br />Gardening is a potential source of in-
<br />come aswell as apotential source of food.
<br />To facilitate this income potential it may be
<br />helpful to pens itsmall farmstands in ~om-
<br />mun itygardens, and to make sure that area
<br />limits in home occupation language do not
<br />preclude selling homegrown produce.
<br />Cities can be squeamish about permitting
<br />livestock, but a limited numberofchickens or
<br />bees rarely causes a nuisance: In the Madison
<br />Zoning Code (Sec. z8.o8(9)(b)7c, up to four
<br />chickens are permitted on a lot with up to four
<br />dwelling units, and the ordinance specifically
<br />requires a small coop and forbids roosters and
<br />chicken slaughtering. In zoo8, Denver passed
<br />Council Bill 5y8, revising its zoning to permit
<br />beekeeping on residential lots.
<br />Other cities have recentlyloosened
<br />restrictions on keeping livestock in limited
<br />numtiers or in areas where it would not be a
<br />nuisance. Forexample, in Portland, Oregon,
<br />citizens can apply for a perm it for livestock
<br />facility with the consent of property owners
<br />within i5o feet of the site. Residents may keep
<br />up to three chickens, ducks, doves, pigeons,
<br />pygmygoats,orrabbitswithoutapermit -
<br />(Portland City Code, Section t3.o5.ot5). In San
<br />Antonio, bovines, equines, sheep, and goats
<br />are permitted when space requirements are
<br />met (San Antonio Code of Ordinances, Article
<br />III; Section 5-5z).
<br />Soil is a common concern for urbanfarm-
<br />ers. Most urban farming and gardening is done
<br />on sites with at feast some soil contaminatioh.
<br />To avoid health hazards, gardeners can use
<br />raised beds, and some cities explicitly require
<br />them for all community gardens. While mised
<br />beds can solve the problem of contamination,
<br />they require sources oftopsoil. Composting
<br />can be a good way to. generate this soil. In
<br />some cities, composting on a household basis
<br />may be implicitly permitted, but ifthere are
<br />strict requirements aboutwhat is allowed in
<br />yard areas, it might be worthwhile to specifi-
<br />tally allow compost bins or piles, or to create a
<br />compost pickup program, as San Francisco has
<br />done. Where there are concerns about com-
<br />post as anuisance, cities such as Chicago use
<br />nuisance control provisions or development
<br />standards to ensure that composting does not
<br />become a public heatth~dsk (Chicago Munici-
<br />pal Code, Sections 7-z8-7to and 7-z8-7t5).
<br />In northern climates, greenhouses,
<br />hoop houses, and fish tanks and other
<br />aquaculture structures can help extend the
<br />growing season. Cities can show support for
<br />agricultural activities by removing restric-
<br />tions onthese specific accessory structures.
<br />Gray Areas
<br />The typology we have suggested is a loose
<br />one. One city may considers given activity
<br />,~ 2 ~ ZONINGPRACTICE a.ao
<br />AMERICAN PIANNING ASSOCIATIONIp¢ge 6
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