Reinforcing Equitable Urban Agriculture in Union City, New Jersey

The research study addresses growing urban agriculture in Union City, New Jersey reinforced  by qualitative and quantitative data that includes peer-reviewed journal articles, books, city and  state reports, GIS mapping, and interviews. Performing this research is critical to influence  community development using urban planning tools including land acquisition procedures to  redevelop urban agriculture with a comprehensive plan. Union City is a heavily dense  overburdened environment that lacks green infrastructure (GI), is categorized as a food desert  community, and may contain harmful chemicals due to its industrial past. Urban agriculture  mitigates these disparities by acting as a GI development, provides food security to BIPOC  intergenerational low-income demographics and an organic waste system to revitalize potential  contaminated urban soil. As urban environments are estimated to increase to approximately 5  billion people by 2030 and inevitable damages from climate change augmented by existing gray  infrastructure continue to rise, urban agriculture is an effective solution for vulnerable  populations. This study aims to conduct profound research for equitable access to urban  agriculture and regenerative practices.