Date of Defense
12-2-2026 12:00 AM
Location
F1, 1124
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Architectural Engineering (MAE)
College
College of Engineering
Department
Architectural Engineering
First Advisor
Prof. Khaled Galal Ahmed
Keywords
Collective Urban Farming, Community Participation, Al Ain, Sustainable Urban Development, Urban Food Systems, Stakeholder Engagement.
Abstract
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to grow from 7.9 to 9.7 billion. Therefore, collective urban farming is considered to be a practical way to deal with the rising food needs in the limited available urban land which will result in strengthening the local food security and reducing the dependence on imported goods. When farming activities are transformed from random and informal into collective and well-managed spaces more benefits will be brought into a community including social cohesion, education and skills, and better economic opportunities. Collective urban farming is very important to the environment as it delivers multiple ecosystem services such as soil regeneration, water infiltration, biodiversity support, and nutrient recycling, which results in climate mitigation and urban resilience. The alignment between transforming unorganized and informal farming activities into collective urban farming models and national sustainable agendas and SDG’s fosters healthier neighborhoods and more adaptive communities. The absence of documented collective urban farming activities in the UAE, especially in Al Ain City where the majority of activities are considered to be small and operated individually is the result of the field observations that was based on the intensive literature review. Given this gap, this research aims to examine the current individual urban farming activities happening in Al Salamat neighborhood, focusing on the most applicable collective urban farming model, how community members, municipal staff and university professionals view the feasibility and the potential application in Al Ain City, and what actions are recommended to initiate and sustain collective urban farming in Al Salamat neighborhood. The study applies qualitative research approach, using semi-structured interviews with local community members, local authorities (Al Ain Municipality), and university professionals. It has been found that informal individual urban farming activities is widely spread and is not operated following any regulations. On the other hand, and based on the conceptual framework, five different alternatives for the decision-making models were used to implement collective urban farming around the world. Based on the results, and through a thematic analysis the research recommends a joint management model which is government driven and community led. The conducted interviews evidently revealed the need for several actions to have a successful implementation of collective urban farming in Al Salamat neighborhood in Al Ain City.
Included in
FROM INFORMAL INTO COLLECTIVE URBAN FARMING: INVESTIGATING POTENTIALS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN AL AIN, UAE
F1, 1124
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to grow from 7.9 to 9.7 billion. Therefore, collective urban farming is considered to be a practical way to deal with the rising food needs in the limited available urban land which will result in strengthening the local food security and reducing the dependence on imported goods. When farming activities are transformed from random and informal into collective and well-managed spaces more benefits will be brought into a community including social cohesion, education and skills, and better economic opportunities. Collective urban farming is very important to the environment as it delivers multiple ecosystem services such as soil regeneration, water infiltration, biodiversity support, and nutrient recycling, which results in climate mitigation and urban resilience. The alignment between transforming unorganized and informal farming activities into collective urban farming models and national sustainable agendas and SDG’s fosters healthier neighborhoods and more adaptive communities. The absence of documented collective urban farming activities in the UAE, especially in Al Ain City where the majority of activities are considered to be small and operated individually is the result of the field observations that was based on the intensive literature review. Given this gap, this research aims to examine the current individual urban farming activities happening in Al Salamat neighborhood, focusing on the most applicable collective urban farming model, how community members, municipal staff and university professionals view the feasibility and the potential application in Al Ain City, and what actions are recommended to initiate and sustain collective urban farming in Al Salamat neighborhood. The study applies qualitative research approach, using semi-structured interviews with local community members, local authorities (Al Ain Municipality), and university professionals. It has been found that informal individual urban farming activities is widely spread and is not operated following any regulations. On the other hand, and based on the conceptual framework, five different alternatives for the decision-making models were used to implement collective urban farming around the world. Based on the results, and through a thematic analysis the research recommends a joint management model which is government driven and community led. The conducted interviews evidently revealed the need for several actions to have a successful implementation of collective urban farming in Al Salamat neighborhood in Al Ain City.