Communities known as agrihoods are emerging in California, centering residential areas around working farms to enhance food security and resilience against climate change. These developments promise benefits like reduced urban heat and increased biodiversity, though they face challenges in water management and upfront costs. Architects and experts highlight their potential to generate commerce while providing mixed-income housing.
Agrihoods represent a modern twist on traditional towns, where a central farm anchors surrounding housing instead of roads and parking lots. This design aims to make cities more resilient amid intensifying climate impacts such as heatwaves, floods, and food system strains. By integrating agriculture into urban planning, these communities can capture rainwater, cool neighborhoods through greenery, and support local biodiversity.
Architectural firm Steinberg Hart has completed two such projects in California. In Santa Clara, south of San Francisco, the development includes townhouses, market-rate and affordable units, a community center, and retail shops. Further south in Encinitas, Fox Point Farms features a farm-to-table restaurant, event venue, and grocery store, with housing mainly for sale. "Two different housing programs for two different communities, but built around the sustainability of urban farming," explained Vincent Mudd, a partner at Steinberg Hart.
Water management is crucial, especially in drought-prone areas. The Santa Clara site uses a rainwater storage tower that often sustains crops through summer with minimal city water supplementation. Lara Hermanson, co-founder of Farmscape, which designed the farm, noted, "We can get two-thirds, or sometimes all the way through the summer without having to do that."
Crop selection prioritizes high-yield, space-efficient plants like Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and hot peppers, avoiding space-hoggers like pumpkins. In Encinitas, farm manager Greg Reese focuses on fast-growing options such as arugula to supply the on-site grocery and restaurant quickly. "What is in high demand, and then what grows really fast as well?" Reese said. These farms operate nearly year-round in Southern California's mild climate, benefiting from the urban heat island effect while countering it with evaporative cooling from plants.
Experts emphasize planning for success. Catherine Brinkley, a social scientist at the University of California, Davis, pointed out that scaling urban agriculture could meet significant vegetable needs, as one Los Angeles study suggested converting vacant lots could fulfill a third of the city's requirements. However, challenges persist, including high initial costs for systems like rainwater capture, which may burden lower-income areas during droughts. Lucy Diekmann, an urban agriculture advisor at the University of California, observed, "People with the biggest need for food or nutrition security are also sort of disproportionately facing greater water expenses."
In Santa Clara, some residents have reported issues with management, including unsafe conditions and delayed repairs, though the property owner and manager declined comment. Overall, agrihoods require careful zoning adjustments and community buy-in to balance commerce, jobs, and attainable housing.