Urban Horticulture

Including contributions from experts in research and practice from across the United States, this book explores the history, importance, and benefits of horticulture to urban populations. It details how passive and active interaction with plants enriches the lives of individuals and communities. Though not designed as a textbook, it is adaptable to classroom learning, with each chapter featuring a set of objectives, key terms, review questions, enrichment activities, and suggestions for further reading as well as a summary.

In the wake of urbanization and technological advances, public green spaces within cities are disappearing and people are spending more time with electronic devices than with nature. Urban Horticulture explores the importance of horticulture to the lives, health, and well-being of urban populations. It includes contributions from experts in research and practice from across the United States, discussing the history, importance, and benefits of selected topics in urban horticulture.

This book examines types of public and private communities as well as state and federal programs to promote urban horticulture, including their history, management and administration, programming, evaluation, funding, and the benefits they provide to individuals and communities. It also reviews past and current research on school, community, public, and prison gardens. While not a straightforward textbook, it is adaptable to classroom learning, as each chapter features:

• Objectives
• Key terms
• A summary
• Review questions
• Enrichment activities
• Suggestions for further reading

The book also includes case studies and online access to examples of PowerPoint presentations that can be used in the classroom or web-based courses.

Useful for researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students, Urban Horticulture is a flexible resource that details how passive and active interaction with plants enriches people’s lives. It presents several cases that illustrate how such interactions improve physical and mental health, quality of life, social well-being, and community growth.