Cultivating the Commons
Cultivating the Commons: An Assessment of the Potential for Urban Agriculture on Oakland's Public Lands
By Nathan McClintock and Jenny Cooper
This 2009 report examines the potential for urban agriculture on Oakland's public land. The report identifies 1,200 acres of vacant 
and underutilized public land that could potentially be used for food production. If only half of this land were cultivated using intensive ecological farming methods, the authors conclude that these “commons” could contribute at least five percent of the city’s recommended vegetable needs to the local food system, a significant step towards Oakland’s goal sourcing a third of its food locally. The report also emphasizes urban agriculture’s potential contributions to Oakland’s sustainability goals. In addition to producing fresh and nutritious food, urban farming creates green jobs, and provides and other environmental services, green space, and educational opportunities. Visit urbanfood.org for more information on the project.
- Download the full report, including the Land Locator
- Download the Executive Summary
- To download a print-quality (high-resolution) copy of the Land Locator, click here. (Hi-res copy of the full report coming soon)
We are seeking funding to print hard copies of this report.
