Our cities are expanding like never before. By 2050, urban areas are expected to increase by 2.5–3 billion people, 90 per cent of whom will be in Asia and Africa. The reality of this ‘urban century’ is twofold. On the one hand, we are seeing growing inequality, increasing demands for urban services like transport and electricity, and further ‘mega-city problems’ such as congestion and shrinking green spaces. On the other hand, urban areas are also sites of tremendous opportunity, to provide jobs, help people live fulfilling lives, and enable sustainable development.

There has been growing interest in ‘green infrastructure’ or ‘nature-based solutions’ in cities. These are actions that foster biodiversity, maintain or improve air quality, provide food and nutrition, improve health, and contribute to a better quality of life. In the Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture as Green Infrastructure (UP-AGrI) project, we examine one such solution—food grown in and around cities—and how it helps build safer, healthier, and happier cities and citizens.

This exhibition brings together stories on urban and peri-urban farming in Indian and Tanzanian cities to showcase the variety of things people are doing, the benefits they experience, and how these relate to broader goals of sustainability and wellbeing. The exhibition has seven themes, each with a room of its own, and we welcome you to visit them in any order.

For more information visit the Project Website