A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING. ARBAMINCH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, ARBAMINCH UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN URBAN DESIGN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Urban horticulture has not been an integral part of the urban system on its own, which demands more attention to be given by design professionals. This research aims to show how urban horticulture design and public communal spaces could be integrated into urban design programs to contribute to a resilient city. The research identifies food items that are causing the most environmental damage by using the concept of food-miles and also figures out which food items are in demand by Arba Minch town’s population. Using these data the research then identifies the best suitable urban farming technology to grow these food items. Horticultural land-uses from the town’s master plan are identified and measured to assess their suitability for urban farming and also to see if they are sufficient to accommodate the required number of farming units and spacious public space. The result has shown that aquaponics urban farming technology was selected as the best alternative for the town after a thorough comparison with hydroponic, aeroponic and soil based farming technologies. An eight level stacked aquaponics farming unit was selected best appropriate option for the town. The number of aquaponics unit needed to grow these food items is calculated to be 397. Finally, sample farm field design that also encompasses public space was made on three sample sites.