Abstract
Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) is a geospatial technique used to determine ideal locations for land uses; and is traditionally used in rural agricultural planning. This exploratory research adapts that the LESA technique to identify ideal locations for urban and suburban agriculture in Chesterfield County, Virginia; the urbanizing southern edge of the Richmond metropolitan area. Three major analysis themes shape the findings: agricultural and natural resources; equity and accessibility; and heat island mitigation. This technique has the potential to be adapted and localized by any government or land trust as a means to identify high quality agricultural land for development, as well as conservation/preservation, into agricultural use.
Presenters
John JonesAssistant Professor, Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Food Production and Sustainability
KEYWORDS
Urban Agriculture, Planning, Land Use, Geospatial, Preservation/Conservation
