Brighton CPUL, UK

Andre Viljoen is leading up the seed project for the conceptualisation (and hopefully eventual implementation) of a Brighton CPUL, titled Seeing Urban Food Futures. Working with partners Lewes District Food Partnership, The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, The Education Health and Wellbeing Community Interest Company, Dr Mikey Tomkins as well as members of the Brighton and Hove City Council, and graduates and colleagues of the School of architecture, technology and engineering of the University of Brighton, Andre has began by identifying the areas within Brighton which could form and be linked to the CPUL.

Church Street has existing large green spaces on either end of it. (Source: Orange Smile, edited by Jasmine Cook, 2022)

He has identified Church Street in central Brighton as having excellent potential to be the ‘spine’ of the CPUL. The bottom of Church street ends at Grande Parade which already aligns with a continuous green landscape through Victoria Gardens and Valley Gardens up to the Level park. The top of church street opens up to 3 unconnected church graveyards which are large open green spaces. The main agricultural areas of the landscape would be in open pockets that come off of Church St – what are currently car parks, a public park and an open, empty plot. Church St itself has the potential to be transformed into a greener, pedestrian and cycle only pathway which could host recreational spaces or even small plant beds. The fact that it would be connecting these green spaces means that it would really start to become a continuous landscape with food productive areas scattered along and throughout in the heart of Brighton.

Part of the seed project has been the development of a virtual reality system created by a team of graduates and colleagues of the School of architecture, technology and engineering of the University of Brighton. (Source: Andre Viljoen, 2022)

So far Dr. Mikey Tomkins has developed an ‘edible map’ for the area in which he has highlighted spaces and buildings which can be converted into agricultural green spaces and rooftops. A team of architectural technologists have developed a virtual reality system to envision the development of Brighthelm Gardens (one of the areas identified off of Church Street) into a productive park area. So far these outputs have stimulated conversation around how and if the areas could be developed and initiated the development of content which can be used to showcase areas and aid with envisioning the transformation of Church Street and the connected open spaces into a continuous productive urban landscape.

The next steps for the Seeing Urban Food Futures project will be to disseminate the project through conferences, the writing of a paper(s), and to consider the possibilities for developing a more in depth research project drawing on the findings of this seed project.

Church Street is adjacent to many open areas which could be reused for agriculture. (Source: Jasmine Cook, 2022)

For information on the Seeing Urban Food Futures Brighton edible walk see our news post.
(Note: Please link to the corresponding PUL blog news page)

For information on the Seeing Urban Food Futures second workshop see our news post.
(Note: Please link to the corresponding PUL blog news page)

For information on the Seeing Urban Food Futures third workshop see our news post.
(Note: Please link to the corresponding PUL blog news page)

Image: Dr Mikey Tomkins has developed an ‘edible map’ for a possible Brighton CPUL. (Source: Dr Mikey Tomkins, 2022)

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