Cultivating resilience: architecture and urban design for a local and circular food system in Sudbury, Ontario

Abstract

The escalation of climate change threatens global food security and worsens pre-existing inequities in diets, particularly for vulnerable communities. Viewed primarily as a commodity, food is problematically shaped by unsustainable practices from production to consumption that perpetuate negative environmental, social, and health outcomes. Focusing on the northern Canadian city of Sudbury, Ontario, this thesis explores how architecture and urban design can cultivate resilience, address poverty, and stimulate economic growth by supporting local and circular food systems. Drawing on extensive research from non-governmental organizations, precedent studies, and interviews with local non-profits, a framework geared at shifting mindsets is proposed both to challenge existing preconceptions and practices of food production, and to guide food security-focused design interventions. The proposed mixed-use food network hub connects existing local initiatives and infrastructure with new urban food production and skill-based training facilities in downtown Sudbury to improve access to healthy food while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.