FOODCITYBOOST: Living Lab Almere versterkt stadslandbouw

24 juli 2025

Urban agriculture contributes to a sustainable and socially connected food system, but how large is that impact really? In the four-year European project FOODCITYBOOST (2024–2028), universities and cities work together to map that impact. The research looks at topics such as soil health and social cohesion. Flevo Campus coordinates Living Lab Almere and, together with local food producers, explores how urban agriculture in Almere contributes to the city.

Almere as a Living Lab for sustainable urban agriculture

Living Lab Almere is a practice-based collaboration between food producers, policymakers, researchers, and residents. Participating initiatives range from school and community gardens to food forests, greenhouse allotment gardens, and professional CSA farms. One key area within the Living Lab is Oosterwold, where urban agriculture is integrated into everyday life.

Research across three tracks

Within FOODCITYBOOST, Flevo Campus carries out three types of activities with food producers in and around Almere:

• Measure – Participants track their food production over the course of a year using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

• Reflect – In dialogue with food producers, Flevo Campus explores how local policy can support and strengthen urban agriculture.

• Connect – Social and economic research makes visible what urban agriculture means for neighborhoods, people, and the city as a whole.

This approach links local knowledge with European research and deepens understanding of how urban food production contributes to sustainable cities.

From a local network to European impact

With FOODCITYBOOST, Flevo Campus strengthens the network of innovative food initiatives in Almere and places it in a European context. Living Lab Almere is one of six Living Labs in the project and offers a unique opportunity to compare and use experiences and data internationally.

Want to learn more?

Want to learn more about the project and the other Living Labs? See: FOODCITYBOOST – Growing Together