For community self reliance to take place the most important thing that we need to allow this to take place is land, we need Land to grow our various different resources on, in an urban environment it can be difficult getting access to land with so much commercial pressure to sell off land to any developers who are prepared to pay for it, but all is not lost, and there are different ways of getting hold of land for your community self reliance project, I will here explore the options that we have in terms of getting hold of and using available Land within a busy built up urban environment.
Gardens and Yards – A great Many people have front and back gardens or yards, these are our first port of call as we move towards community self reliance, garden and yard spaces provide us with a direct and immediate means of beginning our self reliance, if you live in a street or avenue and your neighbours like the idea of self reliance then gardens and produce can be used and shared respectively amongst the people living in that particular street or avenue. Some gardens and yards will be more suited to growing certain produce than others, for example a fully South facing garden will be beneficial for growing Tomatoes, Corn, peppers, and anything else that requires full sunlight, where as a more shaded garden would be able to produce salad leaves and lettuces.
Allotment plots – Allotment plots are another useful community resource that we can tap into, however with many Councils in the UK struggling to provide plots for those on their huge waiting lists, it is worthwhile getting your name on the waiting list for possible access in the future, I certainly wouldn’t rely on allotment plots though, as most council waiting lists are stretching into their hundreds, with some having to wait years for a plot allocation.
Landshare – Landshare brings together people who have a passion for home-grown food, connecting those who have land to share with those who need land for cultivating food. Since its launch through River Cottage in 2009 it has grown into a thriving community of more than 55,000 growers, sharers and helpers. To register with landshare and hook up with people who have spare land within the area in which you live simply visit the land share website and register with them, you can then begin your search for local plots of land immediately. 
Commercial land – There are hundreds and thousands of acres of commercial land to rent all over the UK, a good deal of this land is located within our towns and cities and can be fairly close to the communities that need this land. When contacting land/estate agents there are a few things that you need to ask, firstly make sure that you are allowed to use the land for the cultivation of resources, secondly try and negociate a fair rent for the land, keeping in mind that there is a full blown economic recession and agents are keen to let out pieces of land, and thirdly, try and get a negociate a long tenancy agreement for the land so that your group can develop and work the land over time.
Council owned Land – Councils in the UK have large amounts of land in their portfolios, much of this land is not being used, it is worthwhile approaching your local council and asking them if they have any unused land that is situated close to the community, as an incentive to the council push the idea of sustainable low impact practices, as this helps local councils when they complete any ecological audits that have to complete. Depending on where your Council is, and their Politics there is a good chance that the Council might support your project in some way or other.
Incredible Edible projects – Incredible edible projects grow edible resources in public spaces, such as the case with the incredible edible Todmorden project where the town of Todmorden has fruit herbs and vegetables growing directly on the streets and pavements of the Town, such projects can be very fruitful and resiliant if a large proportion of the community supports it, and of course, if the local council can find a way of them benefiting from such projects that all the better in terms of the possible longevity and support given to these projects.
Steve