In a world where urban living and hurried lifestyles can often trump everything else, a low-key revolution is brewing — sometimes rising up from the ground itself. Urban homesteading, originally associated with remote rural areas, now thrives in the heart of some of the world’s most populous cities.
And from balcony gardens and backyard chickens to composting systems and DIY preserves, urbanites are reclaiming some self-sufficiency and redefining what it means to live sustainably. This movement is not about fleeing the city, but about reimagining it — one can of homemade jam, one rooftop veggie patch at a time.
What is Considered an Urban Homestead?
An urban homestead is a house in a city or suburb where the household strives for self-sufficiency and sustainable living. It’s a cross between traditional homesteading and urban living, with a nod to ways people lived in cities 100 years ago, like growing food, composting, preserving produce and raising small animals.
Unlike country homesteads, urban homesteads conform to tight spaces and city codes. Rooftop gardens, balcony herbs, backyard chickens, rainwater collection — that kind of thing.
At its root, urban homesteading isn’t about acquiring acres of land — it’s a mentality. Whether you’re gathering tomatoes from a small box garden or fermenting your own pickles, it’s a way of life that revolves around reducing waste, eating seasonally and taking back control of how you live and what you consume.
What is the Urban Homesteading Movement?
This trend is where city dwellers are becoming more self-reliant and sustainable in order to adopt a homestead-style life in the city. Inspired by faddish interests in living mindfully and consuming more purposefully, this movement urges individuals to: grow their own food, cut waste, raise small animals and cut ties with commercial supply lines.
Urban homesteading defies the stereotype that such activities can only be done in the country and that, even in a city, a person can take steps towards a more sustainable existence. This movement has grown as people have looked to dial back their environmental footprints, to rekindle ties to the natural world and to build a more resilient food supply — often in small spaces like backyards, roof gardens or apartment balconies.
What is a Suburban Homestead?
A suburban homestead is a home that grows a substantial amount of its own food such as vegetables, fruits, or even livestock, as well as practices like composting, rainwater harvesting, and using solar energy. Introducing Suburban Homestead.
Unlike their traditional country or rural living counterparts, suburban homesteaders practice a mix of modernised and traditional skills to cultivate an intentional lifestyle, reduce waste and provide a level of self-sufficiency, with a few extra berries. This enables them to turn their homes into environmentally friendly living spaces, such as by planting vegetables and producing products at home.
For more conscious living guidance, be sure to read about eco-friendly home cleaning products for a greener clean.
Up for Urban Homesteading?
Urban Homesteading showcases that you don’t have to have acres of land to make changes in your life to be more sustainable; you just have to have the will to start. By transforming ordinary spaces into functional, practicable ones, suburban homesteaders are forging a lifestyle that’s not only good for the planet but also profoundly satisfying. Whether on a small scale or at maximal capacity, every step toward self-sufficiency counts and each small step you take will be helpful.
