City Agriculture - November 14, 2021

 Living the Noom - near net zero energy buildings with vertical forests

https://www.yankodesign.com/2021/07/22/breathtaking-residential-building-in-mexico-comes-with-its-own-vertical-forest-and-solar-panels-on-its-terrace/

El Terreno - a community garden that is more community than simply garden in Mexico City
https://en.vertebral.mx/elterreno
https://inhabitat.com/urban-gardens-dont-get-much-greener-than-el-terreno/

Regenerative Farm Map from Regeneration Canada
https://regenerationcanada.org/en/map/
Editorial Comment:  There are examples here that may apply to urban and “advanced" agriculture.

A garden in the shadow of 9/11
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/aug/28/a-garden-at-ground-zero-what-i-learned-growing-an-oasis-in-the-shadow-of-911

“The world’s first farmscraper,” to be built in Shenzhen, China
51-story Jian Mu Tower will contain a large-scale farm system producing crops to feed 40,000 people per year, as well as offices, a supermarket, and a food court
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/9/10/worlds-first-farmscraper-unveiled-by-carlo-ratti-associati-in-shenzhen

Milan will plant 3 million trees in the city, one for each resident
https://forestami.org/en/
https://www.treehugger.com/milan-urban-forestry-greening-project-5201037

Deep Medicine Circle practices "Farming as Medicine" on a one acre rooftop farm in Oakland, CA
https://www.deepmedicinecircle.org/our-work.html
https://donorbox.org/rooftop-greenhouse

Santa Clara, CA Agrihood, a development with 361 housing units and its own farm
http://www.agrihood-sc.com/plant-your-own-farm/
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/09/24/this-san-francisco-housing-development-comes-with-its-own-farm/

10 great city projects for Nature, from The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/01/10-great-city-projects-for-nature-from-vertical-forests-to-pocket-farms-aoe

Vertical farms proposed as a replacement for Berlin autobahn
https://www.morgenfarm.berlin/home-en
https://inhabitat.com/morgenfarm-proposes-vertical-farms-to-replace-berlins-autobahn/

Baltimore’s first “agrihood"
https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-fe-agrihood-urban-farm-park-heights-20210924-xnonds3wuzebldxrfyj6ooqxgy-story.html
hat tip Robin Bergman

Robin Wood - an urban block made of wood which will be net zero energy in construction and operation, including a micro-forest
https://marckoehler.com/project/robin-wood-making-an-island-together/
https://inhabitat.com/sustainable-and-affordable-urban-block-coming-to-amsterdam/

PS: On November 13, 2021, the city of Boston named a square in the South End neighborhood and a day in honor of Mel King, one of the main forces in the revival of local agriculture and the rebirth of urban agriculture in Boston, Massachusetts, USAmerica, and the world. Congratulations to my mentor and friend, Mel King.

City Agriculture - August 9, 2021

 Positive net energy campus for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

https://inhabitat.com/phipps-conservatory-and-botanical-gardens-leeds-the-way-in-green-design/

Amsterdam and Paris exchange on urban agriculture
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/7/8/amsterdam-and-paris-exchange-on-urban-agriculture-practices

Hot Heart - artifical islands to supply heat to Helsinki and support a tropical forest
https://inhabitat.com/a-tropical-forest-will-soon-grow-in-helsinki-and-provide-all-the-citys-heat/

Hong Kong rooftop gardens
https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2021/jul/14/rooftop-crops-urban-farms-in-hong-kong-in-pictures
Editorial Comment:  Hong Kong is the only other city I’ve visited that has as much energy as NYC.

Bricks designed as anchor points for plants growing vertically
https://www.core77.com/posts/109476/Binder-Klinkers-Unusual-Bricks-Serve-as-an-Attachment-Point-for-Plants-on-Building-Facades

Nanbo Bay Reception Center indoor rainforest
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/CqsAoZmLfrygPdTir7sDsQ? [in Chinese]
https://inhabitat.com/a-mini-rainforest-thrives-in-the-nanbo-bay-reception-center/

Underwater farming
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/7/23/underwater-farms-amp-how-they-work
Editorial Comment:  Seagrasses can sequester 15-35 times more carbon than terrestrial plants and eelgrass can produce a perennial grain.   We are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities, as Walt Kelly’s Pogo reminded us.

Madrid plans to plant a forest all around the city to reduce heat and absorb CO2
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/madrid-to-create-perimeter-forest-around-the-city-to-absorb-heat-and-co2/

Greenhouses for extreme climates
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/7/19/this-company-builds-greenhouses-in-some-of-the-worlds-most-extreme-climates

Why we should build for wildlife as well as people
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210727-how-to-boost-biodiversity-and-attract-wildlife-to-your-home

Proposal for a future garden city
https://www.designboom.com/architecture/future-city-proposal-rescubika-parisian-lake-05-03-2021/
https://inhabitat.com/garden-city-brings-a-breath-of-fresh-air-to-urban-paris/

Microbial farming for carbon capture and food production
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/08/05/futuristic-farmers-deploy-solar-power-to-farm-for-microbes/

City Agriculture - July 8, 2021

 Geotherapy Not Geoengineering, Please

http://solarray.blogspot.com/2021/04/geotherapy-not-geoengineering-please.html
NB:  Geotherapy can work from flower pot on a windowsill scale to thousands of hectares and should be part of the thinking about all agriculture, urban or not

Barnsdall Art Park, Los Angeles to revive its olive grove
https://inhabitat.com/las-barnsdall-art-park-revives-historic-olive-grove/
https://www.laparks.org/historic/barnsdall-art-park

10 urban food forests
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/6/24/10-urban-food-forests-turning-cities-into-food-producing-oases

Architects employ agritecture
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/6/23/can-agritecture-help-us-adapt-to-climate-change-these-architects-think-so

Tiny forests in big cities
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/why-tiny-forests-are-popping-up-in-big-cities
hat tip Howard Bernstein

Solar Trees Marketplace in China
https://koichitakada.com/projects/solar-trees-marketplace/
https://inhabitat.com/solar-trees-marketplace-honors-nature-technology-and-chinese-culture/

Urban green spaces in Dhaka, Bangladesh harbor nearly half the country’s butterfly diversity 
https://academic.oup.com/jue/article/7/1/juab008/6218512
hat tip John Thackara

Sustainable food production for a resilient Rosario, Argentina
https://prizeforcities.org
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/06/30/sustainable-food-production-for-a-resilient-rosario-prize-for-cities-2020-2021/
Editorial Comment:  Rosario, Argentina is the birthplace of Che Guevara

Zero waste house that produces its own food
https://www.futurefoodsystem.com
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210629-joost-bakker-on-why-zero-waste-living-is-the-future

AI-Based Sustainable Farming Tech Startup ecoRobotix Raises $14.7 Million
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/06/30/ai-based-sustainable-farming-tech-startup-ecorobotix-raises-14-7-million/
Editorial Comment:  robots to apply herbicides

Rare orchid discovered on London rooftop garden
https://www.treehugger.com/why-city-greening-is-so-important-5190118

NYTimes on hydroponic farming
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/06/dining/hydroponic-farming.html

City Agriculture - June 24, 2021

 Farming communities - a Dutch model for national agriculture

https://www.farmingcommunities.org/

AlphaGarden - can a robot learn how to garden?
https://rieff.jacksonchui.ai
https://goldberg.berkeley.edu/art/AlphaGarden/
https://youtu.be/j-7kluafRwA

Pollinator Park is a 30-minute interactive virtual reality experience "that immerses you in a futuristic world where man and nature co-exist in harmony, hoping to change your perspective and help turn the tide”
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/pollinator-park_en
https://inhabitat.com/virtual-pollinator-park-shows-a-future-with-or-without-pollinators/

Singapore plans a “forest town"
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/04/singapore-sustainable-smart-town-tengah

The AgStack Foundation seeks to improve global agriculture efficiency through the creation, maintenance and enhancement of free, re-usable, open and specialized digital infrastructure for data and applications.
https://agstack.org

Cardening?
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/may/19/the-rise-of-cardening-why-people-are-growing-plants-in-cars-and-everywhere-else

Emerging food forest in Venice, CA
https://inhabitat.com/a-food-forest-emerges-in-las-famous-venice-neighborhood/
https://projectfoodforest.org
https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-community-food-forest-handbook/

Abu Dhabi biodiversity park
https://www.sla.dk/en/projects/al-fay-park
https://inhabitat.com/abu-dhabis-new-urban-biodiversity-park-enhances-local-microclimate/

"Urban Food Stories is a community storytelling project that highlights the unique and important food traditions of the individuals around us. Through interviews, photographs, and recipes, these stories intend to broaden the narratives of the 'Alternative Food Movement', to make it more inclusive.”
https://www.urbanfoodstories.com/about

"Living Energy Farm is an intentional community, education center, and farm that demonstrates that a fulfilling life is possible without the use of fossil fuel.”
They’ve been using solar DC electric microgrids for over a decade in Virginia, a technology that can be adapted to urban use as well
http://livingenergyfarm.org

Residential Greenhouse for Bremen, Germany
https://www.dmaa.at/work/greenhouse-bremen
https://inhabitat.com/dmaa-designs-residential-greenhouse-in-germany/

Bee-friendly urban wildflower meadows prove a hit with German city dwellers
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/20/bee-friendly-urban-wildflower-meadows-prove-a-hit-with-german-city-dwellers
hat tip Taras Grescoe @grescoe

City Agriculture - April 2021

 BBC summary of the state of the art/business

https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/how-to-grow-food-in-a-concrete-jungle/

BBC TV Series:   Follow the Food:  Urban Farming
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t6nc

“Carbon-absorbing” vertical forest skyscraper nears completion in Taipei
https://vincent.callebaut.org/object/210128_taozhuyinyuan/taozhuyinyuan/projects
https://inhabitat.com/carbon-absorbing-vertical-forest-skyscraper-nears-completion-in-taipei/

Carbon neutral ecodistrict for Lille, France - another Callebaut project
https://vincent.callebaut.org/object/210126_archiborescence/archiborescence/projects
https://inhabitat.com/vincent-callebaut-envisions-a-carbon-neutral-district-for-france/

Plant Ag:  $9 billion startup with food traceability from field to plate
https://www.fastcompany.com/90614017/plant-ag-9-billion-startup-food-traceability-field-to-plate-transparency-karim-giscombe

Liuzhou Forest City - China is building a city where trees clean the air
https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/liuzhou-forest-city/

Saltwater vertical farming
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/3/1/what-do-saltwater-vertical-farming-and-sustainable-coastlines-have-in-common

Regeneration of Pirelli 39 - renovating and expanding an existing building to include a vertical forest for cleaning the air
https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/the-regeneration-of-pirelli-39/
https://dsrny.com/project/pirelli-39?index=false&section=projects&search=Pirelli
https://inhabitat.com/leed-targeted-pirelli-39-features-a-carbon-absorbing-vertical-forest-in-milan/

Japanese competition for best garden in the back of a pick-up truck
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=236856398229072&set=pcb.236857111562334
Other mobile gardens in City Agriculture over the years include
Kim Holleman’s mobile park in one trailer or as a trailer park, now in new smaller model with aquaponics
http://www.kimholleman.com/trailer-park-project
http://inhabitat.com/nyc/kim-holleman-debuts-new-version-of-famous-trailer-park-with-solar-powered-aquaponic-pond/
Autonomous traveling garden:  Hortum machina B
http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/ialab-exhibiting-at-ars-electronica.html
Mobile green living room touring Europe
http://www.turas-cities.org/blog/52
http://inhabitat.com/plant-covered-mobile-green-living-room-travels-through-europe/
Mobile garden in MIlan
http://www.a4a.it/installazioni-eventi/why-not-in-the-garden

Rob Greenfield foraged all his own food for a year in Orlando, FL
https://youtu.be/c462qJdcl74

Continuing Education: Urban Agriculture
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15046-continuing-education-urban-agriculture

Lichen and moss walls
https://www.benettihome.it/en/homepage
https://inhabitat.com/customizable-natural-lichen-green-walls-require-no-maintenance/

City Agriculture - February 27, 2021

 Urban Agriculture Blog from Agritecture

https://www.agritecture.com/blog-feed

The 20 best green alleys of Montreal (en française, in French)
https://mesquartiers.wordpress.com/2020/08/15/top-20-des-plus-belles-ruelles-vertes-a-montreal/

Europe’s largest vertical farm is under construction - 14 stories high in a 7,000-square-meter facility at Copenhagen Markets in Denmark
https://inhabitat.com/construction-of-europes-largest-vertical-farm-is-underway/
https://www.yeshealthgroup.com

Respira - an air purifying garden that is self-sustaining
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/respira/respira-the-air-purifying-garden-that-takes-care-of-itself
https://www.respira.ca
https://inhabitat.com/respira-the-hydroponic-smart-garden-that-purifies-the-air/

Urban farm feeds the homeless in the city of Chiang Mai during COVID time
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/1/19/keeping-a-thai-city-fed-during-covid-19

A Global Geospatial Ecosystem Services Estimate of Urban Agriculture - they estimate about 10% of food production can happen in cities
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017EF000536

Rooftop nature conservancy in Hong Kong includes a biodiversity museum, an outdoor farm to provide farm-to-table dining, a butterfly garden and more
https://www.laab.pro/?portfolio_page=k11-musea-nature-discovery-park
https://inhabitat.com/architects-design-a-rooftop-nature-conservatory-in-hong-kong/

Staten Island apartment complex with 5000 square foot farm
https://www.rabbitsgardenfarm.com
https://inhabitat.com/this-apartment-building-in-staten-island-has-a-5000-square-foot-urban-farm/
hat tip Pasqualino Columbaro

Tiny forests for England based upon a Japanese technique
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/02/tennis-court-sized-scrap-of-bristol-to-become-tiny-forest

The New Agrarian Economy:  The Past, Present, and Future of Urban Agriculture in New York City [pdf alert]
https://www.brooklyn-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NAE21_FINALv11_pages.pdf

Thammasat University Rangsit Campus urban rooftop farm, the largest in Asia
https://www.greenroofs.com/projects/thammasat-university-urban-rooftop-farm-turf/
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/2/16/thammasat-universitys-urban-rooftop-farm

Shenzhen skyscraper with aquaponics to purify the air
https://inhabitat.com/a-skyscraper-will-purify-shenzhens-air-with-aquaponic-gardens/
https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/tower-c-at-shenzhen-bay-super-headquarters-base/

City Agriculture - January 20, 2021, the Happy Inauguration Day Issue

 A rooftop forest for Rotterdam

https://www.mvrdv.nl/news/2603/with-construction-almost-complete-depot-boijmans-van-beuningen-prepares-for-preview-opening-in-september

https://www.mvrdv.nl/news/2652/depot-boijmans-van-beuningen-rooftop-forest-awarded-rooftop-award-2020
https://inhabitat.com/an-award-winning-forest-tops-the-worlds-first-publicly-accessible-art-depot/

Inside Singapore’s huge bet on vertical farming by Megan Tatum
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/10/13/1009497/singapore-vertical-farming-food-security/ (subscribers only)

Evanlee Organics 
http://www.evanleeorganics.com

Hothouse - "an arched greenhouse as part of London Design Festival, which is filled with plants that it predicts will soon be able to grow outdoors in the UK due to climate change.”
https://www.dezeen.com/2020/09/14/studio-weave-hothouse-greenhouse-london-design-festival/
https://inhabitat.com/hothouse-installation-grows-tropical-plants-in-the-middle-of-london/

Researchers granted $1 Million to advance urban agriculture
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2020/11/30/ub-researchers-awarded-1-million-grant-to-advance-urban-agriculture

This 2-Acre Vertical Farm Out-Produces 720 Acre ‘Flat Farms’
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/11/20/this-2-acre-vertical-farm-out-produces-750-acre-flat-farms/
https://inhabitat.com/is-high-yield-vertical-farming-the-future-of-agriculture/

Rehabbing Quito, Ecuador’s bullring stadium for food production 
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2020/12/15/reimagining-a-bullring-for-food-production

Freight Farms shipping container growing systems partners with Arcadia Partnership for clean energy to power food growing
https://www.freightfarms.com/news/arcadia-partnership
Editorial Comment:  InFarm is the only stand-alone growing system I know of which has included energy and resource efficiency from the beginning.  A few years ago, I had the chance to ask one of the founders of Freight Farms about whether they had thought of energy efficiency as they started and his answer was no.  Good to see that they are now stepping up
https://www.infarm.de
https://www.fastcompany.com/3058155/at-this-supermarket-the-produce-section-grows-its-own-produce
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/08/27/growing-without-farming/

And a research project for net zero farming:
University of Toronto Scarborough & Centennial College developing Canada’s first net zero vertical farm
https://utsc.utoronto.ca/news-events/our-community/u-t-scarborough-centennial-college-partnering-develop-canadas-first-net-zero-vertical
https://www.treehugger.com/resilience/university-toronto-planning-net-zero-vertical-farm.html

Mapping U.S. Food System Localization Potential: The Impact of Diet on Foodsheds
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b07582#.X92mS

Paris approves plan to make Champs Elysees into a garden
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/10/paris-approves-plan-to-turn-champs-elysees-into-extraordinary-garden-anne-hidalgo
hat tip: Gil Friend

Calculating the carbon footprint of vertical farming and traditional farming
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/1/20/calculating-the-carbon-footprint-of-vertical-farming-and-traditional-farming