Urban Farming: Coming to a Mall Near You?

Ok, so Shanghai's K11 isn't your average mall. In addition to stores and restaurants the "Art Shopping Mall" has a "stunning" rooftop terrace and garden, and an art and cultural program. So what do you get the mall that has everything? Apparently a farm that "uses soil-free cultivation methods and it provides a bit of green respite for urban visitors."

"The mini-farm is currently producing tomatoes, eggplants and hot peppers, but with autumn on the way they will soon be switching to different seasonal produce," explains Helen Morgan. "The vegetables are grown using automatic irrigation systems, and LED lighting supplements the daylight that floods in through the mall’s windows."

In addition, an educational program brings in horticulture experts "to help introduce participants to basic growing concepts so that they can raise their own fruit and vegetables."