Should Architects Be Citizen Scientists?

Can self-contained urban food systems exist in the core of our cities? Architect Darrick Borowski of New York based firm ARExA developed a model to determine just that.

1 minute read

August 21, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT

By ArupAmericas


Photo Credit: Edible Infrastructures

"Drawing from studies of human caloric intake and patterns of eating and farming, the team developed a computational model to calculate land use distributions that would allow for adequate food production for different population sizes and densities.

The model also took into account factors such as the need for low-energy distribution through efficient circulation routes, optimization of solar exposure for different kinds of crops, and provision of recreational facilities.

“You still end up with a very urban experience,” Borowski told me, “but woven into the urban fabric are productive commons, as we’re calling them — farmable areas — and a food distribution network.”

Thursday, August 20, 2015 in Doggerel

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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