14th Floor: Barnyard Animals

"Proposed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV, the argument is that it's more efficient to raise swine in highrise farms than on the ground, where they take up a lot of room. According to MVRDV, if pigs in Holland were raised organically – i.e. fed 100 per cent grain – three-quarters of the country would have to be set aside to meet their needs.

By giving these pigs wings and stacking them in the sties in the skies, the land below remains free and transportation and distribution costs can be cut. Each tower could feed 500,000 people annually. The pigs would also get to enjoy well-ventilated spaces with great views.

God knows how the NIMBYs would respond but this might be one case where swinish behaviour was both the cause and result of their unhappiness.

"Urban farming is in its early stages," says Joe Nasr, who with fellow Ryerson profs Mark Gorgolewski and June Komisar organized the show."