CNN looks at the next wave in urban agriculture: commercial-scale indoor farms that are hydroponic, climate controlled, and LED-lit.
To date, urban farming has primarily taken place at a small scale and on rooftops, writes Jennifer Alsever. However, large-scale indoor facilities, such as the "Vertical Farms" advocated by Dickson Despommier, may be better equipped to meet rising demand for locally grown, organic food. The highly controlled environments of indoor farms offer higher yields per square foot, inspiring experimental ventures in cities throughout the country, according to Alsever.
Some critics are skeptical as to whether the new model is fiscally sustainable, given the significant amount of electricity it requires. The author quotes Bruce Bugbee, a professor of crop physiology at Utah State University:
"Scores of companies have tried to do this, even the big guys like General Mills fifteen years ago. It's too expensive. People don't realize how much light it takes to grow plants."
Read the full story: Urban farming 2.0: No soil, no sun
Vertical Farms, Fad or Feast?
Hydroponic indoor farmers hope to charge a premium for plants grown out of season in indoor farms. The notion has generated attention from big investors, but whether or not consumers will follow is an open question.
Floating Vertical Farms Could Deliver and Monitor Food Production in Dense Cities
Known for its density with nearly 20,000 people per square mile, Singapore is changing its food systems strategy to produce more food locally, and reduce food waste.
The Future of Vertical Urban Farming is Pink
Let's put aside those renderings of high-rise urban greenhouses with lush, vertical gardens. Vertical farming's future, instead, lies more practically in large, suburban "pinkhouses", says one expert.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060
Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.
LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.
Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code
The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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