Only a decade after the last family farm in the city closed, commercial agriculture is mining "the last slice of untapped real estate in the city" to reap a bounty of benefits - from locally grown basil and bok choy to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Lisa W. Foderaro chronicles New York City's ascendance to the rooftop farming summit, as commercial agriculture operations, both soil-based and hydroponic, spread from Brooklyn to the Bronx.
The seeds of this revolution are being spread from on high. "The City Planning Department recently revamped the zoning regulations to
encourage green development, including rooftop farms, and the City
Council approved the changes," writes Foderaro. "Amanda M. Burden, the planning commissioner, credited the changes with 'creating more places for urban agriculture to take root in a dense, built-up environment.'"
And the city has good reason to support such efforts: "the rise of commercial agriculture has ancillary benefits, as well.
Rooftop farms have the potential to capture millions of gallons of storm
water and divert it from the sewer system, which can overflow when it
rains. And harvesting produce in the boroughs means fewer trucks on
local roadways and lower greenhouse gas emissions, a goal of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's administration."
FULL STORY: To Find Fields to Farm in New York City, Just Look Up
Rooftop Greenhouses, Now by Mail Order
A Switzerland-based design group is bringing back the geodesic dome in a big way with an aquaponic greenhouse that can be placed on just about any flat roof, Zak Stone reports.
Urban Farming Addressing Hunger (and More) in Pittsburgh
Urban farming provides opportunities to increase food security in addition to other benefits.
Urban Ag Activists Up In Arms About New Study
Researchers looked at the carbon footprint of urban farming versus conventional, and the results were surprising.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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