Urban agriculture and market-rate multi-family housing developments could be a perfect match.
"It was only a matter of time before the farm-to-table movement merged with the Brooklyn condominium boom," writes Josh Barbanel.
To validate the point, Barbanel examines the example set by the 18-story building at 550 Vanderbilt Ave., and the restaurant Olmsted, located a few blocks away. The building is installing three large metal boxes for condo owners in the building to use for gardening. The owner of Olmsted has also been "promised a large subdivision of the plots, and is planning an initial crop of hot peppers for the restaurant’s home-made aji dulce sauce served with oysters," writes Barbanel.
Barbanel calls the system an example of farm-to-condo urban agriculture, and there are more examples to found around the city of New York—with roots in similar rooftop gardening arrangements in public housing and commercial areas around the city.
Barbanel also gives credit where credit is due on the article's showcase example of the farm-to-condo movement:
The idea for the 550 Vanderbilt Ave. vegetable garden came from COOKFOX Architects, which designed the building. The firm follows a principle it calls 'biophilic design,' or the creation of spaces that promote human well being by enhancing the connection between people and nature, said architect Brandon Specketer, who worked on the building.
[The Wall Street Journal might be behind a paywall for some readers.]
The Bust of Williamsburg
Sales in Brooklyn are down, and that's made a ghost town out of the recently booming but now busted Williamsburg neighborhood.
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
NYC Council Approves Brooklyn Rezoning Plan
The Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan includes infrastructure investments and could bring 4,600 new housing units to parts of Brooklyn.
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
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie