I am getting bored with the idea that vertical farms in cities will solve the world’s food problems. The last thing we need right now is proposals for untried, energy hungry systems especially when there is already a lot of underutilised space that could be used for food growing.
What about using flat roof tops? I have said this many times before but there are acres of flat roofs in every city in the world that could be used to grow food. There have been a few pilot projects which have proved the viability of the idea so why the need for such high tech wacky ideas when there is a solution staring us in the face?
Please let’s see some common sense and get moving on projects that can be completed soon rather than entering into years of development of unsustainable systems. Or to put it another way, get the architects out of the loop and get the growers growing!
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It’s an awesome idea, and I’ve read about 1-2 trials – even in the UK
I wonder whether any of the roof’s would need any kind of additional support though for the extra weight of soil + produce? I saw on the TV a few months ago someone doing a green-shed-roof, and it had to have additional supports.
Some roofs do need extra support others don’t. I have heard of project using a ligther medium than soil with no extra engineering needed. Perhaps one of the best projects is at Changi Hospital in Singapore. They grow food on the roof which is used in the kitchens i.e. it helps feed the patients. Now that would be a novel idea in UK hospitals.