VIRTUAL: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

The population growth in the world is bringing about issues that can mean starvation for many. In the DC area alone, 65,750 people face hunger on a daily basis. If that number can be reduced or even eliminated by producing produce closer to home, people can get the sustenance they need. Society’s growth will require many acres of farming in order to produce the kind of food needed to feed people, and if we take those acres and stack them instead of spreading them out, it can eliminate the issues that farms contain or produce. It can also create distributional equity along with education, jobs, and equity of opportunities. Vertical farms have been discussed since the coining of the term by Dr. Despommier in 2010. They are still a relatively new solution. Vertical farms come with an array of challenges and questions. The issues from standard farming consist of land being used up, emissions from the transportation of the produce to warehouses and stores, and the plants being unable to grow during a particular season in various locations. Vertical farms will help to reduce these issues and eliminate them entirely if appropriately implemented. Using vacant properties and putting these vertical farms in, is a viable option. There are several hundreds of vacant properties in the District of Columbia, and using them as a substitute for a new building, shipping containers, or buying properties that can be used for other purposes. All these conditions can be solved through vertical farming.