Peri-urban farms with short food supply chains are currently enjoying strong growth and represent the leading type of urban agriculture for the supply of fresh produce in towns and cities. This type of farm includes horticultural areas and many new small-scale projects based on alternative systems such as bio-intensive market gardening and permaculture (CC by 2.0 - Sustainable sanitation).Urban community gardens and urban mini-farms are two other forms of urban agriculture that are currently being developed. Community gardens combine social, educational and food-related goals and are projects that attract a participation from the greatest number of urban dwellers (Les Vignoles gymnasium, Fanny Provent).Urban micro-farms can be multi-purpose or focus primarily on production (Hotel Pullman Eiffel Tower, Paris).Less common in French towns, greenhouses, indoor agriculture and low-tech and high-tech systems entail greater investment costs (Agripolis farm, Paola Mugnier).These production systems are not very attractive for urban dwellers and, as regards greenhouses, raise issues related to the landscape (an integrated greenhouse on one of the buildings of the former Anderlecht abattoirs, Paola Mugnier).

Paola Mugnier and Fanny Provent also describe multifaceted and multi-purpose production systems. Their practical guide « Urban agriculture: how to implement it on rooftops and terraces? » (from which photos #2 to #5 are taken), as well as the Exp’au urban agriculture consulting company and agriculturalization indicators, feature among the approaches rolled out, based on researcher knowledge, to assist and equip developers when selecting project content, in addition to project implementation and management. Another important aspect for developers is the issue of urban contaminations. The REFUGE methodology has been designed to conduct an assessment of health risks based on a historical survey of the site and ground investigations. This type of assessment reveals a lack of risk or identifies when a site is in a grey area, as is often the case, which may be used by rolling out a health control plan or through farming methods that do not use the ground soil.

The prospects for the development of urban agriculture are set to be extensive and varied. Many flat roofs represent untapped high-potential land resources. A number of new requirements are emerging in relation to the analysis of soil bearing capacity, an improved integration of greenhouses in buildings, optimised management of flows and uses and lastly the incorporation of urban agriculture in circular economy scenarios.

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Almost 46% of the sites listed are in North America. In fact, it is often considered as one of the cradles of rooftop urban agriculture. It then spread to Europe and, more particularly, to France where it has been colonising rooftops for a number of years. Whether in the Paris region (Les parisculteurs, Réinventer Paris, Inventons la Métropole du Grand Paris), Angers (Imagine Angers), Toulouse (Dessine-moi Toulouse), Marseille, Nantes and other cities, calls for projects or calls for expressions of interest continue to include agricultural projects on rooftops. Local authorities themselves develop programmes concerning rooftop projects. Asia only represents 13% of the projects listed. This low figure is explained by the difficulty of access to information. However, many agricultural projects are developing there, with a productive aim, mainly in the form of indoor farming (farms inside buildings). We can expect that the number of agricultural projects will increase in the heart of cities that are highly dependent on food imports. To cite just one example, Singapore imports almost 90% of what it consumes. In addition, AmHydro, a young innovative company, shortly plans to install eight hydroponic greenhouses on the roofs of Singapore that represent up to 3,300 sq.m of exploited surface area.

Interactive map

La Ferme Abattoirs - Bigh's farms in Brussels.The productive urban farm on the roof of the Bastille opera house.North Brooklyn farms in the United States (photo: Agrovelocity). The vegetable garden on the rooftop of Ryerson University in Toronto (Photo: Agrovelocity).

Fanny Provent and Paola Mugnier will present the first practical guide from the lab recherche environnement (ed. Eyrolles) on 21 September 2020 on the occasion of the Lab Evening “Urban and vertical farmers”

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