11 Vertical Farms to Transform Our Cities

VF Type O by Oliver Foster

vf type o, oliver foster, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building vf type o vertical farm design by oliver foster

The Sundance-winning documentary Fuel ends with a hopeful artist's rendering of the city of the near future, a clean, green metropolis that produces its own power by the wind and sun, and feeds itself from transparent skyscrapers that are planted up and down with hydroponic vegetables. Such vertical farms have captivated designers and gained wide traction on the Internet (here's one new innovative concept). They may seem the stuff of science fiction, but one of the pioneers of the concept, Dickson Despommier of Columbia University, told The Daily Green that we can expect to see the first built vertical farm "within a year." (One may even soon arrive in Las Vegas.)

"It allows cities to become small ecosystems with primary productivity at its base," Despommier told TDG. "It closes all the loops that opened-ended agriculture leaves open. There's no runoff, and there's continuous production year round," he added.

Chris Jacobs' Vertical Farm

chris jacobs, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building chris jacobs vertical farm design

Since the world is becoming increasingly urbanized, planners have asked if we can bring food production directly to the people, cutting out the environmental impact of food miles. Plus, food consumed immediately after harvest has the freshest taste and the highest nutrient content. Designs like Chris Jacob's groundbreaking vertical farm would also allow city dwellers direct experience with how their food is produced, closing the cycle of alienation from natural processes that has crept into modern life.

Pyramid Vertical Farm

pyramid farm, dickson despommier, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building pyramid vertical farm concept by eric ellingsen and dickson despommier Dickson Despommier argues that growing our food in controlled settings, such as in this pyramidal design he did with Eric Ellingsen, would allow plant scientists to maximize efficiency and prevent contamination, both of the environment and of the food itself. Instead of constantly battling pests and the weather, farmers can maintain optimal conditions, and will even be able to power their own machinery with biogas, waste heat and other processes. When asked about the considerable expense of building vertical farms, Despommier shrugged it off as something that will work itself out over time and experience.

The Living Skyscraper by Blake Kurasek

vertical farms, farmscrapers, chicago, urban farms, vertical gardens, urban gardens living skyscraper vertical farm concept by blake kurasek in chicago This "farmscraper" was designed for Chicago by Blake Kurasek of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Living Skyscraper

living skyscraper, blake kurasek, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building the living skyscraper vertical farm concept by blake kurasek A closer view of the dense packing of The Living Skyscraper.

Agro-Wanus by Andrew Kranis

agro-wanus, andrew kranis, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building agro-wanus vertical farm concept by andrew kranis Andrew Kranis of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation of Columbia University came up with this design for the Agro-Wanus, a vertical farm built around a giant spiral. Nutrient conduits nourish the tabletop planting beds and nurseries.

Agro-Wanus by Andrew Kranis

agro-wanus, andrew kranis, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building agro-wanus vertical farm concept by andrew kranis Agro-Wanus would host a public greenmarket and would rise above a reclaimed salt marsh. It would produce food and decorative plants.

Evf: Experimental Vertical Farm

evf, experimental vertical farm, claudio palavecino llanos, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building evf experimental vertical farm by claudio palavecino llanos Claudio Palavecino Llanos of the University of Chile conceived of the Evf: Experimental Vertical Farm to transform "wasted" urban space--such as road cloverleafs or brownfields--into food-growing meccas.

Eco-Laboratory by Weber Thompson

eco-laboratory, weber thompson, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building eco-laboratory vertical farm concept by weber thompson Weber Thompson's Eco-Laboratory is designed as "an experimental urban high-rise residence for ecology and social collaboration." Reclaimed materials are to be used in the construction, including reused shipping containers. Water is reclaimed, and the facility is powered and conditioned by passive solar, fuel cells, solar panels, earth tubes, biofuels and wind turbines.

Gordon Graff's Skyfarm

gordan graff, vertical farms, urban agriculture, urban farming, green design, green building gordan graff's skyfarm vertical farm design Gordan Graff's vertical farm design would add a dramatic splash of greenery to any skyline.

SOA Architects Living Tower

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The Living Tower design by France's SOA Architects incorporates solar and wind power, in addition to growing space.

Also see the Urban Space Station urban farming concept.

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