Exploring the potential for urban food production on Sydney’s rooftops

Wilkinson, S; Page, L

Exploring the potential for urban food production on Sydney’s rooftops

Wilkinson, S

Page, L

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Publisher:: ZEMCH Network
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: Mass customisation and sustainability in housing proceedings, 2014, pp. 87 - 98
Issue Date:: 2014

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Wilkinson, S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9266-1858	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Page, L	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Hirota, EH	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Formosa, CT	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Onyango, J	en_US
dc.date	2014-06-04	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Mass customisation and sustainability in housing proceedings, 2014, pp. 87 - 98	en_US
dc.identifier.isbn	978-0-9910608-1-8	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/35455
dc.description.abstract	There are environmental, economic and social benefits of retrofitting rooftops on city buildings for food production. Environmental benefits include lower carbon food miles, potential reductions in building related operational carbon emissions, reductions in the urban heat island, increases in bio-diversity and reductions in storm-water run-off. Economically, the benefits are reduced roof maintenance costs, lower running costs and access to fresh food. Thirdly the social or community gains are the creation of spaces where people can engage in growing food. Psychological and therapeutic gains accrue when people engage with natural environments However there are barriers which include perceptions of greater risk of building leaks, high costs of installation and maintenance, and access and security issues. Although the technology to design and install food production on rooftops exists, the uptake and the demand have not been high to date. Overall, the gains are not deemed sufficient and in Sydney Australia, the existing numbers of food producing rooftops are testimony to this observation. This research reports on three rooftops set up in 2013 in Sydney which are producing food. The social, economic and environmental aspects and physical aspects of the installation are described in this paper.	en_US
dc.publisher	ZEMCH Network	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Mass customisation and sustainability in housing proceedings	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	ZEMCH International Conference	en_US
dc.title	Exploring the potential for urban food production on Sydney’s rooftops	en_US
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.location	Londrina, PR, Brazil	en_US
utslib.location.activity	Londrina, PR, Brazil	en_US
utslib.for	1299 Other Built Environment and Design	en_US
dc.location.activity	Londrina Brazil
dc.location.activity	Londrina, PR, Brazil
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building/School of Built Environment
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CCDP - Contemporary Design Practice
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.consider-herdc	true	en_US
pubs.finish-date	2014-06-06	en_US
pubs.place-of-publication	Londrina, PR, Brazil	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.start-date	2014-06-04	en_US

Abstract:

There are environmental, economic and social benefits of retrofitting rooftops on city buildings for food production. Environmental benefits include lower carbon food miles, potential reductions in building related operational carbon emissions, reductions in the urban heat island, increases in bio-diversity and reductions in storm-water run-off. Economically, the benefits are reduced roof maintenance costs, lower running costs and access to fresh food. Thirdly the social or community gains are the creation of spaces where people can engage in growing food. Psychological and therapeutic gains accrue when people engage with natural environments However there are barriers which include perceptions of greater risk of building leaks, high costs of installation and maintenance, and access and security issues. Although the technology to design and install food production on rooftops exists, the uptake and the demand have not been high to date. Overall, the gains are not deemed sufficient and in Sydney Australia, the existing numbers of food producing rooftops are testimony to this observation. This research reports on three rooftops set up in 2013 in Sydney which are producing food. The social, economic and environmental aspects and physical aspects of the installation are described in this paper.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/35455