Future Food

This proposition tests Melbourne as a self-sufficient food city. Can Melbourne produce enough food within its own metropolitan boundary to sustain its population of 5 million? Modelling this proposition co-opts three knowledge fields- agricultural technology, nutrition and urban land use planning. Fast developing technologies of high intensity multi level agriculture, and recommended nutritional profiles increasing our proportion of plant based diet, creates a smaller footprint for production. This, along with Melbourne’s very large metropolitan growth boundary, makes this viable. Analysing land use allocations, we excluded all land currently for housing, public buildings, or green reserves and established a total available land footprint for urban agriculture. Once establishing that the broad proposition was viable, we tested the architectural types of vertical agriculture in a range of urban settings. Ultimately well designed models where food is produced close to home, rather than transported great distance is of enormous benefit to urban liveability.

Project Team: John Doyle, Graham Crist, Laura Martires.