Having recently started a weekly blog, I feel I am on a steep learning curve as I never know quite where it is going to take me! I may have a tendency to go off at a tangent, perhaps because of the Mind maps. Although I really like them, in preference to a list (which can be restrictive), they can send me all over the place. But then again, that is also the beauty of them as your mind expands and you can learn about lots of new things. The software is fun to use as well.

On reflection (I like doing that too!) several things have occurred this week which have come together to inspire this blog:

• I watched an interesting documentary on National Geographic about France, in particular a rooftop farm in Paris (link to BBC World service video)
• My daughter and her fiancée are moving into a flat with a rooftop garden soon
• My son shared a post about Top 10 Sustainability trends to look out for in 2021
• I live near a town called Welwyn Garden City
• I am a keen gardener, which runs in the family

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Urban Gardening/Farming

So, after thinking about the topics associated with Urban Gardening (there are so many areas I could have explored - see Mind map above) and watching the documentary, I was keen to find out more about this particular rooftop farm and others that exist; there are many articles, YouTube videos and blogs on this topic! This farm in Paris is the world's largest. The project aims to be "a global model for sustainable production" (BBC News - see link). There are many advantages to this type of farm which uses vertical farming - see Mind map. These advantages are environmental, social and cultural. However, it is very costly, needs people with knowledge and expertise and of course fundamentally, the particular government and local councils need to be committed to the idea. For a good explanation of the pros and cons see the link. I will not go into detail, as I am no expert, but vertical farming uses techniques such as; hydroponics, use of waste heat, solar photovoltaics, rainwater catchment and evaporative cooling.

I have also just discovered that, as well as using rooftops, shipping containers and abandoned mine-shafts, this is also done underground - and in London. How fascinating. The Netherlands are advanced in this type of farming - see this article - lots of photos too - though you may not like all of them! In Copenhagen they have turned the top of a shopping centre into a circular urban farm. There are several other countries across the world where urban farming is growing (Scroll through the amazing photos in this link).

Building Integrated Agriculture

The next topic on my growing Mind map that linked to Rooftop Farming was Building Integrated Agriculture (BIA), defined as 'the practice of locating high performance hydroponic greenhouse farming systems on and in mixed-use buildings to exploit synergies between the built environment and agriculture'. This term was coined by Ted Caplow in 2009. BIA often uses the same techniques as vertical farming - see above. Buildings which produce a lot of waste and excess heat can turn the waste into a resource to support low impact food production.

Perhaps the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (approximately 600 BC) were the first example of BIA!

Look what we have now at the Boscale Verticale in Milan (photo on the right).

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This is a subject that I am fascinated about - having a drink in a lovely garden overlooking the city, as my son, a Chartered Surveyor, has taken me to some wonderful rooftop bars in London, many of which have gardens (see below). I can't wait to go again. I hope he is reading this! It is great to see that company he works for are taking the issues of sustainability seriously. See one of their most recent blogs - Top ten sustainability trends to look out for in 2021.

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I may have mentioned my Swedish heritage previously. Here are some old photographs of my grandad - Johan Rasmusson - a gardener in Sweden before coming to England to work in the nurseries. I think it runs in the family!

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In my searching for information for this blog I have come across some really interesting sites and blogs. As well as the many links in the blog, here are a few which maybe of interest to you:

• Environment Buddy - blog
• Food Tank - The Think Tank for Food - 16 Initiatives Changing Urban Agriculture Through Tech and Innovation
• Gardening Know How - Urban Garden Ultimate guide
• Green City Growers - transforming under-utilised spaces into biodiverse productive landscapes (great blog)
• RESET/Digital for Good - Smart Green Innovation
• The Spaces - Best Rooftop Bars in London
• Urban Growth London - A social enterprise that improves Londoners' well-being by collaborating with them to create & maintain beautiful, biodiverse spaces.

I wonder if someone might like to build this for their rooftop garden!

I hope you enjoyed reading this week's blog. I would love to hear your comments.

Have a good week.

Plogart Pat