business model basics

As a landscape architect, I help clients achieve their vision for a development project’s outdoor space. The types of projects vary wildly–from schoolyards to federal buildings to university campuses–and many involve landscapes on structure. Increasingly, clients…

amber waves of grain

In Chicago, green roof designer and Omni Ecosystems CEO, Molly Meyer, selected an unlikely plant species for atop Studio Gang’s office: hardy winter wheat. A wildflower meadow mix was originally slated for the 5,000-square-foot roof, but…

more rooftop farming, s’il vous plaît

Through innovative policy and dedication, Paris has kickstarted a rooftop revolution that’s improving Parisians’ work experience, one office building at a time. In January 2016, city legislators and 33 companies pledged to plant 100 hectares (247 acres) of…

data we can eat

Edible crops are dappling our cities’ skylines in growing numbers, and yet, the blossoming North American rooftop agriculture movement remains in its infancy.  As rooftop farmers and gardeners increasingly build knowledge by experimenting and improvising with…

Toronto-style thin farming

As ornamental green roofs increasingly coat our skylines, some urbanites have begun re-purposing older vegetated rooftops for agriculture.  One example, north of the border in Toronto, is Ryerson University’s George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, constructed in 2004….

a salute to urban fish

Some days you can eat leafy greens until the cows come home without ever feeling full.  The missing link?  Protein.  While chickens and livestock often play a key role in addressing this classic omnivorous hunger, raising…

putting your money where the mouths are

“Imagine cities that feed their own inhabitants.  Imagine communities that are connected by farms.  Imagine knowing your farmer and knowing your food.”  This is the vision of Mohamed Hage, founder and CEO of the Montreal-based rooftop farming…

rooftop rice paddy

Two hectares of rooftop in South Central China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region stand a cut above the rest.  The Liuzhou Chenfeng Brewing Factory, founded in 1954, supports one of China’s only rooftop rice paddies.  Tan Zhaohan,…

Staten Island gets fresh

On the edge of Staten Island’s harbor district an energetic team will soon “ferry” roof-fresh produce from an historic building to those in need. The site: the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The Department of Transportation introduced…

top notch affordable housing

Watch out America, there’s a new breed of affordable housing in town.  Nestled in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx, the Arbor House is reshaping the way cities envision low-income housing projects.  The eight story apartment building…