Ground has been broken at Linkoping, Sweden for the world’s first large scale urban greenhouse farm. Titled the International Centre of Excellence for Urban Agriculture, it will be a test ground for developing urban agricultural concepts and practices. As we move in to the future, more and more humans will locate to ever growing cities around the world. It is estimated that by 2050, 80% of the world population will live in urban environments. Feeding all of these urban dwellers will become a problem with increased transport costs and environmental impact. A logical solution to this foreseeable problem is to grow a city’s produce with the city itself rather than outsource from distant farmland. This would potentially have an added benefit of decreasing the stress placed upon farmers to farm super-big, thus further reducing carbon emissions created by excessive mechanistic farming.
The high-rise greenhouse is conceived with a substantial setback, allowing sunlight to reach plants on each floor . In addition to pure functionality, this decision also showcases the plants growing within, creating a more solid tie between city inhabitants and the food they consume.
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.