Urban vertical farming on a local scale: Highlightingthe Potential and Weaknesses in Jahanshahr, Karaj,Iran

There has been always a close correlation between natural resources and production inmany sectors, and production and consumption can also have an environmental impact.Low environmental quality can affect well-being and economic growth. Environmentalconservation and economic growth cannot be maximized simultaneously, but naturalresources can improve environmental sustainability at the expense of economic growth.In contrast, commodities trade, financial development, and urban population growthpromote environmental degradation. Choosing the right balance between the two aimsis magisterial for any country and city; thus urban gardening can be a very beneficialmethod to provide this balance and help the cities have sustainable development,environment, and economic growth. It is also essential to understand governancemechanisms to sustain natural resource policies, considering social, environmental, andgovernance concerns to profit society. This study set out to examine the new emergingagricultural innovation—VF—in various building typologies of the growing system andexplores the feasibility in a neighborhood in Karaj- Iran called Jahanshahr. The findingsalso revealed the current environmental, organizational, people, and media situation tomeasure the possibility of doing VF projects in this neighborhood. As a result, criticalassessment criteria were identified for the successful development of the VF system inurban areas. This study implies significant opportunities for Jahanshahr to implementVF in local buildings and public or abandoned areas.

Keywords:

urban vertical farming , sustainable development , urban environment , sustainableeconomy , social and skeletal improvement.