Local Chinese architecture firm Sasaki has recently designed a proposal for Shanghai's Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District. The district as a whole will be a new piece of master planning for Shanghai, and the key element will be Sasaki's vertical hydroponic farm.
Shanghai is the largest city in China, with a still-growing population of 24 million. Feeding such an immense populace is a daunting task that brings up issues from ethics to ecology, and the Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District hopes to solve as many of those problems as possible. Sasaki's vertical hydroponic farm will itself be enclosed in a larger greenhouse that will provide ideal growing temperatures year-round, giving citizens a local source of produce.
The greens grown on the vertical farm will sit on rotating loops that will allow for easier crop cycling.
What's Driving This Trend
- Vertical Farming
- The trend of using vertical hydroponic farms is an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the agriculture industry as it allows for efficient, year-round local produce production.
- Urban Agriculture
- Urban agricultural districts like Shanghai's Sunqiao provide an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the real estate industry as it addresses issues brought by a growing population.
- Greenhouse Farming
- Greenhouses that provide ideal growing temperatures year-round like the one proposed by Sasaki for Shanghai's Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District allow for disruptive innovation in the manufacturing industry as it provides controlled environments for efficient production.
Who This Affects Most
- Agriculture
- Vertical hydroponic farming is an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the agriculture industry as it allows for efficient, year-round local produce production.
- Real Estate
- Urban agricultural districts like Shanghai's Sunqiao provide an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the real estate industry as it addresses issues brought by a growing population.
- Manufacturing
- Greenhouses that provide ideal growing temperatures year-round like the one proposed by Sasaki for Shanghai's Sunqiao Urban Agricultural District allow for disruptive innovation in the manufacturing industry as it provides controlled environments for efficient production.
