Innovative Growing Solutions for Plant Cultivation in the Urban Environment

In recent years, due to the increasing relevance of urban agriculture in world cities, a number of intrerdisciplinary researches addressing the different related subjects have been conducted. When plants are grown inside cities, risks may arise in term of produce safety. On the other hand, reducing food miles may result in energy and cost saving, as well as promoting city resilience. Overall, urban agriculture may provide a substantial element for ensuring both adaptation and reduction of climate change effects. Plants promote microclimate regulation and improve air quality. When green structures are integrated in buildings, they may reduce thermal conditioning costs, as well as provide noise barriers and improve air quality. On the other hand, highly dense urban fabric may lead to experiment cultivation in spaces that have not previously meant for hosting plants, e.g. rooftop greenhouses or artificially illuminated indoor environments. Urban green infrastructures, moreover, may improve building and neighborhood property values, and the wide recognition of the economic role played by urban agriculture in today’s cities has promoted the growth and diversification of different associated business models. Furthermore, when urban gardens are properly managed and distributed within the city, they may preserve and promote urban biodiversity.

This Research Topic will include state of the art researches addressing the most innovative growing solutions for sustainable cultivation in cities. Physiological and agronomic studies are welcome, but also technological solutions for addressing multiple ecosystem services associated will be considered for publication.

Accordingly, some of the topics to be addressed are listed below:

• Rooftop farming solutions
- Rooftop greenhouses (greenhouse structure, growing systems, building-greenhouse integration)
- Rooftop gardens (simplified hydroponics, yield and sustainability studies)

• Indoor plant cultivation systems
- Vertical growing systems
- Indoor lighting with special consideration of LED lights

• Urban food safety
- Heavy metal risk
- Microbiological risk

• Innovative growing systems adapted to the urban environment:
- Aquaponics
- Organoponics
- Simplified hydroponics