Rooftops

Written by Bethanie Bennie

Photo: Brooklyn Grange from www.inhabitat.com

Rooftop space is an under-utilised resource in Auckland. In my last year of university, one of my assignments looked at allowing rooftop space to be used for agricultural purposes. The project involved retrofitting large flat roofs (usually old industrial buildings) so they were strong enough and water-tight enough to support large crops of veges and the occasional beehive, or chicken coop.
I came across the idea of rooftop farms when my friend Dave told me about Brooklyn Grange, a 1-acre rooftop farm in Queens, New York. Brooklyn Grange is a commercial vegetable farm that sells its delicious organic produce to the local community. In a city where normally, fresh veges would travel large distances before reaching the consumer’s table, Brooklyn Grange drastically lower their carbon footprint by removing the transportation factor; their fresh produce is sold at their doorstep. A similar farm is starting up in central Berlin, and these guys are also adding a commercial fish farm to their rooftop space.

Although in Auckland our fresh produce generally doesn’t travel that far from farm to table (especially when you buy from local farmers markets etc.), the idea of utilising our rooftop space creatively makes absolute sense. From decreasing urban storm-water runoff, to attracting more biodiversity, lowering the urban micro-climate (all of which can be achieved through green-roofs, rooftop farms etc.) and just being able to enjoy a great view, roofs are a forgotten but exciting space waiting to be utilised.