Starting a superstructure is only the beginning. The real task is envisioning what it can do, how it will work, and who you need to work with. If you're not a member, consider joining now. If you are a member, be bold, jump in, and use the superstructure to start organizing for survival. Edit it, add to the vision, and make it real, online and off. And don't forget to rave.

More about Superstructures

  • The Rooftop Cultivation Association

    Feeding ourselves, one apartment block at a time.
  • Founder: mrjudkins

    food, urban, farming, gardening, apartments, vegetables, city, city council, structural, landscaping, gardens, social marketing, groundswell,

  • Who We Need

    Social Marketing Specialists

    Apartment Dwellers

    Apartment Building Owners & Managers

    City Councils - esp Building Services and Parks & Gardens Departments

    Structural Engineers

    Landscapers / Gardeners

  • How to join
    Simply click join below, and feel free to get into the discussions. We're looking for more ideas on how to make this happen, and stories of people who are working to do so!
  • Mission
    The aim is to create a scheme whereby food-producing rooftop gardens will be installed on any apartment in a city that has space and structural support for one, combined with residents who are willing to contribute to the cost and maintain it.
  • What we can accomplish

    • With escalating food costs and increasingly erratic supply through traditional channels, city dwellers in particular are finding it harder and harder to feed themselves with quality produce at reasonable prices. Even though apartment buildings do not have the advantage of a yard, many rooftops can be converted to food production. This will provide many of us with the capacity to plant and harvest our own vegetables, with the plethora of benefits this brings.

  • How this superstruct works

    • The first thing required to make this happen is groundswell from Apartment Dwellers who would like to see this happen - hence the need for strong social marketing of the idea. The potential for these urban gardens has existed for some time, but there has been a small minority who have taken up the opportunity. With increased awareness of hte potential for these gardens and a real push from below, we can make rooftop gardens the rule rather than the exception.

      Building Owners will need to work in with Structural Engineers, Landscapers and the City Council to ensure that their building will physically support the addition of a rooftop garden. The City Council Parks & Gardens Department could perhaps assist with its construction, thereby subsidizing some of the cost. The rest of the expense would then initially be shouldered by the Building Owner - which they would get a return on by renting shares in the garden to residents for a weekly cost.

      The residents would then maintain the garden, and arrange between themselves whether to share crops or each have their own individual range of vegies. Naturally there would be a limited number of shares available - based on roofspace, and new ones would come available as existing holders leave the building (much like garages).

  • Other information

    • There are a multitude of related benefits to a large-scale uptake of rooftop gardens, such as reduced waste through composting, the absorbtion of storm water and the addition of much more oxygen-generating plant life throughout our urban centres. Win!

  • Discuss this superstructure

    • Any members are welcome to jump in here and add their thoughts - I\\\'d love to develop this idea with you!Simply edit and add. =)

       

      Access - some apartment-dwellers may not have access to their rooftops. Would anyone like to collaborate on a document that we can give to building owners and Body Corporates? It should convince them that what we want to do is important and negotiate reasonable use of apartment building rooftops. (starlajo2019)

       

      Community Supported Agriculture: Organizers pay people to use balconies and such to grow food.  The organizers come in, raise and harvest crop, then provide mixed boxes of veggies for all members.  It gets non-gardeners involved and puts space to use that wouldn\'t be used otherwise.  Saw an article about someone trying this yearts ago. (raven2019)

       

      We could work together-Repurposing the suburbia lawn into ecofriendly communities-we will have access to excess seedlings from our project. We can start by connecting with apartment complexes in the vicinity of our neighborhoods. Check out http://www.superstructgame.org/SuperstructView/400 (profrule).

       

      Starlojo that document sounds like a great idea - 

      raven2019 - peole could pay to use the balconies or barter for some of the food - I actually did that with friends of mine back in ottawa in 2008 - they used mmy balcony to groe  plants - i got some tomatos : ). 

       

       Now aht about this idea on a larger scale? Vertcal farming was  a hot issue in 2008 - using old buildings, hospitals and schools, you can grow food u pand control the environmrnt, save space and plant several crops a year fairly economiccally depending in the available energy resources. Check this out http://www.verticalfarm.com/

       

      Maverick158- My business, Enersys, is actually pursuing this very concept at multiple stages.  Our entire rooftop is covered with tomato vines, all kinds of peppers, carrots, and squash.  We've noticed that not only do our employees love spending time up there helping out with the garden, but it enables us to ride out some of the more severe food shortages.  Our electric bill has also decreased, and the garden is much easier on the eyes than the solar panels. 

  • Related stories
  • Other superstructures we are collaborating with
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