The Role of Urban Agriculture and Smart Infrastructure in Urban Development

Future cities, while they sound interesting, the concept of creating such cities is much more comprehensive than it looks. These cities will be the hub for innovation, inclusivity, sustainability, and technology which offer humans an environment to stay connected as a community.

According to the World Bank Group’s report, currently, 56% of the world's population resides in cities. But with the increase in population, it’s expected that 7 out of 10 people will prefer city life by 2025.

This very data amplifies the need for future cities now more than ever. When there’s a high chance for an increase in the global population, it’s vital to focus on methods that can curb the challenges that come with it.

However, successful implementation of urban agriculture and smart infrastructure may solve most of these problems. Read through to find out the benefits of future cities, the roles played by urban agriculture, and smart infrastructure.

Future Cities vs. Surging Global Population

Future cities are planned to meet people’s demands when climate change, healthy food consumption, and safe communities are becoming challenges with increasing population. With the advent of future cities, it’s possible to create an environment that acts as a hub for healthy spaces, and inclusive communities that are ideal for people to live in.

In response to offering quality lives for people, it’s vital to build cities that have green infrastructure, urban agriculture, and accessible public spaces. As the future cities concept is focused on meeting challenges that people might have to face in the future, they often deal with offering smart solutions without overlooking issues such as global warming, climate change, food security, and social presence.

When future cities focus on these integral concepts through smart infrastructure and urban agriculture, they create ways to reduce carbon footprint, drive economic growth through partnerships, foster connections worldwide, and enhance social progress through cultural exchange.

With the global population on the rise, the only solution to ensure the quality of living is through urbanization. However, with the surge in urbanization, several serious concerns are on the rise. Poor air quality, fast food production and consumption, high energy consumption, traffic congestion, infrastructure strain, and waste management are a few to name.

Due to an increase in population and challenges with globalization, the concept of future cities seems like a feasible plan for all.

Urban Agriculture Supports Environmental Sustainability

As Future Cities have become a potential solution for an increase in population and interest in living in urban cities, one of the effective solutions to support the cause is urban agriculture (UA).

According to Ecology Letters, a study, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, urban gardens in California have had a great impact on the biodiversity of plants and animals. While they have influenced biodiversity, they also supported ecosystem functions, including food production, pollination, and carbon sequestration.

However, the role of urban agriculture in urban cities is profound, it promotes local production, sustainable living, green infrastructure, and social equity, and combats climate change. Vertical gardening and rooftop gardening have become popular since Urban agriculture took the spotlight. It has positively impacted the lives of people living in smart cities, as they lack direct access to fresh food.

By gardening on their rooftop, they can produce their own vegetables and fruits, which in turn, supports the overall ecosystem. Also, through urban gardening, one can reduce the carbon footprint associated with food transportation.

Therefore, there are many such benefits to incorporating urban gardening in Future Cities, they will become a powerful tool to mitigate organic waste, overconsumption of resources, and dependency on external food supply while creating an inclusive community through community gardening.

Smart Infrastructure Enhances Urban Development

Smart infrastructure is the cornerstone of urban development. It improves the overall living standards without compromising on the economic, environmental, and social aspects of a person’s life.

However, when it comes to smart infrastructure in urban development, the impact is multifold. Along with an increase in demand for urban living, the challenges of overconsumption of resources have become more crucial than ever. Along with these pressing issues, the traditional ways of developing infrastructure only add to the problem, while consuming more resources.

By leveraging advanced technology in smart infrastructure, urban developments offer higher living standards through efficient and sustainable systems. The needs of the urban population are addressed through responsive and adaptive smart infrastructure.

For example, if smart infrastructures are utilized in Future Cities, you will be able to incorporate features such as sensory management and automation systems to control the environmental conditions of your home. Many more advanced features as such will only make the living standards of people better and more comfortable while preserving the resources for the growing population.

With the introduction of smart cities with advanced technology, it becomes an opportunity to provide spaces that welcome social equity and inclusiveness. Through this, it is possible to create viable solutions to affordable housing options for the increasing population while supporting a diverse population.

When Future Cities uses advanced infrastructure to promote smart grids, renewable energy, green infrastructure, enhanced safety measures, smart security, automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to offer viable solutions to a growing population, it will be possible to combat the persisting issues we discussed.

Both smart infrastructure and urban agriculture will be core principles of Future Cities. These concepts will mold Future Cities into reliable solutions for current challenges such as a growing population, environmental degradation, economic disparities, climate change, unhealthy living styles, and uninclusive communities.

Conclusion

Future Cities will offer integration of IoT, advanced transportation systems, smart traffic management, green spaces, urban farming, waste management systems, and much more to create a space that provides social equity, higher living standards, better health, improved wealth, intelligence, and overall, a higher living standard.

Therefore, it’s perhaps evident that urban agriculture and smart infrastructure are two powerful concepts that can shape future cities to lead a sustainable, economically sound, and community-focused lifestyle.