New Zoning Proposal Could Bring 1,200 Acres of Rooftop Farms to NYC

A new <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/zone-green-amendments-by-dcp-promote-sustainability-for-nycs-buildings/" target="_blank">proposal</a> by the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/greenbuildings/index.shtml" target="_blank">Department of City Planning</a> would allow commercial buildings throughout the city to be topped with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/mercedes-house-by-ten-arquitectos-looks-like-a-green-stairway-to-the-sky-in-nyc/" target="_blank">rooftop farms</a> or greenhouses <strong>without</strong> increasing the building's floor area ratio and height restrictions. According to a study by the <a href="http://www.urbandesignlab.columbia.edu/" target="_blank">Urban Design Lab</a>, this amendment could bring almost 1,200 acres of rooftop farms to the city. The zoning proposal was spurred by the popularity of rooftop farms such as the expanding <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/brooklyn-grange-rooftop-farm-is-expanding-to-the-brooklyn-navy-yard/" target="_blank">Brooklyn Grange</a>.

A new <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/zone-green-amendments-by-dcp-promote-sustainability-for-nycs-buildings/" target="_blank">proposal</a> by the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/greenbuildings/index.shtml" target="_blank">Department of City Planning</a> would allow commercial buildings throughout the city to be topped with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/mercedes-house-by-ten-arquitectos-looks-like-a-green-stairway-to-the-sky-in-nyc/" target="_blank">rooftop farms</a> or greenhouses <strong>without</strong> increasing the building's floor area ratio and height restrictions. According to a study by the <a href="http://www.urbandesignlab.columbia.edu/" target="_blank">Urban Design Lab</a>, this amendment could bring almost 1,200 acres of rooftop farms to the city. The zoning proposal was spurred by the popularity of rooftop farms such as the expanding <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/brooklyn-grange-rooftop-farm-is-expanding-to-the-brooklyn-navy-yard/" target="_blank">Brooklyn Grange</a>.