Green Roofed Farm City Combines Agriculture and Urban Density

As populations expand cities will have to increase their density, and farmland will need to increase output to adequately provide food for everyone. A sponsored exhibition by the Architectural and Urban Forum (AUFO) of Milan asked 12 firms to imagine how increased density could be achieved while providing more public space and agriculture to support a growing Milan. <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2009/06/11/shift-studios-epic-green-center-for-disease-control/" target="_blank">Studio Shift's</a> proposal, <a href="http://www.studioshift.com/index.php?/masterplan/milano-stadt-krone-2030/" target="_blank">Milano Stadt Krone</a>, suggests that residences and an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/07/20/urban-farming-a-visit-to-brooklyns-eagle-street-rooftop-farm/" target="_blank">urban farm</a> can be layered on top of each other, working in a harmonious pair to provide better quality of life for the people of Milan.

The residential and agricultural system allows for a self-sustaining community of 25,000 people where food can be produced within the dense urban fabric.

Studio Shift's proposal is one of twelve proposals that seek to find a way to fit a total of 300,000 people into the city and still provide enough food for them.

A side elevation of the residential/agricultural system, which consists of apartments, an agricultural plane, a commercial area and a network of paths connecting to transit lines.

The agricultural plane is raised up to create a new ground plane and sloped towards the south for better solar gain and water control.

Plants are arranged in a patchwork grid based on how much sun and water they need. Plants that need drier, more drained soil are located up the slope, so the excess water drains away towards plants that need more.

A diagram depicting the various programs and their hierarchy in the development.

The location of the project with relationship to nearby transit lines.

The new project would take up a larger area and significantly increase the city's density.

Interior paths, strands and nodes for access to transit lines and commerce.