Rooftop Farming in New York City
By Saad Rahman, Jurgen Borici, Luis Alchundia, and Mahamat Saddam
The City College of New York
Table of Contents
Abstract….…………………………………………………………………………………..……..3
Introduction ………………….…………………………………………………………….….…..4
Plan of Work ………………………………………………………………………………………5
Timeline……………….…………………………………………………………………………..6
Budget……………………………………………………………………………………….…….6
Installation…………………………………………………………………………………………7
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………….8
Reference…………………………..…………………..…………………………………………. 9
Abstract
New York City, one of the largest cities in the US, imports most of their fresh vegetables and crops from neighboring states. Rapid urbanization and soil pollutions are even decreasing the amount of fertile land available for farming. Our solution to this problem is using rooftops as a location to grow crops, vegetables, and fruits. This project can create a huge amount of space for farming as the majority of the rooftops aren’t utilized in any fashion. It will not only mitigate the shortage of food by increasing the crop supply, but also improve air quality and create many jobs in New York City.
Introduction
The current world population is 7.6 billion as of July 2018 and is increasing at a rate of 76 million people per year. The rapid population growth is resulting in more urbanization andcausing an increased demand for food. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), crop demand will increase by 70% in the next thirty years. New York City is the largest U.S. City and 10th largest city in the world [4]. According to OFOA (Organic Farmer of America), New York is a major producer of only 2 vegetables: onion and sweet corn, out of all the popular consumed vegetables in U.S. This means that almost every other vegetable consumed by New Yorkers are imported. If measures are not taken to promote farming in urban areas, the supply of fresh food will not be able to keep up with the growing demand and malnourishment will continue to rise.
Rooftop farming can create a huge amount of space for farming as the majority of the rooftops aren’t utilized in any fashion. Besides, no additional building modification would be necessary as this can be done in any pre-existing building with a flat roof, that is able to support the excess weight of the farming structures. The construction team will have engineers and expert farmers who will work together to form a plan for planting, harvesting, and maintenance. The installation process would form multiple layers for a variety of crops: Vegetation layer, geotextile layer, and drainage layer. Waterproofing will also be done by the engineers to prevent water from leaking into the building. This project will not only mitigate the food shortage by increasing the crop supply, but also improve air quality and create many jobs in New York City.
Plan of Work
Stage 1: Passing Legislation for City Approval
A bill will be drafted by New York State that will requisite eligible building owners to give access to their building for farming use. The additional utility cost of the building will be covered by the city and the owner will receive a percentage of the profit proportional to the size of the farm.
Stage 2: Evaluation of Eligible Buildings
For a building to be eligible for farming, it must have a flat roof. A group of civil engineers will evaluate the building’s blueprint, load-bearing ability, and determine the best method for frequently accessing the roof.
Stage 3: Design and Construction
The construction team will have engineers and expert farmers who will work together to form a plan for planting, harvesting, and maintenance. The installation process would form multiple layers for a variety of crops: Vegetation layer, geotextile layer, and drainage layer. Waterproofing will also be done by the engineers to prevent water from leaking into the building.
Stage 4: Distribution of the Produce
Since this project is funded by New York City, all produce will be distributed locally, within the 5 boroughs. If there is a surplus of produce, it will be then exported to neighboring states. However, New York City residents will be prioritized in terms of pricing and sale of goods.
Timeline
The fulfillment of urban farming in New York City is a huge project as there are 5 boroughs with approximately 1.5 million buildings [4]. Prior to construction, it’s important to pass legislation for approval and determine eligible buildings. The time estimated for complete construction of structures and seeding for one borough is 1 years. However, the eligibility determination can be completed within 6 months.
Table 1. Timeline for Completion of Rooftop Farms
| Jan 2020 to June 2020 | June 2020 to Jan 2021 | Jan 2021 to June 2021 | June 2021 to Jan 2022 | Jan 2022 to June 2022 | June 2022 to Jan 2023 | |
| Eligibility Determination | Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Manhattan | |
| Design and Construction | Bronx | Brooklyn | Queens | Staten Island | Manhattan |
Budget
The estimated cost for a simple garden installation is $15 per square foot. The maintenance cost is estimated to be the same as traditional farming. Engineers and farmers working on the project would receive a salary ranging from $45,000 and $80,000 per year, depending on their experience and qualification.
Installation
The installation of the green rooftop goes through some steps that are expensive but very important for the project.
Building Waterproofing
Waterproofing is very important for this project. It would prevent any kind of leaking and water that might get in contact with the walls of the building. The sealants used for roofs have different prices based on their quality. In New York City prices vary from $15 to $30 per gallon. For a usual 1500 square foot roof material would not cost more than 350$ and the labor work is cost from 1000$ to 2000$. The engineers working on that have a $76,419 annual salary.
Insulation
Insulation is responsible for keeping the moisture away and protecting the building from drastic changes of temperature. The cost of the material between $0.76 and $1.24. For example, the material for a 700 square foot area would cost between $532 and $868.
Drainage
This layer evacuates the excessive water that the building might have. The installation of the drainage system on a rooftop is estimated to cost around 15$ per foot square. So the higher the surface of the rooftop, the higher the cost of installing. For an average of 6500 feet the average cost to install a drainage layer would have cost around $97500.
Vegetation layer
The vegetation layer is responsible of providing insulation, helping absorbing rainwater, lower urban air temperature etc. Its cost is varies between 10 to 23 per square foot including the soil and root barriers. A good constructed rooftop is suitable for a wide variety of plants. The price of the seeds varies between $5 to $10 per pound. 1 pound of seeds is usually enough to plant 10 feet square with plants. The total cost for a 6500 square foot rooftop can go up to $6500.
Conclusion
Rooftop farming can create a huge amount of space for farming as the majority of the rooftops aren’t utilized in any fashion.This project will not only mitigate the food shortage by increasing the crop supply, but also improve air quality and create many jobs in New York City. As the demand for food increases, urban farming becomes a necessity of future planning.
Reference
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