Urban agriculture transported by electric vehicles to local outlets can change the way people live, eat and shop.
Urban agriculture transported by electric vehicles to local outlets can change the way people live, eat and shop.
The rapid urbanization of the past century has made the car-centric North American city the norm. However, rising greenhouse gas emissions and fuel prices are pushing researchers and planners to look for innovative urban planning alternatives.
A study by Concordia researchers builds on nearly a decade of research on mixed-use, solar-responsive neighbourhoods to propose a new model for urban development. Published in the journal Sustainability, it integrates key strategies to ensuring an environmentally friendly, food-secure future. The model combines the concept of the 15-minute city, renewable energy generation, green transportation and urban agriculture into a singular framework that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions while building an urban agriculture infrastructure and fostering stronger bonds within the community.
“We want to see how we can integrate energy, mobility, land use and social functions to bring daily needs closer to residents so they can reduce the number of fossil-fuel-consuming trips,” says corresponding author Caroline Hachem-Vermette, an associate professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Read More: Concordia University
Image: Caroline Hachem-Vermette and Faisal Kabir (Credit: Concordia University)
