Urban agriculture is transforming cities by turning unused spaces into productive gardens and rooftop farms. These initiatives improve food access, reduce urban heat, and enhance community health amid climate challenges. Examples from Quezon City to New York demonstrate their multifaceted benefits.
Cities worldwide are increasingly adopting urban farming to address food insecurity and environmental issues. In Quezon City, Philippines, unused land has been converted into more than 300 gardens and 10 farms, training over 4,000 urban farmers. Detroit features thousands of such gardens, while in New York, the nonprofit Project Petals transforms vacant lots in underresourced neighborhoods into green oases. "You have some places in New York City where there’s not a green space for 5 miles," said Alicia White, executive director and founder of Project Petals. "And we know that green spaces help to reduce stress. We know they help to combat loneliness, and we know at this point that they help to improve our respiratory and heart health."
Urban farms combat the urban heat island effect, where built environments trap heat, exacerbating risks during prolonged heat waves, especially for the elderly. Gardens release water vapor to cool areas, provide shade, and absorb excess rainfall to mitigate flooding. Rooftop agrivoltaics combine solar panels with crop growth, shading plants from wind and sun while reducing evaporation and insulating buildings to cut energy costs.
Crops thrive in these conditions. Leafy greens benefit from solar shade, while warm-season varieties like zucchini and watermelon excel in full sun. "Most of our high-value crops benefit from the urban heat island effect, because it extends their growing season. So growing food in the city is actually quite logical," said horticulturist Jennifer Bousselot of Colorado State University. Her team grows Indigenous crops—corn, beans, and squash—in symbiotic arrangements that enrich soil and save water. Saffron also tolerates panel shade, and evaporating soil moisture cools panels for better efficiency. "We’re essentially creating a microclimate, very much like a greenhouse, which is one of the most optimal conditions for most of our food crops to grow in," Bousselot added.
Urban farms enable diverse, nutrient-rich produce in small spaces, supporting pollinators and addressing unequal food access—30 percent in Mississippi versus 4 percent in New York live in low-access areas. "It’s not only about growing our own veggies in the city, but actually too it’s a hook to change habits," said Nikolas Galli, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Milan. His study in São Paulo suggests converting 14 square miles of space could supply fruits and vegetables to 13 to 21 percent of the population. By 2050, with 70 percent of humanity urbanized, such farms will be crucial. "They’re serving as spaces where people can grow, where they can learn, and they can help to fight climate change," White concluded.