The potential for rooftop agriculture in the city of Rio de Janeiro: Growing capacity, Food security and Green infrastructure

Abstract

The research explores the multifaceted benefits associated with the implementation of urban agriculture on roofs in Rio de Janeiro. The city has challenges in terms of food security, urban sprawl and the fragmentation of the green infrastructure. The study aims to look at rooftop agriculture as a multifunctional solution for addressing these concerns. The methodology consisted of: 1) LIDAR-based mapping and detection of all the roofs with an inclination inferior to 5 degrees on 69% of the surface of Rio de Janeiro City, 2) Analysis of the city structure and the key areas presenting a high flat roof potential, 3) Evaluation of the growing capacity of the flat roofs landscape and the yearly demand of vegetables in Rio de Janeiro City, 4) Visualization of the key locations for rooftop agriculture in the region of Bangu using parametric modelling. The research shows that 1,385 hectares of roofs would be suitable for rooftop agriculture within the study region. This productive roof surface could produce enough food to meet the yearly demand for vegetables of 39.2% of the inhabitants of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The study also demonstrates the great relevance of implementing rooftop agriculture in the poorest communities of Rio de Janeiro in the perspective of tackling food insecurity.