Press release from Sostenipra

On the 28th of October 2019 the GROOF partner Sostenipra from the institute ICTA-UAB based in Barcelona, joined with Entorno XXI, Eixverd, 4A + A Arquitectura Ambiental, COAC and with the support of the City Council of Barcelona, organized a seminar discussing the barriers and opportunities of the new use of the urban rooftops. These were identified by the actors involved in the Green Cover call (Cobertes Verdes) promoted by the City Council of Barcelona as owners, communities, administrators, technicians and the administration itself.

The results were presented in various types of barriers and opportunities: legal / administrative; social; environmental; architectural / technological and, economic. They were also analyzed on a scale building, city and global.

This information has generated a research paper, a summary document and a manifesto that where be presented during the course of this seminar.

This seminar held in the building for environmental education “La Fàbrica del Sol”, was attended by around 60 people involved in the creation of alternative spaces in the urban landscape, contributing to the generation of rooftop mosaics involving not only the production of vegetables on rooftops but also the generation of renewable energy and the installation of rainwater harvesting systems. Altogether, this alternative food-water-energy nexus on the unused rooftops of Barcelona can help overcome the pressure on our natural resources, making cities more sustainable and self-reliable.

The Sostenipra research group has already led two projects focused on urban agriculture which can be consulted under Fertilecity.com