For Immediate Release: April 21, 2009
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
For the Greener Good: Vertical Farming
WHO
A discussion with:
Dickson Despommier, Professor of Public Health, Columbia University
Robin Elmslie Osler, Elmslie Osler Architects
Carolyn Steel, Author of Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives
J. William Thompson, FASLA, Editor, Landscape Architecture (moderator)
WHAT
Currently, over half of the human population lives in cities, and by 2050 it is projected that nearly 80% of the world's population will live in urban centers. How has the production of food influenced the way our cities look and function? What lies in store for the future of urban food production and how can buildings and structures be transformed for sustenance?
Dickson Despommier, one of the panelists in the April 29th For the Greener Good lecture, developed the idea of vertical farming in 1999 with graduate students in a medical ecology class. Despommier's website, The Vertical Farm Project, predicts, "Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming."
In a moderated discussion, panelists will explore whether multi-story skyscrapers devoted to farming are economically viable, contemporary examples of vertical vegetable walls in Los Angeles' skid row, what the recession means for food production, and other anticipated changes in the way we produce, transport, and consume our food.
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
WHEN
Wednesday, April 29 / 6:30 – 8:00 pm
$12 Museum members; $20 public; Free for students with valid ID. Prepaid registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability.
CONTACT
Marketing and Communications Department, 202.272.2448, ext. 3458
SPONSOR
For the Greener Good lecture series is presented by The Home Depot Foundation.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
