Green Walls in Shared Buildings
Urban Agriculture Initiative: Academic project in entrepreneurship
Project Overview
This initiative addresses the challenges of urbanization by introducing a hydroponic agricultural solution for residential buildings. The project focuses on designing a shared green wall that enables residents to grow fresh produce collaboratively. Supported by a dedicated mobile app, the system fosters community interaction, reduces urban loneliness, and promotes sustainable living. The project targets socioeconomically disadvantaged populations to bridge social gaps and improve access to healthy food.
Problem Statement
By 2050, 70% of the global population will reside in urban areas, including 18 million in Israel. This urban growth reduces agricultural space, creating challenges such as:
+ Food Security: Limited access to fresh and healthy food.
+ Social Isolation: Increased loneliness in densely populated cities.
+ Lack of Green Spaces: Minimal exposure to natural elements, which affects mental well-being.
Research
:Fieldwork
+ 3 Expert Interviews – Insights from professionals in urban gardening and sustainability.
+ 5 In-depth Interviews – Gathered personal experiences and feedback on urban agriculture.
+ 14 Online Surveys – Explored attitudes toward shared green walls and their benefits.
:Key Questions Explored
+ Motivations for Growing Plants – Understanding why people engage in gardening, such as connecting with nature or consuming fresh food.
+ Emotional Impact – Exploring the feelings gardening evokes, like joy, relaxation, and accomplishment.
+ Demand for a Shared Green Wall – Gauging interest and willingness to participate in a collaborative gardening project.
+ Urban Gardeners’ Needs – Identifying requirements like guidance, tools, and professional support.
+ App Features – Defining the app’s structure and content, including information on hydroponic gardening, interactive tutorials, updates on the green wall’s status, and digital and technical support.
Prototype
Distributed gardening kits to four locations. Kits included planters, soil, seedlings, and instructions linked to WhatsApp groups that simulated app functionalities.
Prototype Insights
:Findings
+ Gardening fosters optimism, joy, and connection to nature.
+ Participants are willing to engage if there’s structured support and collaboration.
+ Apps providing agricultural knowledge and real-time updates can increase engagement.
: Insights
+ Enjoyable Experience – Participants found the experience of growing plants in the provided pots to be very enjoyable and rewarding.
+ Shared Feelings – Participants shared positive feelings about the project.
+ Professional Support – Agricultural guidance and professional support played a crucial role in the participant’s ability to succeed and stay engaged.
+ Motivation to Continue – Participants strongly desired to continue the project beyond the initial prototype phase.
The Solution
: A collaborative green wall accompanied by an app
Hydroponic green wall
+ Modular structure – The wall is built from customized growing cells, allowing each building to design the wall according to the needs and physical limitations of the building.
+ Sensor system – The wall is equipped with sensors to monitor acidity, vegetable ripeness, water status and pest detection. This information is transmitted to the app and ensures optimal maintenance of the crops.
+ Utilization of dead areas – The solution utilizes unused areas in the building – external walls or roof areas – and converts them into productive growing areas.
+ Sustainable design – The hydroponic system allows for significant water and resource savings compared to traditional growing.
App for management and operation
+ Real-time updates – The app provides regular alerts on the condition of the wall, including maintenance requirements, such as watering, fertilizing or pest control.
+ Community tasks – The app offers residents shared tasks, such as picking, planting, or cleaning, to strengthen a sense of shared responsibility and community connection.
+ Professional information – The app provides information on growing plants, healthy eating, and nutritional values of the vegetables and herbs grown.
+ Feedback and documentation – Users can update the condition of the plants and share photos and experiences with the community, which enhances the sense of belonging.
Social and nutritional value
+ Strengthening the sense of community – Working together around the green wall creates social interactions and reduces the feeling of loneliness.
+ Improving access to healthy food – The wall provides fresh and accessible vegetables and herbs to residents, while reducing the need to purchase processed food.
+ Sense of pride and belonging – Participants feel part of a joint project that benefits the community and the environment.
Adaptation to different populations
+ The project is tailored to low income populations, with the aim of reducing social gaps and improving quality of life.
+ The application is designed to be user-friendly, so that it is suitable for people with no previous experience in agriculture and also adapted for use by adults and children.
Future expansion of the solution
+ Workshops and training – The project can include additional activities such as cooking workshops from crops, hydroponic gardening courses and a range of professional lectures.
+ VIP program – Offering added value, such as special seed packages or close professional support, for an additional fee.
Site Map
Wireframes
UI Design
:Outcome
The prototype demonstrated strong potential to address urban challenges:
+ Increased social cohesion among participants.
+ Positive environmental impact through sustainable urban agriculture.
+ Enhanced mental well-being and community cohesion.