In theory, urban farming is a great way to help cities become more self-sustaining, producing some quantity of their own food locally. But what role does significant air pollution play in the health of food-producing plants grown within city limits? It’s unclear whether eating foods grown in a city environment could be harmful, but designer Antonio Scarponi has come up with a solution that’ll make sure fruits, vegetables and herbs are thriving in clean, filtered air.
Developed for Veg and the City, ‘Harvesting Station’ is a modular plexiglas-and-wood urban greenhouse unit that takes up very little space, yet is capable of growing up to 200 plants. The structure protects food-producing plants from animals and toxic gases, and makes interstitial spaces in the city like bus stops, rooftops and vacant lots more productive.
The greenhouse is topped with a 500-liter water tank, which collects water and uses a micro dripping system to keep the plants properly hydrated. A floating flag indicates how much liquid has been collected. Each individual unit sits on top of a pallet base, and multiple units can be put together for a larger greenhouse structure.
Scarponi envisions these portable, compact farms being placed on playgrounds where they can be used to educate students about growing food, or even functioning as multipurpose shelters at bus stops.


