Solarpunk Food Production: Urban Agriculture, Vertical Farming, and Permaculture

In the lush landscapes of solarpunk media, cities are alive with food production. In these optimistic future visions, cities echo with the rustling of rooftop gardens, the hum of vertical farms, and the lively chatter of community-supported agriculture, painting a picture where food production intertwines with everyday life.

These visions are not just a product of fiction. Real-world technologies are increasingly reflecting the solarpunk ethos. One such example is vertical farming. A recent study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) highlights the potential of vertical farming for wheat production. Despite high energy and capital costs, vertical farming could yield several hundred times more than field-grown wheat and might have significant environmental advantages. Vertical farming could mitigate land shortages in agriculture, adapt to climate change impacts, and contribute to healthier urban environments by reducing food transport emissions. However, the feasibility and economic competitiveness of vertical farming are still subjects of debate.

Although vertical farming may seem niche, another approach, permaculture, is gaining momentum. According to David Holmgren, permaculture is a “design system for regenerative and resilient land use and living” and is also a grassroots and international movement. It incorporates the ethics and principles of caring for the Earth, caring for people, and fair sharing, translating them into design principles applicable to diverse geographical and cultural contexts.

A study by Krebs & Bach provides scientific evidence for the 12 design principles of permaculture introduced by Holmgren. The principles share a strong overlap with agroecology but go a step further to guide the design, implementation, and maintenance of resilient agroecological systems. The study concludes that while known applications of permaculture in agriculture are still rare, permaculture’s focus on conscious design of agroecosystems could make it a possible link between agroecological research and theory and practical implementation in agriculture.

Indeed, transitioning to a world where our needs are met within ecological limits may require a cultural revolution greater than any seen in the last century. This revolution will likely be multifaceted and complex, demanding real-time responses to novel situations, incremental adaptation of existing systems, and creative innovation applied to the most ordinary and small design problems.

Permaculture, with its emphasis on the conscious design of agroecosystems and learning from nature, may provide a framework for generating and evaluating site and situation-specific solutions. The energy descent future will likely adopt many permaculture strategies and techniques as obvious ways to live within ecological limits. As Holmgren suggests, permaculture can guide us toward a reunion of culture and nature.

What’s wonderful about permaculture is its accessibility. You don’t need vast acres of land or advanced machinery to practice it. With some knowledge and a bit of elbow grease, you can begin a permaculture garden in your backyard, balcony, or even inside your home. And it’s a practice that’s not just good for the Earth but also beneficial for you, bringing you closer to nature, reducing your reliance on industrial food systems, and providing you with fresh, healthy food.

Solarpunk isn’t just a fantasy – it’s an evolving real-world movement where technologies like vertical farming and practices like permaculture embody its values. As we imagine a future where our cities are as vibrant as the solarpunk landscapes, we can actively work toward it by embracing such approaches in our communities and lives.

Arcology, Green Architecture, and Vertical Urbanism: The Foundation of a Solarpunk Future

Arcology, a term coined by architect Paolo Soleri, is a fusion of architecture and ecology, envisioning self-sustaining megastructures that house vast populations while minimizing their impact on the environment. When paired with green architecture and vertical urbanism, these concepts present a verdant vision of future cities: sprawling vertical landscapes bristling with greenery, where human habitats exist in harmony with nature.

In the solarpunk genre, these ideas often take centre stage. Solarpunk narratives imagine worlds where society has successfully transitioned to non-consumptive living, often through the adoption of innovative architectural and urban planning strategies. These stories inspire us to reconsider our current urban environments and challenge us to envision a future where our cities are not only habitable, but restorative.

Solarpunk Urbanism

The solarpunk genre is a treasure trove of media that explores these concepts. The Earthseed series by Octavia Butler introduces us to communities that have embraced vertical urbanism, green architecture, and arcology, creating self-sustaining enclaves amidst a harsh, post-apocalyptic landscape.

Similarly, in The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson, the city of Palmares Três is an awe-inspiring example of vertical urbanism. This towering, pyramidal cityscape is a marvel of green architecture, seamlessly integrating vegetation and renewable energy technologies into its design.

Moving into popular culture, the MCU’s Wakanda presents an image of an Afrofuturistic utopia, where traditional African aesthetics merge with advanced technology in a sustainable harmony. The city’s architecture is a fusion of organic shapes and modern designs, with towering skyscrapers and advanced urban transport systems co-existing with lush greenery and vibrant marketplaces. Wakanda’s urban planning incorporates green spaces and maintains a balance with the surrounding natural environment. The city is also powered by renewable energy sourced from vibranium, showcasing a sustainable, technologically advanced urban environment.

While a work of non-fiction, The Water Will Come by Jeff Goodell compellingly imagines the future of cities in a world of rising sea levels. Goodell explores concepts such as “amphibious architecture” and other adaptive urban designs that resonate with the solarpunk ethos of adaptation and resilience.

In all these works, the authors not only depict cities that are visually striking, but also fundamentally non-consumptive. They show us societies that have transitioned away from wasteful habits, embracing instead a lifestyle that respects and nurtures the environment. It’s ideal – utopian even – but is it achievable?

Making Solarpunk a Reality

Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential towers in Milan, demonstrates that there is some potential in the imaginative near-future cityscapes of solarpunk fiction.

Though not a work of fiction, The Venus Project deserves a mention due to its significant influence on solarpunk aesthetics and principles. Founded by futurist Jacque Fresco, the project proposes a comprehensive plan for a sustainable, technologically advanced society. The project’s designs include circular city layouts, green architecture, and an emphasis on renewable energy, elements that have been echoed in many solarpunk works. The Venus Project attempts to bridge the gap between humanities and science in many ways, and could very well serve as a solarpunk springboard for zero-emission urbanism.

While the grand visions of solarpunk might seem like the stuff of fiction, there are numerous real-world examples that demonstrate the potential of these concepts. For instance, Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential towers in Milan, brings the idea of vertical forests to life, with over 900 trees and 20,000 plants integrated into the buildings’ balconies. This green architecture not only improves air quality but also enhances biodiversity within the city.

Singapore, known as the “Garden City,” is another global leader in the integration of green spaces into urban design. With its city-in-a-garden initiative, Singapore is replete with sky gardens, rooftop farms, and even a 101-hectare garden that houses massive, tree-like structures covered in diverse plant species.

In the Netherlands, the Biesbosch Museum has been redesigned to blend into its natural surroundings. Its green roof serves as an extension of the landscape, acting as an insulator while also absorbing rainwater.

Moreover, forward-thinking initiatives like Project Drawdown highlight the potential of existing technologies and practices to reverse global warming. From building with wood to reduce carbon emissions to promoting urban agriculture for local, sustainable food production, there are countless ways we can begin to transform our cities.

These real-world examples show that solarpunk isn’t purely speculative; it’s a vision of the future that we’re already starting to build.

“Green architecture”, of course is more than simply planting trees on skyscrapers. Ragheb, El-Shimy & Ragheb (2016) define green architecture as having many characteristics:

• Ventilation systems designed for efficient heating and cooling
• Energy-efficient lighting and appliances
• Water-saving plumbing fixtures
• Landscapes planned to maximize passive solar energy
• Minimal harm to the natural habitat
• Alternate power sources such as solar power or wind power
• Non-synthetic, non-toxic materials
• Locally-obtained woods and stone
• Responsibly-harvested woods
• Adaptive reuse of older buildings
• Use of recycled architectural salvage
• Efficient use of space

Taking Action

While the cities and societies depicted in solarpunk literature may seem far-fetched, they are not entirely beyond our reach. As readers and potential future architects of our urban landscapes, we can start laying the groundwork for such a future today.

On an individual level, we can incorporate elements of green architecture into our own homes, such as installing rooftop gardens or using recycled materials for construction and decoration (which can use up to 25% less energy and reduce a building’s environmental impact by up to 65%). We can also promote vertical urbanism by advocating for policies that encourage high-density living and the integration of green spaces into urban design, as well as the use of recycled materials.

At the community level, we can support local initiatives that promote sustainable urban planning and construction. This could involve participating in community gardening projects, advocating for renewable energy installations, or campaigning for the preservation and creation of urban green spaces.

By taking these steps, we can contribute to the gradual transition towards a more sustainable, non-consumptive urban future, bringing us closer to realising the visions of the solarpunk genre.

Solarpunk Solutions

In an era defined by climate change, dystopian narratives have seized the collective imagination. The constant barrage of apocalyptic films, books, and TV shows depicting flooded cities, burning forests, and disastrous geoengineering experiments can be paralyzing. But amidst this dystopian deluge, a hopeful vision has emerged from an unexpected source: the Solarpunk movement.

What is Solarpunk?

Solarpunk is a literary and visual movement that challenges the prevailing pessimistic view of our future. Instead, it posits an optimistic image of a future powered by renewable energy, fostering new social habits, and challenging the status quo. The punk in Solarpunk is indicative of its insistence on radical societal change, which though challenging, is not inherently impossible. Solarpunk’s ethos is embedded in the idea of using current technologies, such as solar energy and urban agriculture, to “remix the present to produce an alternative future” (Hamilton, 2017). This ethos maintains that the real challenge lies not in technological innovation, but in the societal transformation necessary for a carbon-free future.

Why is Solarpunk Important?

Drawing from Istvan Csicsery-Ronay’s concept of “Future History” in science fiction, Solarpunk offers a pathway to envision a hopeful and sustainable future. Csicsery-Ronay posits that science fiction serves as a mythologising force for scientific and technical concepts, imbuing them with social values and significance. Solarpunk does precisely this, but with a twist: it uses existing technologies and ideas, not fanciful or improbable ones, to construct its vision of the future. This makes Solarpunk not just a genre of speculative fiction, but a tool for speculative design, a method of envisioning and working towards real-world solutions to our present crises.

Solarpunk’s transformative power is visible in its ability to influence our perception of the future, shaping it from a dystopian inevitability into a hopeful possibility. It does this by creating ‘micromyths’ about a future characterized by resilience, sustainability, and community. Through these stories, Solarpunk offers a narrative strategy that convinces readers of the viability of a brighter, greener future. It reframes the future not as a prophecy but as an instructive parable that mediates a specific relationship between the human present and the potential future.

Furthermore, Solarpunk can influence the practical design of our world – just as science fiction has been doing for decades. The concept of the submarine was influenced by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, while H.G. Wells’ novel The World Set Free played a part in inspiring physicist Leo Szilard’s horrifying work on the atomic bomb. And of course, the first mobile phone was called the StarTAC; a cheeky nod to the communicators of Star Trek, Motorola’s inspiration.

On top of this, science fiction has inspired many students to pursue careers in science, further helping to make imagined futures a reality. Solarpunk can do the same for green fields like climate science and arcology. By promoting a positive and inspiring vision of the future, Solarpunk can motivate us to work towards creating a sustainable and equitable world.

The Future is Now

Solarpunk is not just a genre of speculative fiction; it’s a powerful tool for envisioning possible futures. Through its emphasis on renewable energy, sustainable living, and societal transformation, Solarpunk allows us to imagine a future that is not only survivable but desirable. By doing so, it provides a roadmap for the radical changes necessary to combat climate change and create a sustainable future. As we navigate the daunting reality of climate change, Solarpunk’s hopeful vision serves as a beacon, reminding us that another world is not only possible, but within our grasp.