Case study of technological innovation: rooftop garden
Location: Paris, France
Typology: Rooftop garden
Urban area: Inner city – Rooftop
Innovation type: Technological innovation
Main functions: Experimental research – Education and training – Resource-efficient food production
Users: Researchers – Companies – Students – Citizens
The rooftop garden of AgroParisTech (French Technical University of Agronomy) started in 2012 with the experiment T4P (Toits Parisiens Productifs, a pilot project of Parisian Productive Rooftops). The project aimed at conceiving and evaluating cultural systems based only on urban waste as the substrate. In the project, the reseatch team looked at (i) food production potential, (ii) food pollution), (iii) expected ecosystem services and (iv) Technosol evolution. The garden design is based on cultivation boxes, which are made of wooden containers classically used as backyard composters. Such design was chosen for experimental advantages (better control of conditions, easier measurements) and for providing a modular and flexible design for its implementation in other rooftops. Furthermore, the wooden boxes were cheap and easy to build, enhancing its potential diffusion to other gardens in Paris.
Crops: Lettuce – Cherry tomatoes – Green manures – Tomatoes – Carrots – Onions – Cabbage – Beans – Spinach – Basil – Zucchini – Radish – Màche (lamb’s lettuce) – Mesclun (salad mix) – Garlic
Techniques: Organic substrate production
Irrigation: Automatic irrigation with tap water
Use of renewable resources: Use of urban wastes as substrate (green waste compost, coffee grounds, smashed bricks) – Rainwater use
Sustainable practices: Organic production – Use of pollinators – Pesticides-free production – Runoff water management – Crop association practices – Green manuring
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