(30a) Pittsburgh: Urban Agriculture and the Food-Energy-Water Nexus
AIChE Annual Meeting
2018
2018 AIChE Annual Meeting
Environmental Division
Fundamentals of Food, Energy, and Water Systems
Sunday, October 28, 2018 - 3:30pm to 3:51pm
Pittsburgh lost a substantial portion of its population during the transition away from its industrial roots as the âSteel City.â A legacy of the population decrease includes empty and abandoned lots (e.g. over 8,000), aging infrastructure, and areas of decline that have created food deserts and challenges associated with the interdependence of food, energy and water. Pittsburgh has implemented multiple initiatives to address this challenge that will realize the benefits from urban agriculture (e.g. a 23 acre urban farm; community driven revitalizations that include energy efficient housing, stormwater infrastructure, rainwater management, and agriculture spaces).
This analysis examines urban agriculture strategic options, the potential benefits, and the challenges. Options include agriculture options (e.g. geoponic, hydroponic, aeroponic systems), water management options (e.g. water reuse), waste management (e.g. biochar as soil enhancer and carbon storage), and energy option (e.g. distributed generation).