Publications
Incorporating user preferences in rooftop food-energy-water production through integrated sustainability assessment * Journal Article
Toboso-Chavero, Susana; Madrid-López, Cristina; Durany, Xavier Gabarrell; Villalba, Gara
In: Environmental Research Communications, 3 (6), pp. 065001, 2021, ISSN: 2515-7620.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Citizen science, Energy and water poverty, Farm to fork, Public participation, urban agriculture, Urban sustainability
@article{Toboso-Chavero2021,
title = {Incorporating user preferences in rooftop food-energy-water production through integrated sustainability assessment *},
author = {Susana Toboso-Chavero and Cristina Madrid-L\'{o}pez and Xavier Gabarrell Durany and Gara Villalba},
url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/abffa5 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/abffa5/meta},
doi = {10.1088/2515-7620/abffa5},
issn = {2515-7620},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-06-01},
journal = {Environmental Research Communications},
volume = {3},
number = {6},
pages = {065001},
publisher = {IOP Publishing},
abstract = {With the overall aim to design successful implementation strategies of food-energy-water production systems on urban roofs, we propose an integrated process that includes participatory processes and a multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of environmental, social and economic indicators. The proposed framework was applied to a typical housing estate in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona made up of 201 buildings and 13,466 inhabitants and characterized by a high share of low-income families. We assess several future scenarios of joint electricity production (photovoltaic panels), vegetable production (through open-air farming and greenhouses), green roof implementation and rainwater harvesting and rank them according to non-participatory and participatory approaches. In general, there was a tendency for residents to choose strategies providing energy and water rather than the food production potential of rooftops. However, the environmental assessment indicated that the least impacting alternatives from a life cycle approach were those promoting vegetable production, meeting 42 to 56% of the residents' fresh produce demand and reducing environmental impacts by 24 to 37 kg CO2eq m−2 of rooftop/year. Hence, we found that residents were mainly concerned with energy expenses and not so much with food insecurity, social cohesion or the impacts of long-distance supply chains. Our assessment supports urban sustainability and helps identify and breach the gap between scientific and user preferences in urban environmental proposals by informing and educating residents through a participatory integrated assessment.},
keywords = {Citizen science, Energy and water poverty, Farm to fork, Public participation, urban agriculture, Urban sustainability},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
With the overall aim to design successful implementation strategies of food-energy-water production systems on urban roofs, we propose an integrated process that includes participatory processes and a multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of environmental, social and economic indicators. The proposed framework was applied to a typical housing estate in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona made up of 201 buildings and 13,466 inhabitants and characterized by a high share of low-income families. We assess several future scenarios of joint electricity production (photovoltaic panels), vegetable production (through open-air farming and greenhouses), green roof implementation and rainwater harvesting and rank them according to non-participatory and participatory approaches. In general, there was a tendency for residents to choose strategies providing energy and water rather than the food production potential of rooftops. However, the environmental assessment indicated that the least impacting alternatives from a life cycle approach were those promoting vegetable production, meeting 42 to 56% of the residents' fresh produce demand and reducing environmental impacts by 24 to 37 kg CO2eq m−2 of rooftop/year. Hence, we found that residents were mainly concerned with energy expenses and not so much with food insecurity, social cohesion or the impacts of long-distance supply chains. Our assessment supports urban sustainability and helps identify and breach the gap between scientific and user preferences in urban environmental proposals by informing and educating residents through a participatory integrated assessment.
AGAUR Grant ID 2017 SGR 230 / Copyright © 2023