From Concept to Reality: Rethinking Vertical Farms as Urban Infrastructure

By Henry Gordon-Smith 

When we talk about the future of cities, vertical farming often gets framed as the silver bullet: climate-proof, land-efficient, endlessly stackable. But the real innovation happens when design transcends production—and starts connecting people, place, and food in meaningful ways.

That’s why the recent first prize win by the UCL Bartlett team in the YAC × Manni Group Vertical Farm Architecture Competition is worth more than a headline. Their project, VerticLA: The Green Ascent, is an ambitious vision for vertical farming as a civic engine—a hybrid of productive agriculture, social infrastructure, and environmental design. 

A Vision Worth Celebrating

Led by Pei‑Chi (Peggy) Tsai, Chao‑Chun Kung, and collaborators Nel Alexander Dau and Margarita Idt, VerticLA proposes a spiraling urban farm for Los Angeles that does more than grow food—it grows community. The project features:

• Terraced gardens and public walkways designed to connect care homes and schools to local food;

• Hydroponic systems focused on fast-growing crops like basil and microgreens;

• Rainwater harvesting and circular irrigation to reduce resource consumption;

• And a striking steel superstructure that supports environmental buffering and green façades.

The team’s integrated approach—part sculpture, part farm, part public park—feels refreshingly aligned with the direction Agritecture has long advocated: vertical farms that serve more than investors; farms that serve cities.

From Vision to Reality: Where the Gaps Remain

But celebration must be paired with realism.

I have written before about the trough of disillusionment that vertical farming is entering. VerticLA is visionary, yes—but its path to realization is paved with real challenges:

• High upfront capital costs remain a barrier for multi-functional urban ag spaces;

• Operational sustainability—beyond beautiful renderings—depends on choosing the right crops, optimizing energy and labor, and managing long-term maintenance;

• Policy frameworks in cities like L.A. rarely accommodate or incentivize agriculture-forward architecture;

• And community integration—though elegantly designed—requires programming, partnerships, and business models that haven’t yet been proven at scale.

A green ramp and hydroponic racks aren’t enough without economic viability and public engagement to match.

The Real Test: Making Vertical Ag Feasible

What VerticLA shows us is not just what’s possible—it shows us what’s missing.

Design-forward vertical farms are often siloed as architectural provocations or speculative student work. But with the right support, they could become prototypes for urban resilience. What’s needed now is a bridge between concept and implementation. That’s where Agritecture steps in.

For over a decade, we’ve worked with architects, developers, municipalities, and operators to move from ideas to action—evaluating feasibility, connecting systems designers, and building community engagement strategies. From conceptual models like VerticLA to commercial vertical farms in cities around the world, we’ve helped translate vision into value.

Ready to Build the Future?

Whether you're designing the next green tower or reimagining underutilized rooftops, Agritecture partners with architects and planners to ensure urban ag isn’t just beautiful—it’s viable, scalable, and resilient.

Let’s turn more visions into reality. Contact us to explore how we can help you integrate food production into your next project—intelligently, sustainably, and with impact.

Inspiration is step one. Execution is everything.