As part of the four-day charrette at George Brown College, Toronto, my team had to design a program or service that creates sustainable, scalable, and diverse food options in the food deserts across Halifax that builds upon community and government partnerships and increases food security.
The theme of the charrette was "Ethical Smart Cities," meaning that we had to combine design thinking with tech, yet not leave out of sight that the result had to be tangible and immediate.
SOLUTION
Create a year-long farming system that needs to be affordable and generate a substantial amount of food that can be the community members' main source of healthy fruits and vegetables.
Values
accessibility, affordability, and autonomy.
Budget
50 million CAD, which came from Halifax Municipality's proposal to Infrastructure Canada for the Smart Cities Challenge.
Research
Mainly conducted desk research and had two online interviews with the locals. Through our research, we found that modular vertical farms were overall the best option for the communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Logistics
The most cost-effective modular farm we found was through a company called "Farm from a Box." Each box costs between $25,000 and $45,000. There are options for either 10, 20, or 30-foot boxes. Every community affected by food insecurity would have them installed within their community center, so it would be a fair distance for every inhabitant. We would make use of volunteers to deliver to the elderly and disabled.
We also wanted to integrate an educational program at the community centers to teach the residents about the benefits of healthy eating. We found successful programs happening in other communities. The Student Nutrition Program Food Safety and Nutrition is a program provided by the City of Toronto. People can learn how to cook healthy food that meets nutrition guidelines.
Duration
4 days
Institute
George Brown College, Toronto, Canada
Role
Research, Visual communicator
Logistics Map
VISUALS
Company logo
Posters around the community
Form to be completed by community members to subscribe to the weekly goodie box
T-shirt for volunteers
Thank you for your time!
