Fish: the Future of Urban Farming

Cityscape Farms has developed a new technique for farming fish along with vegetables in combined urban food systems that allows them to farm in developed areas.

1 minute read

January 29, 2010, 10:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


80% of Americans live in suburban or urban areas, and yet most of their food comes from rural areas thousands of miles away. Experts suggest that growing food locally may be an important solution to problems ranging from climate change to community building, but farming is tough in urban areas. Cityscape Farms is testing one method: aquaponic greenhouses, which grow fish and vegetables together in combined urban food systems.

Mike Yohay, CEO and founder of Cityscape, says, "Our [model] is a completely site independent methodology-we aren't reliant on soil testing and the perfect parcel of land; we don't even need land. The soil in cities is often times ill-suited for agriculture because of heavy metals; we mitigate these dangers by avoiding the use of soil all together. The fact is the world is running out of quality water and soil."

Thanks to Rebecca Sanborn Stone

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 in Good

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

White BART public transit train at Coliseum station in Oakland, California.

NRDC Releases State Transportation Scorecard

The Getting Transportation Right report highlights which states are making the most progress on reducing transportation emissions and improving access to clean transportation options.

28 minutes ago - Natural Resources Defense Council

Canada geese on lawn in city park with high-rise buildings in background in Vancouver, Canada.

Study: How Urban Parks Can Support Biodiversity

Conservation and recreation can go hand in hand in urban green spaces designed to serve both humans and local wildlife.

1 hour ago - Inside Climate News

Rendering of Texas Central high-speed rail train stopped at covered platform in Dallas, Texas

High-Speed Rail Tracker

Smart Cities Dive follows high-speed rail developments around the country

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive