Vision
To significantly advance our understanding of urban food systems, with a particular focus on evaluating and improving efficiencies in critical technical, social, and economic aspects of urban food production.
Goals
- Develop a novel system to provide insight into the efficiencies and inefficiencies through all stages of the urban food process
- Continue designing and building pilot-scale urban outdoor and indoor agriculture test facilities on the urban campus of Illinois Institute of Technology
- Conduct social experiments to identify gaps in economic and social perceptions and, thus, assess the acceptability of novel technological innovations to food production for existing and prospective producers and consumers
For more information, contact Alvin Lee.
- 2015: “R&D for Growth: Towards a Center for Sustainable and Efficient Urban Agriculture.” PI: Brent Stephens (CAEE), Co-PI: Rodger Cooley (ARCH)
Javad Abbasian (ChBE): Process design, water
Paul Anderson (CAEE): Water
Hamid Arastoopour (ChBE/MMAE): Outdoor urban agriculture, irrigation systems, education and outreach
Weslynne Ashton (SSB): Economic aspects of urban agriculture and outreach
Robert Carlson (INTM): Data collection and analysis
Frank Flury (ARCH): Sustainable built environment
Nasrin Khalili (SSB): Biochar application in urban agriculture
Alvin Lee (INTM): Food safety
Sohail Murad (ChBE): Education, data analysis
Mohammad Shahidehpour (ECE): Microgrid, renewable energy and control
Matthew Shapiro (PS): Social aspects of urban agriculture
Brent Stephens (CAEE): Hydroponic and aquaponic urban agriculture
Fouad Teymour (ChBE): Kinetic hydroponic systems
Liad Wagman (SSB): Economic aspects of urban agriculture