Urban Growth

Welcome to the Urban Growth Project!

Our project aims to expand the already established Sustainable Agricultural Program (SAP) on the Allendale campus to the Grand Rapids Pew campus. This addition to the downtown campus would benefit students in need of produce, while improving their mental health. The SAP continuously aims to expand upon their educational outreach and help provide for individuals in our local communities. Expanding and implementing these values to the Pew campus in a way that is relevant to the urban lifestyle could benefit the local community in Grand Rapids to adapt agriculture and sustainability practices into their own lives.

We also believe that becoming more hands-on with the process of how food is grown and prepared, it can help deepen the relationship between consumers and local farmers. For students, being able to gain this understanding while at the university could have a large impact on how they view their relationship with food for the rest of their lives. We hope that this project can inspire the local community to expand their views on gardening and recognize the technological improvements in the modern day. Agricultural technology such as hydroponic and aeroponic systems allow for less water to be consumed compared to traditional agricultural practices. In addition, these systems can also be adapted to the stereotypical, small spaces that are common within an urban setting.

All of our prototypes focus around using vegetable plants to allow the community access to fresh produce. While also allowing for self-collection using recyclable bags and reducing the amount of plastic ending up at local landfills. Please further explore our prototypes and ideas through the designated links below.

Additional Information can be found at this link for the Urban Growth Project.

The Grand Valley State University's Pew Campus is located in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Created by Sabrina Gonzales, Emma MacDonald and Rachel DeCoe