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With urban gardening making huge strides around the world, cities are being transformed from barren concrete landscapes to a sea of green. It's a movement that has gained fans as more people realize the potential that lies within cities. With experts predicting that 80% of the world population will be living in urban areas by 2050, urban gardening and agriculture aren't just a hobbies, they are necessities.
So how are peole around the world addressing the need of growing food in urban areas? Places like Brazil have incorporated urban gardening with recycling programs. Some cities are trading free vegetables for recycled goods as part of a program called Delicious Recycling.
Architects in Barcelona dove in ''vegitecture'' by transforming an a demolition site into a vertical garden. Known as the city's green wall, the vertical garden replaced an eyesore with an array of plants and a bird sanctuary. Another group of architects have envisioned the concept for a city in the sky, a sort of megatropolis full of gardens that would hover above cities like New York and London.
While it's great to imagine the future, farming enthusiasts across the United States are acting now. In Chicago, an abandoned factory is being transformed into a zero-waste vertical farm. Sustainable urban agriculture is getting a push in California though Back to Roots, a social enterprise that sells mushroom kits that use recycled coffee grinds.
Of course, any mention of urban gardening or farming in the United States wouldn't be complete without referring to the many efforts taking place in New York City - a place that boasts rooftop gardens, urban beekeepers and artisan foodmakers. All of these accomplishments in urban gardening are inspiring but perhaps the best is yet to come.
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