The project TURF – The URban Food Factory – aims to: 1. demonstrate how adaptive reuse of car parking structures for controlled environment agriculture can strengthen urban resilience,
2. develop a web-based decision support manual for the creation of Living Labs through the proposed up-cycling as novel strategies that transform urban neighbourhoods,
3. create interactive 3D models that improve understanding of the concept and support robust decision making on new perspectives on adaptive reuse for food provision as a driver for sustainable development.

The study takes a speculative, user-centered approach to get a better understanding of how Urban Farming Living Labs should be developed to contribute to the resilience of a specific urban neighbourhood. The study begins with selecting two urban car parking structures in Sweden and Poland as case studies explored first, through architectural analysis and photography, second through interviews with the key stakeholders.

The results will be used to develop a Web-based decision support manual and visual 3D models of “What can be 2030”. Based on virtual strategic models, we want to uncover the perceived difficulties in adapting multi-storey garages to act as catalysts for regenerative and resilient urban development.

The main target group are decision-makers, such as city planners, investors, and developers.

Aim and purpose

The TURF – The Urban Food Factory project explored how underutilized urban car parking structures can be adaptively reused for local food production using Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The project was developed in response to the ENUTC call “Building transformation capacity through arts and design”, addressing the need for innovative, cross-sectoral approaches to sustainable urban transformation.

The overall aim was to strengthen the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of urban neighborhood’s by reframing obsolete parking garages as future resources. By combining speculative design, architectural research, and food-system innovation, the project sought to support cities in transitioning towards more resilient and circular food systems, while also contributing to climate goals, sustainable land use, and new urban business models. The main target group comprised decision-makers such as urban planners, municipalities, property owners, investors, and developers.

Methods

The project applied a research-by-design methodology, combining speculative design with user-centred and qualitative research methods. Key methods included:

• A systematic literature review on adaptive reuse and urban agriculture
• Case studies of multi-storey parking garages in Sweden and Poland
• On-site field studies, architectural analysis, and visual documentation
• Semi-structured interviews and stakeholder dialogues with planners, property owners, experts, and public actors
• Participatory workshops and speculative design exercises
• Development of interactive 3D models and visual scenarios
• Design and prototyping of an open-access, web-based decision-support tool

A central experience from the project was the value of speculative and visual methods in addressing complex and uncertain futures. Rather than presenting fixed solutions, the project created plausible scenarios of “what could be done by 2030”, enabling stakeholders to explore trade-offs, regulatory constraints, and design challenges in a tangible way. This approach proved particularly effective in bridging gaps between technical knowledge, policy frameworks, and public imagination.

Experiences of Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The project was inherently interdisciplinary, bringing together expertise from architecture, urban design, industrial design, food systems, circular economy, sustainability research, and business development. Working across disciplines allowed the project to address urban food production not only as a technical challenge, but also as a social, economic, regulatory, and cultural issue.

An important learning was that interdisciplinary collaboration requires time, translation, and shared frameworks. Different professional languages, assumptions, and priorities had to be aligned through continuous dialogue and iterative design processes. The Living Lab and user-centred design approach supported this collaboration by creating shared reference points and enabling co-creation with external stakeholders.

The collaboration also highlighted the importance of integrating public-sector perspectives early in the process, particularly regarding procurement practices, regulatory frameworks, and long-term urban planning strategies.

Overall Results and Public Value

The project resulted in several key outcomes of relevance to the public and to urban decision-makers:

• A web-based, open-access decision-support tool for assessing the adaptive reuse potential of urban parking garages for food production (https://www.the-urban-food-factory.com/)
• Visual and strategic models illustrating how existing buildings can be transformed into multifunctional urban food hubs
• New knowledge on the architectural, regulatory, economic, and social challenges of implementing CEA in existing urban structures
• Insights into business models and incentive structures for municipalities and property owners
• A critical assessment of the limits of urban farming as a resilience strategy, highlighting energy dependency and financial viability as key challenges

Overall, the project demonstrates that adaptive reuse of urban infrastructure can act as a driver for sustainable development when approached holistically. Rather than positioning urban farming solely as a crisis-preparedness solution, the project highlights its strongest potential as part of broader climate, ESG, circular economy, and social innovation strategies. TURF contributes to ongoing discussions about how cities can better use existing resources, reduce land-use pressure, and create more flexible and future-proof urban environments.

Publications

TURF Concept Evaluation, Sweco (2025)

Adaptive Reuse of Urban Structures as a Driver of Sustainable Development Goals – Systematic Literature Review (2024)

Planning design value-driven scenarios for innovation: A case study of adaptive reuse for food production based on the design management model (2025)