NET ZERO FOOD SYSTEM PLANNING | GOWANUS, BROOKLYN & NEW YORK CITY FOODSHED

CLIENT(S) | CUNY Institute for Urban Systems program, AIA chapter of New York, and INSOURCE Belmont Forum

SITE | Gowanus, Brooklyn and New York City regional foodshed

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THE CHALLENGE

The AIA New York Chapter convened a forum on designing net zero neighborhoods, using Brooklyn’s Gowanus district as a test case. The initiative sought to explore how integrated resource systems—energy, waste, water, and food—could contribute to net zero urban development. Within this framework, food systems were identified as a critical but under-examined component of neighborhood and city-scale sustainability.

OUR ROLE 

Regensia was engaged to lead a working group and applied study on net zero food systems for Gowanus and the broader New York City foodshed. The study focused on:

  • Evaluating the production potential of urban food technologies (rooftop greenhouses, vertical farming, aquaculture, community gardens)
  • Assessing complementary regional production methods (controlled-environment greenhouses, regenerative organic farms)
  • Determining how much of Gowanus’ and New York City’s dietary demand could be locally supported
  • Exploring district-scale solutions for food processing and distribution to strengthen direct farm-to-consumer connections

KEY FINDINGS 

  • Urban Potential: Up to 40% of vegetable demand and 80% of seafood demand could be produced within urban areas with minimal impact on land use.
  • Regional Synergies: Expanding regional soil-based greenhouses could significantly increase fruit and vegetable supply while freeing up land for renewable energy, carbon sequestration, and habitat restoration.
  • Infrastructure Needs: A district-based food hub for processing and distribution would be essential to enable coordination between farms and urban consumers.

GOVERNANCE & INNOVATION 

The study highlighted the need for integrated food governance at the district and city scale—aligning urban agriculture, regional farming, and distribution logistics into a regenerative foodshed framework. This model reframes food not as an isolated supply chain, but as a core component of net zero urban design.

RESULTS & IMPACT

  • Elevated food systems as a central dimension of net zero neighborhood planning in New York City.
  • Provided evidence-based production benchmarks to guide future investments in urban agriculture and regional farming.
  • Positioned Gowanus as a living laboratory for regenerative urban food strategies with potential replicability across the city.