Abstract

A district is an urbanized area that has a distinguishable boundary and character. Typical examples include capitol areas, historic districts, and college campuses. The proposed 110-acre Las Vegas Food District—a high-density, pedestrian oriented, regenerative community—has a distinct identity with the concept of food at its core. The project serves as a theoretical case study where the opportunities of agricultural urbanism—the integration of sustainable food systems with our urban environments—are explored from growing to processing, distribution to consumption and celebration, and finally, from waste recovery back to growing. The Food District’s 29.4-acre rooftop has been designed to be a productive landscape where sustainable agricultural practices are employed and supported using regenerative infrastructure. Wastes generated within the district, such as graywater and kitchen organics, are utilized to address the challenges when trying to design and integrate food with a desert city like Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The integration of agricultural urbanism and regenerative design provides the opportunity for agriculture to be interwoven with our urban environment, creating better places to live, learn, work, and play.