Underground Food Farms as a Climate-Friendly Alternative Form of Urban Agriculture

In urban spaces, areas that can be used for cultivation are largely limited. In addition, the use of areas belonging to green–blue infrastructure for agricultural purposes is not always feasible under conditions of high urban population density. Currently, over half of the global population live in cities, which affects the price of land and how it is developed within the urban fabric. By 2050, at least 70% of the human population is estimated to be living in cities; therefore, problems related to the economics and logistics of supplying food to residents are expected to increase and become significantly more complex. Attempts to develop alternative solutions for food production that minimally absorb usable urban space and have low climate impacts on the urban fabric have already been made. One such solution is large-scale vertical food cultivation in the underground areas of cities, such as unused parts of metro stations, bunkers, basements, and underground parking lots. This study aims to analyze the feasibility of using underground urban spaces for efficient and environmentally friendly food production in terms of spatial, economic, ecological, and climatic aspects. The conducted research is based on a review of literature and urban documents, which was complemented by a SWOT analysis, a Weighted SWOT, and a TOWS matrix. The results obtained indicate a number of benefits, such as independence from weather conditions and the shortening of supply chains, while simultaneously pointing to barriers related to high energy costs and the lack of regulatory frameworks. The conclusions, however, suggest that underground farming may serve as one of the elements of critical food-related infrastructure, provided that this system is integrated into urban policies and receives additional systemic support.