Abstract

Urban agriculture is often seen as something led by individuals, visible through patchworks of balcony and backyard gardens, started by enthusiastic city dwellers, and very small-scale. However, there are growing calls to reimagine unused and underutilised spaces in cities. Indian cities are experimenting with different models of growing food, from collectives in urban peripheries to state-led initiatives in schools and prisons. In this case, we present one such initiative by the Pune Municipal Corporation, where municipal building rooftops are being reimagined for multiple productive uses, including growing vegetables and medicinal plants, rooftop solar energy generation, and harvesting rainwater.