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The project aims to find a new method for property owners and urban planners to create innovative areas with new ways of using existing environments and contributing to social meeting places, while increasing the self-sufficiency of residents. The project ties in with New European Bauhaus in its quest to explore sustainable and inclusive solutions through design methodology and futuring practices.

Growing food in the basement

In the spring of 2025, two groups gathered to grow food in a basement in Rosengård. One group for adults and one for children met weekly to learn about microgreens (fast-growing crops), hydroponically grown vegetables, and mushrooms. 

The groups learned about circular methods and sustainability, reusing materials, sharing knowledge and interest in urban farming, and developed more expertise and a language for indoor farming.

About the futuring process 

The goal of future work is rarely to define the most accurate future, but rather its ability to bring people together, create a common understanding, and facilitate a meaning-making process that stimulates and directs action in the present.

In the project, we wondered what visions and ideas could be awakened in the creation process - in this case, in connection with indoor farming. By combining this mobilising force with speculative design methods, futures can become more concrete and tangible.

By combining the actual design of a new place/living environment (prototype) with a shared practice (farming and future workshops), we create a space for developing visions of the future in a collective process.

Visions of the future encompass more than basements; they can also be places between buildings, related to the participants' wishes and needs. The idea of preparedness does not have to be crisis-driven and reactive, but can instead be proactive and involve a positive commitment to creating attractive and resilient living environments.

Continuation of the project

We plan to establish more basements as indoor farming and meeting places. We will continue with different target groups and measure the effects on their well-being.

We also want to test other farming systems/technologies. Measuring biotechnical data (such as humidity, resource/energy use, etc.) and simulating development on a larger scale will provide us with relevant information about indoor farming conditions, which will be of interest to property owners.

Finally, we hope to inspire and invite other property owners to test this in their properties.