Challenges for the incorporation of food production into functional urban greening systems
Infrastructure scale botanical systems explicitly designed for the remediation of high levels of urban air pollution are transitioning from research level to widespread use. Whilst proof-of-concept for the performance of these systems for air pollutant reduction is widely known, there is a growing interest in making such systems dual purpose for food production. Such usage presents challenges related to the fate of air pollutants within the phytosystems, and whether this will affect the quality of food so produced. Significant further research will be required before these new systems can be used with confidence for the dual purposes of air quality management and food production.