Harvesting high-rises: A comprehensive review of urban farming practice and impacts in Malaysian buildings

Abstract

Malaysia has started to implement urban agriculture in cities as urban farming is more than just growing food in the city. It also integrated into the city's economic, social, ecological, and physical infrastructure systems. Despite its numerous advantages, it also has drawbacks that may affect the building conditions and the occupants because of inefficient management practice. This implies that building managers and urban planners must take into account the implications of urban agriculture when undertaking such projects, and adapt them to suit existing building conditions. Thus, this paper aims to study the current practise and the impact of urban farming towards the occupants and the building conditions. Therefore, a literature review was carried out to reach the study's aim. The study’s findings indicate that the negative impact of urban farming on buildings and occupants can be reduced with effective maintenance practices. These results may help guide future research, which should focus on developing a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between urban agriculture and building management efficiency, allowing for the development of effective strategies for implementing urban farming that can mitigate the impacts of climate change in urban areas.