07:55 Thursday 24th September 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
DOTTY MCLEOD: A new type of map has been designed for Peterborough to show you unusual areas where you could grow your own food. This project was part of the Harvest Festival which took place this weekend, saw thousands of people eating local produce in the city for free. My producer Kerry Devine went along to meet Mikey Tomkins, who’s designed the ‘edible city map‘.
MIKEY TOMKINS: I’ve worked from Stanley Rec over to the station, and over the river down to the Green Backyard, and along I think what used to be the old railway station at the Embankment here, which is now derelict where B&Q used to be.
KERRY DEVINE: OK. Let’s have a look at this map then. So you’ve actually drawn out a map. It looks very colourful, lots of pinks and greens. So I take it that the blue is the industry?
MIKEY TOMKINS: The blue are all the rooftop spaces for Peterborough. And I think what Peterborough could do, I think if any entrepreneurs are listening to this, there’s some very big rooftop spaces above Queensgate, top storey of car parks, the Market car parks. And coming down to towards the river there’s lots and lots and lots of open rooftop spaces. And what we found over the last few years say in North America is entrepreneurs renting out rooftop spaces and putting up big greenhouses, and producing food right above restaurants and shops and supermarkets.
KERRY DEVINE: Do you think Peterborough is missing a trick here?
Continue reading “Urban agriculture for Peterborough”