Grow local. Share fresh.
FarmUp is a project that integrates unused spaces, providers and consumers through an app to create a cycle of resource sharing. It is hoped that the project will provide better urban living for both growers and consumers as well as increase the use of urban space.
Background & Research
The Taiwanese government’s Garden City policy promotes rooftop gardening, with green roofs becoming popular in Taipei and beyond. This trend not only greens urban spaces but also revitalizes unused rooftops.
However, overproduction often leads to waste, while urban residents seek affordable, fresh food. Connecting growers with consumers could reduce waste, offer healthier options, and sustain rooftop gardening economically.
Limitations of the Government Subsidy Programme
In 2020, the Taiwanese government invested NT$20 million into the "Green Rooftop Promotion Project", aiming to encourage urban agriculture through rooftop gardens. However, the initiative saw limited success due to a lack of structured management within residential communities. Without clear coordination or shared responsibility among residents, many gardens were poorly maintained or never implemented. This reveals a key flaw in the programme: infrastructure support was provided, but community collaboration was overlooked.
Main Challenge
Despite the programme’s good intentions, the greatest barrier lies in inconsistent community management. Each residential complex has its own rules and priorities, and lack of effective communication among residents often leads to stalled decision-making or disputes. As a result, many promising projects fail to take root, highlighting the need for tools or services that can support transparent, inclusive participation and long-term collaboration.
Interview Insight – Community Manager
To understand the implementation challenges behind rooftop gardening initiatives, I interviewed a community manager who had first-hand experience with a government-subsidised greening programme.
“At first, many residents—especially retired elders—were enthusiastic. They grew up in the farming era and believed it’s safest to eat what you grow. But soon, they were growing more than their families could possibly consume. After giving away what they could, much of it still went to waste. Eventually, many scaled back or gave up altogether.”
He also highlighted issues in space coordination:
“Everyone was planting their own things without any central planning. Some didn’t even apply through the proper process—they just went up and planted. It became messy, people started complaining, and as the manager, I couldn’t control everything.”
Key Takeaways
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Lack of a proper management system led to disorganised planting and internal disputes.
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Oversupply of crops with no plan for distribution discouraged long-term participation.
User Pain Points Across Stakeholders
For the Community Commission /
Facility Manager
For the Planters / Retirees
For the Residents / Office Worker
This map outlines how users, facilitators, and digital tools interact to activate idle rooftop spaces into productive, community-driven farms. Focus is placed on access, task distribution, and operational coordination.
Step1: Enabling Access to Urban Micro-Farming
Step 2: Delivering Produce and Value Across Stakeholders
This diagram illustrates how harvested produce and value are exchanged across user roles—from growers to buyers—highlighting logistics, transactions, and motivation loops within the service journey.
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