Urban mycelium farms: Bio-mycorrhizal development as community catalyst

Abstract

Fungi play a major role as transformers and decomposers of nutrients in ecosystems, contributing to carbon, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Particularly, mycorrhizal fungi develop symbiotic connections with plants through root systems called mycelial networks -these networks facilitate the transfer of nutrients, stimulate interspecies communication, and strengthen soil health conditions. Due to the existing climate emergency and accelerated development, it is paragon to find entities that perform similar processes fungi do by translocating its benefits to an urban scale. This thesis aims to achieve this through Urban Mycelium Farms, leaving behind the idea of pushing away production systems from city centers. Cities as drivers of global change, must prioritize reuse and cycle of waste, foster stronger and participative multiple-stakeholder communities, promote healthier urban environments, and create a culture of environmental awareness. Moreover, they must take into account metabolic flows, urban, architectural, and social values aligned with principles of urban symbiosis. In this thesis, we propose using fungi and mycelium to build the concept of Urban Mycelium Farms, which focus on producing mycelium and fungi by upcycling waste resources. These farms reposition urban symbiosis into the city’s social fabric, working as a community catalyst; considering social-ecological characteristics, and creating a new bio-based, community-oriented, co-created, and inclusive development path in urban clusters. Methodologically, we identify and establish through literature studies, research, interviews, spatial analysis, and design the necessary elements and conditions to implement Urban Mycelium Farms. We take Gothenburg city and Landala district as case study locations, using coffee waste as a resource for production and analyzing the effects of this farm on the urban space and society. As a final output, this thesis develops spatial conditions and design strategies that can be used for further mycelium farm designs and explorations. We additionally develop an example of a mycelium farm; its design in terms of space, spatial distribution, resource processes, and mapping of social interactions.