Now we’ve reached a point where more than half of the world lives in urban areas, we need to address the problems associated with shipping foodstuffs from where they are grown. One solution that wins points for both elegance and simplicity are the “vertical farm” skyscrapers being proposed by scientists from Columbia University. I’d love to see these things cropping up in my home town, and the logistical benefits should be obvious. Whether anything comes of it remains to be seen, of course; as the scientists themselves say, the theory is sound, but they “need the money to make it a reality.” [BoingBoing]