• JLL launch Urban Farm atop Bank of America Tower

    14 May 2014

    JLL and owners of the Bank of America Tower recently celebrated the launch of JLL’s first urban farm in the heart of Central. JLL teamed up with local social enterprise, Time to Grow and Sowers Exchange to cultivate the urban farm, which is situated on the roof of the Bank of America Tower.

    JLL B65U2432At over 300 m2, the roof-top farm is one of the largest in Hong Kong and is unique for the city given its location within the central business district. The aim of the farm, which will grow a variety of vegetables, is to raise awareness about the potential to make Hong Kong a more liveable, healthy and sustainable city.

    JLL Executives at BOA Tower RooftopWilliam Lai, Head of Property Management at JLL, Hong Kong, said: “The urban farm will send a very important message to the community in Hong Kong, particularly those working or living in urban areas such as Central. It is always possible to improve how sustainable our food system is.”

    “It was a pleasure to see the hard work of the volunteers under the expert supervision of Time to Grow, in support of a greener Hong Kong.”

    Pol Fàbrega, Co-founder at Time to Grow, said: “We are thrilled to partner with JLL to bring organic farming to the heart of Hong Kong. In JLL we have found a very supportive partner looking to take corporate social responsibility to the next level. Our shared goal in this project is to bring the community together, promote employee engagement and raise awareness about some of Hong Kong’s most important environmental and social issues.”

    jll_0250The shared aim of JLL and Time to Grow is to encourage Hong Kong to follow the example of other cities which have led the way in this regard. The benefits urban farming can bring to communities can be seen in New York, Detroit and Havana, Cuba, which has almost 200 urban allotments which provide four million tonnes of vegetables each year.

    Andrew Tsui, Co-founder at Time to Grow, said: “The urban farm at the Bank of America Tower sets a great example to the community in Hong Kong. It demonstrates the feasibility and value of urban farming, and that it is possible to lead a sustainable lifestyle even within the urban areas of Hong Kong.”

    Urban farms are an innovative but simple concept, and a great way to encourage the local community to become involved in green initiatives. Jones Lang LaSalle’s urban farm took only one day to plant after it had been set up with direct water access. Twenty volunteers from the firm spent an afternoon planting seeds, which have now harvested under the on-going care of Time to Grow, benefiting from the unobstructed access to sunlight.

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