Rooftop gardens are an important tool within sustainable urban agriculture (UA) that can contribute towards food security. This paper explores the barriers, benefits and incentives of rooftop gardens which have documented environmental and social benefits, including use as a tool towards combating climate change and for creating community within cities. Significant barriers exist, with opportunities for mitigating such barriers and creating incentives for participation in rooftop UA including grant programs specifically designed to guide businesses through implementation of gardens on commercial buildings, rooftop restaurants for increasing tourism potential, change in policy for support of UA, awards for businesses who are leaders in using roof space for food production, innovations in design, and education and training. Rooftop UA has potential for growth in Vancouver, if impetus comes from various sectors, including government, non-profit organizations and the City of Vancouver, with specific emphasis on making rooftop UA exciting for business and profitable.

The topic discussed in Brno for several decades is certainly the building of the new main railway station and its location. Countless architectural and urban studies have been done especially in 2018, which examined three possible locations of the station. After considering the possibilities, it was decided to place a new railway station near by the Svratka river. The advantage of the chosen location is the possibility of constructing a high-speed track, which is not possible in the current position of the station. Furthermore, this area allows the construction of a station on a green field, without limiting train traffic during the works. The capacity of the new designed train station represents an increase of 30-40 thousand passengers per day. Total capacity is approximately 100,000 passengers per day. However, construction activity in the area is limited by the flood risk factor. It is an effort to eliminate this risk with elements inspired by nature. These solutions include for example widening profle of the river , determining floodplains in such a way as to maintain access to the river. The diploma thesis offers a possible view of the architectural solution of the new railway station and its public spaces. The entrance hall of the station is located at one end of the visual axis, which is represented by the considered boulevard. The dominant building on the opposite side is the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. The requirements and location of the new main station mean an assumption for the creation of a new city icon. The iconic vaulted structure, which runs across the railway bridge, refers to the former glory and fame of the city. The curve of catenary arch used in the profile of vault is a symbol for the new station. The new station represents a significant impulse not only for the development of Brno, but especially for the development of new South district. The construction of the trade fairs complex a hundred years ago had a similer effect.

Brno has been considering moving the Main railway station for several decades. Countless urban plans have been done through several competitions, the new South District, which will be located north direction of today's Dolní nádraží station in the future. The architectural study, which was the subject of this diploma thesis, designs multifunctional object called Platform. The building could become part of the emerging South District. The base for the architectural study of the Platform was urban concept of South District designed by me as a pre-diploma thesis. The significance of the South District is comparable to the new Main Railway Station in Vienna surrounded by new district. Those opportunities were the foundation for designing compact urban structure with great variability of public spaces and buildings themselves. The new building is located on the Route of experiences, which is an alternative lane to the main boulevard from the Main Station to the centre of Brno. That starts at the railway station, leads through South District and its main square, the waterfront, through the islands of Svratka, to the park next to the river. Lane continues to the rediscovered railway viaduct and further to today's Main railway station. The viaduct was an inspiration for the architectural design, in the sense of material and shape. The mass of the building itself is divided horizontally into two parts. The lower, heavy masonry brick part of the market is visually separated from the upper objects that seem to levitate above the market. These three upper masses grow from the green roof of the market. Their function is already evident due to their facades. Upper part belongs to the two apartment buildings with a regular grid of south-west orientated windows and one coworking facility located in the northern corner of the Platform. The location of the building is significant. The views from the Platform are amazing - one side there is the Svratka River with island