What I would like to see is an intelligent hydroponic system that is optimized for food production, not marijuana. The technology just kind of halted at marijuana, and all the promised vegetable goodness never materialized in a big sort of way.
That being said, a practical vegetable garden should grow staple foods, like potatoes, beans, carrots and onions, not “accessory vegetables”, with limited nutritional value.
Just because you replace your grass with a garden doesn’t mean you grow vegetables in the soil. A greenhouse with several tiers of plants saves a great deal of aggravation from insects and birds.
If someone could invent a standard system, optimized for a suburban back yard in a given climate, it would put the old victory gardens to shame.
Check these out. Lots of ideas here for efficient urban gardening:
‘The Square Foot Garden’ - Mel Bartholomew
‘How to Grow More Food on Less Land...’ - John Jeavons
‘Lasagna Gardening’ - Patricia Lanza
And if you’ve never met THESE people, you’re in for a treat. They do it all on a 1/4 acre lot in suburban CA: