Hydroponics work well in urban and arid areas. Some entrepreneurs are using shipping containers for intensive hydroponics, selling their crops to local restaurants. The big selling point is that the produce is grown locally. What is overlooked is the need for substantially amounts of electricity for artificial lighting and climate control. My wife has grown some vegetables using hydroponics, but the yield wasn't too impressive. Personally, I'll stick to growing in soil, as I know it works.