This is the last post of 2011, so I have to make it good.
-Last week I did a Battle of the Book Reviews. One of the books I reviewed was by David Tracey, and earlier in the year he wrote an article detailing the word, Usufruct. It seems, thankfully, this hasn't been necessary in New York, where real estate developers are actively seeking out urban agriculture entrepreneurs to use their land when construction has ground to a halt.
-Two quick articles about deconstruction, an oldie and a new one. They give ample reason for you to be the first in your community (because, the Living Architecture Daily blog has a global audience of go-getters) to inspire or launch a deconstruction business.
-A couple of aquaponics stories to finish up the year, because I believe aquaponics will be on the tip of everyone's tongue in 2012. Others agree.
In Bahrain it looks like a rather large public-private partnership could fall through because of new demands by city councillors. It doesn't say how big the project would be, but if there's a 25 year lease, I would guess pretty big.
And it looks like Rwanda had a $9 million dollar project launched in 2011.
Thanks to everyone who checked out the blog this year! The number of readers has skyrocketed and I can't wait to see what the living architecture and urban agriculture (LAUA! Did I just create a new acronym????) world has in store for us in 2012! verticiel has big things planned, see you on the other side!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Green roof training in Philly, green roof food production in Vancouver
I've taken a breather between celebrations to catch up on some living architecture news.
-Valcent Products, one of the first to the vertical farming table, has signed on with the City of Vancouver to open a parking garage green house which could churn out over 95 tons of produce per year.
-In Philadelphia a green roofing program over the last year has trained over 30 individuals and installed 11 "green roofs", 2 vegetated and 9 white roofs. The program features a unique combination of government, non-profit and private support.
-Remember when I admitted knowing very, very little about urban agriculture projects in the Southwestern US? Thanks to the Worldwatch Institute I now know a whole lot more!
-The UK's Offshoots Permaculture Project won an International Green Award last week. If their beekeeping tutorials are par for their teaching courses, the award is well-deserved. And speaking of permaculture, it's been a while, but here's a little permaculture informationin Spanish.
Now for more resting!!!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Santa spotted on California green roof + Holiday music
Let the kids know, the reindeer are on the green roof as well!
And of course, some holiday music for 2011. Enjoy everyone!!!
Blues Travler - Christmas
The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
Gilberto Gil - Lamento Sertanejo
Pepe Castillo - Aguinaldo Jibaro
Run-DMC - Christmas in Hollis
They Might be Giants - Feast of Lights
Rudolph's Shiny New Year - Father Time's Song
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Battle of the Book Reviews - Urban Agriculture vs The Urban Food Revolution
If you're looking for a holiday gift concerning Urban Agriculture/Food I have you covered. 2011 saw two notable books come out The Urban Food Revolution - Changing the Way We Feed Cities by Peter Ladner and Urban Agriculture - Ideas and Designs for the New Food Revolution by David Tracey.
Here's the breakdown:
-Urban Food Revolution is for those who are new to the idea of urban food and urban agriculture. If you are a frequent reader of this blog or involved in the movement already, there is little new here and to be honest, a book like this comes out every year.
The author is a politician turned journalist who adequately summarizes the various aspects of the movements.
The highlights of the book are contained in pages 88-93. It's here where entrepreneurs can get valuable information on the costs of running your own balcony farm, the cost to set up Valcent ground breaking vertical farming operation, and the cost to set up an urban agriculture farm in a metropolis like Philadelphia.
Having tried to piece together this information myself, it was quite a treat to find of all of this information in one place.
Although there are solutions sprinkled throughout the book, the final chapter is devoted solely to how to fix North America's current urban agriculture woes. However in my opinion, there just aren't enough solutions here and that's what we need more of than anything.
-As for David Tracey's book, it's for that person in your life who wants to get their hands dirty. Whereas the former book was written more for an academic, the latter book is for the farmer in all of us, whether they are new to the field or old hands. It's a terrific source of ideas, big and small, and designs too, for how we can turn our urban areas into farms. Instructions on how to increase your backyard or container yields or start a community garden are all here.
The Urban Food Revolution - Changing the Way We Feed Cities wins, hands down!
p.s. Both of the writers hail from Vancouver, where there is a lot more about their burgeoning urban ag industry.
Here's the breakdown:
-Urban Food Revolution is for those who are new to the idea of urban food and urban agriculture. If you are a frequent reader of this blog or involved in the movement already, there is little new here and to be honest, a book like this comes out every year.
The author is a politician turned journalist who adequately summarizes the various aspects of the movements.
The highlights of the book are contained in pages 88-93. It's here where entrepreneurs can get valuable information on the costs of running your own balcony farm, the cost to set up Valcent ground breaking vertical farming operation, and the cost to set up an urban agriculture farm in a metropolis like Philadelphia.
Having tried to piece together this information myself, it was quite a treat to find of all of this information in one place.
Although there are solutions sprinkled throughout the book, the final chapter is devoted solely to how to fix North America's current urban agriculture woes. However in my opinion, there just aren't enough solutions here and that's what we need more of than anything.
-As for David Tracey's book, it's for that person in your life who wants to get their hands dirty. Whereas the former book was written more for an academic, the latter book is for the farmer in all of us, whether they are new to the field or old hands. It's a terrific source of ideas, big and small, and designs too, for how we can turn our urban areas into farms. Instructions on how to increase your backyard or container yields or start a community garden are all here.
The Urban Food Revolution - Changing the Way We Feed Cities wins, hands down!
p.s. Both of the writers hail from Vancouver, where there is a lot more about their burgeoning urban ag industry.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
32 square foot green roof for $20,000
A 32 square foot green roof for $20,000??? Yes, you heard right.. No one can argue that this is a good thing, educationally, and that the tiny green roof provides minimal environmental impact (the officials was smart to say that right away)...but in a time where economic austerity is sweeping the continent, that money could certainly have been used for another green roof projects with greater educational and environmental reach.
-PRI Cold Climate is looking for individuals and/or design teams to create a self-sustaining system for growing annual or perennial food crops in cold climates. Deadline for registration is January 6!
-Ahhh...now I understand why Michigan's Right to Farm Act and the City of Detroit seeking an exemption from it to allow urban agriculture, was such a big deal. At least, I think that I understand. Some have fears that "nuisance odors, traffic and similar issues" would be hard to control. However the Michigan Agriculture Commission approved amendments Wednesday to state farm regulations, so we'll see how things turn out.
-PRI Cold Climate is looking for individuals and/or design teams to create a self-sustaining system for growing annual or perennial food crops in cold climates. Deadline for registration is January 6!
-Ahhh...now I understand why Michigan's Right to Farm Act and the City of Detroit seeking an exemption from it to allow urban agriculture, was such a big deal. At least, I think that I understand. Some have fears that "nuisance odors, traffic and similar issues" would be hard to control. However the Michigan Agriculture Commission approved amendments Wednesday to state farm regulations, so we'll see how things turn out.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Hamburg, Germany wants multiple High Lines
During certain times of the year there are lulls in living architecture news. Traditionally, mid to late December is oh so quiet.
However, there are a few interesting tidbits today and later in the month I will have a couple of top 5 and top 10 lists.
But first...
-Hamburg, Germany, is committing $1 billion to High Linesque parks covering one of their busiest highways.
-I should also add, even though it's the dead of winter, it's not too early to start thinking about permaculture courses and the spring. Alaska will be beautiful in late April!
However, there are a few interesting tidbits today and later in the month I will have a couple of top 5 and top 10 lists.
But first...
-Hamburg, Germany, is committing $1 billion to High Linesque parks covering one of their busiest highways.
-I should also add, even though it's the dead of winter, it's not too early to start thinking about permaculture courses and the spring. Alaska will be beautiful in late April!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Urban agriculture best practices across the USA
A couple of quick urban agriculture hits!
Earlier this week the Turner Environmental Law Clinic released a report detailing best practices across the United States.
A few things jump out at me from the executive summary, I'll have more comments on the whole thing later:
1. If you'd like to detail the best urban agriculture practices "in these parts", it would make sense to include Canada's biggest cities as well (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal). There's much to be learned and on the grassroots level, I have seen a fair amount of idea cross-pollination.
2. I know precious little about urban agriculture in the southwestern US (and there's nothing about it in this report). Note to self (and everyone out there reading) for future blog post, find out what's happening down in the desert, because we rarely hear about it.
-For those across Canada, you have until January 31 to apply for the Green Grants Program and possible get $10,000 for your urban agriculture, community development or environmental stewardship project.
Earlier this week the Turner Environmental Law Clinic released a report detailing best practices across the United States.
A few things jump out at me from the executive summary, I'll have more comments on the whole thing later:
1. If you'd like to detail the best urban agriculture practices "in these parts", it would make sense to include Canada's biggest cities as well (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal). There's much to be learned and on the grassroots level, I have seen a fair amount of idea cross-pollination.
2. I know precious little about urban agriculture in the southwestern US (and there's nothing about it in this report). Note to self (and everyone out there reading) for future blog post, find out what's happening down in the desert, because we rarely hear about it.
-For those across Canada, you have until January 31 to apply for the Green Grants Program and possible get $10,000 for your urban agriculture, community development or environmental stewardship project.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
December tunes + Aquaponics arms race begins
Consider it "game on" in the aquaponics world.
-Getting a head start on marketing, a group in Berlin, Germany hope to have an urban agriculture factory up and running in 2013. Not a small one, either, about 80,000 square feet. Total cost? $6.7 million dollars. Not to be outdone, earlier this week a group which will be based in England will have the world's largest biomass to energy facility on 300 acres of land and the world's largest aquaponics facility. I guess that we'll see about that.
-Speaking of the UK and firsts, an English school will have the first institutional aquaponic facility.
-On to what soon may be considered "old style" urban agriculture, hearings will be heard in Montreal concerning urban agriculture starting in the spring. In total, volunteers need 15,000 and got almost twice that. Will they be allowed to raise fowl legally? How about beekeeping? Stay tuned.
And no, I didn't forget. It's just a bit late, so here ya go!
Weezer December
Edie Brickell Air Of December
Willie Nelson December Day
Tower of Power Only So Much Oil In The Ground Okay, this has nothing to do with December...but, the peak oilers should appreciate it!
-Getting a head start on marketing, a group in Berlin, Germany hope to have an urban agriculture factory up and running in 2013. Not a small one, either, about 80,000 square feet. Total cost? $6.7 million dollars. Not to be outdone, earlier this week a group which will be based in England will have the world's largest biomass to energy facility on 300 acres of land and the world's largest aquaponics facility. I guess that we'll see about that.
-Speaking of the UK and firsts, an English school will have the first institutional aquaponic facility.
-On to what soon may be considered "old style" urban agriculture, hearings will be heard in Montreal concerning urban agriculture starting in the spring. In total, volunteers need 15,000 and got almost twice that. Will they be allowed to raise fowl legally? How about beekeeping? Stay tuned.
And no, I didn't forget. It's just a bit late, so here ya go!
Weezer December
Edie Brickell Air Of December
Willie Nelson December Day
Tower of Power Only So Much Oil In The Ground Okay, this has nothing to do with December...but, the peak oilers should appreciate it!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Peak oil deal o' the day: Food Storage Kit - 1 year - 40 people - only $30,000
This may be a hardcore peak oilers dream and I have soooooo many questions for someone at Sam's Club.
1) Who is the marketing genius behind this? And does he/she have Peter Thiel on speed dial?
2) How many have they sold so far?
3) How did they do their market research? "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm calling from Sam's Club. Let me ask you a question. How much would you pay for 43,800 meals? $30 Grand? Okay, done deal."
4) So if you live in Hawaii, Alaska or a commonwealth like Puerto Rico, it's no soup for you... but, if you live in the Northern Mariana Islands, you are golden?
Buen prubechu!
1) Who is the marketing genius behind this? And does he/she have Peter Thiel on speed dial?
2) How many have they sold so far?
3) How did they do their market research? "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm calling from Sam's Club. Let me ask you a question. How much would you pay for 43,800 meals? $30 Grand? Okay, done deal."
4) So if you live in Hawaii, Alaska or a commonwealth like Puerto Rico, it's no soup for you... but, if you live in the Northern Mariana Islands, you are golden?
Buen prubechu!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
How to green an economy? Lessons from Germany's road, roofs and railways
-Earlier this week I reviewed a debate from October's Ontario provincial election. The members had ideas about how to green the economy, but really, who knows what needs to be done to make it actually work? Ah ha! The Solutions Journal, says follow Germany's lead!
-Will large scale urban farming finally take flight in Detroit? And why, after almost 3 years if the law doesn't need to be changed, why can't a big farm start making some bucks? Another question is, once the farm is operational, what kind of urban farming jobs will be available? Meanwhile Toronto will decide in the spring whether to allow backyard fowl.
-In a battle royale between Small Planet Institute's Anna Lappe and Freakonomics Steve Sexton guess who reigns supreme?
-The urban agriculture word of the week is "food swapping." You heard it here, folks. Let's see if this practice picks up steam!
-Will large scale urban farming finally take flight in Detroit? And why, after almost 3 years if the law doesn't need to be changed, why can't a big farm start making some bucks? Another question is, once the farm is operational, what kind of urban farming jobs will be available? Meanwhile Toronto will decide in the spring whether to allow backyard fowl.
-In a battle royale between Small Planet Institute's Anna Lappe and Freakonomics Steve Sexton guess who reigns supreme?
-The urban agriculture word of the week is "food swapping." You heard it here, folks. Let's see if this practice picks up steam!
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