-Over the years urban has almost become synonymous with concrete, tar and glass. Stormwater, often consider by some to be a necessary evil of built environment, is being treated in some ingenious ways across North America. On a smaller scale as functional art and now, on a larger scale in Los Angeles, incorporated into a park and wetland.
-In major urban centers city officials are finding other ways to use public lands to get people involved in enjoying their community. Seattle is the first to open an edible landscape and community park. Yes, a seven acre permaculture food forest open to all and space for community workshops as well.
And why not, if you can, let someone pick a tomato while waiting for the bus.
So you're done foraging for the day and your refrigerator is already full. Which things absolutely have to go in the fridge and which don't? Although refrigeration technology goes back almost 900 years, humans have been storing things without it for much longer than that. There's a ton to know, and contribute to, the unrefrigeration movement.
-I just made that up, "unrefrigeration", as I did "reverse farming". But, I am not really sure what to call it when you're from the fungal kingdom (traditionally known as a "lower life form") and using species from more highly evolved kingdoms, plants and animals, to bring you to food and even raise food for you.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
February music, word of the week and book review...combined!
Did I just blow your mind?
Many are familiar with E.O. Wilson's biophilia hypothesis. In 2010, Timothy Beatley penned Biophilic Cities. Beatley first addresses why nature and wildness is important in urban and peri-urban lives before outlining the essential elements of a biophilic city.
Of tremendous use to an urban designer/planner or multidisciplinary team in the planning stages of a project would be the "biophilic city indicators" (more like a checklist) on page 47. As a professional in the living architecture field, I found it particularly helpful in framing my work (where exactly do I fit and green roofs, green walls and more on the biophilic design element scale??? Page 85 has the answers!!!) and opening my eyes to new ways for collaborating with others.
And, as luck would have it, Bjorkreleased her full-length album (more like a musical project) biophilia almost a year after Beatley's book. Coincidence? By the way...do they still call them "albums"?
Enjoy the music and let me know what you think of the accompanying apps!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Last reminder for Green Roof Plants and Media class in Toronto
The green roof bootcamp starts tomorrow and my piece on green roof plants and media starts this Sunday.
Make sure to be there. I'm even bringing samples!!! Ooh!!!
Friday, February 17, 2012
A big step in vertical farming
Plantagon has completely set the vertical farming world abuzz. Last week ground was broken on the first one in Sweden. They hope to have "integrated solutions for energy, excess heat, waste, CO2 and water” in about 18 months. We should watch this story closely.
-Another college is now offering a permaculture course. Merritt College charges about $160 for 180 hours of instruction! This is 1/10th the cost of most programs for twice the education.
-Another college is now offering a permaculture course. Merritt College charges about $160 for 180 hours of instruction! This is 1/10th the cost of most programs for twice the education.
Monday, February 13, 2012
A couple of things
-Is cyber gardening the new urban gardening? I really hopenot. With all of the benefits that gardening, let alone simply being around green things provides, I hope, for everyone's sake, this never becomes popular.
-A new report finds that there are more job openings in the
agri-food sector than there are people to fill them.
-Lastly comes a verrrry interesting case study of Toronto's City Hall green roof. This is bound to upset the designer and installer(and perhaps, the receipients) of the green roof. And if Mayor Rob Ford gets a hold of this info...oh dear, who knows what the consequences might be.
-A new report finds that there are more job openings in the
agri-food sector than there are people to fill them.
-Lastly comes a verrrry interesting case study of Toronto's City Hall green roof. This is bound to upset the designer and installer(and perhaps, the receipients) of the green roof. And if Mayor Rob Ford gets a hold of this info...oh dear, who knows what the consequences might be.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
How much does an aquaponics system really cost?
Aquaponics . I have talked a lot about it over the last year and predicted that it would be the biggest GILA (green infrastructure, living architecture) news story of 2012.
I've been waiting for over a year to put my own system together and during the week before New Years I had the time to really give it some thought. What did one need to put a system together?
Using youtube videos,a good book and some patience, it wasn't that hard. The tricky part? Cost.
In David Tracey's book Urban Agriculture: Ideas and Designs for the New Food Revolution he estimates it should cost about $120. (On page 50 he quotes Backyard Bounty Collective as the source for this estimate.)
The list of materials includes:
-Ten gallon aquarium
-Grow bed (plastic storage contain approx. 20” x 12” x 4-6” deep)
-Pump (40-60 gph) capacity
-Hose
-Stainless steel hose clamps
-T-fitting
-Growing medium (hydroton, gravel, perlite)
-Air pump/stone
-Drill
-3/8” bit for drainage holes
-1/16” to 3/32” bit for growing bed, tubing holes
-1/2”-1” bit for hose /tubing entry
-Flathead screwdriver
In the best case scenario, your system is free because you have scrounged around and used some gravel from your yard, borrowed a drill, are given a pump and an old aquarium, etc.
However, the list leaves out a few important things like:
-Plants!
-Fish!
-Lighting (if indoors)
-Timer (if you're going the simple route)
Realistically, an indoor system could cost $300. The major setback? The timer, pump and lights. Together, that could be two-thirds of your total budget. However, I'd like to try this DIY cycle timer, it would slash your timer budget from $50-$125, to $10!!!
And bear in mind that it will take a while to put together. I have spent 15 hours so far going to and from the various stores (no one store has everything), washing medium, researching the best way to use what you have on hand and general tinkering, cutting and more.
But if you figure your system produces three heads of lettuce per month, after a year you could be halfway there to making your money back!
Give it a try. I'll keep you updated on how things go with me.
I've been waiting for over a year to put my own system together and during the week before New Years I had the time to really give it some thought. What did one need to put a system together?
Using youtube videos,a good book and some patience, it wasn't that hard. The tricky part? Cost.
In David Tracey's book Urban Agriculture: Ideas and Designs for the New Food Revolution he estimates it should cost about $120. (On page 50 he quotes Backyard Bounty Collective as the source for this estimate.)
The list of materials includes:
-Ten gallon aquarium
-Grow bed (plastic storage contain approx. 20” x 12” x 4-6” deep)
-Pump (40-60 gph) capacity
-Hose
-Stainless steel hose clamps
-T-fitting
-Growing medium (hydroton, gravel, perlite)
-Air pump/stone
-Drill
-3/8” bit for drainage holes
-1/16” to 3/32” bit for growing bed, tubing holes
-1/2”-1” bit for hose /tubing entry
-Flathead screwdriver
In the best case scenario, your system is free because you have scrounged around and used some gravel from your yard, borrowed a drill, are given a pump and an old aquarium, etc.
However, the list leaves out a few important things like:
-Plants!
-Fish!
-Lighting (if indoors)
-Timer (if you're going the simple route)
Realistically, an indoor system could cost $300. The major setback? The timer, pump and lights. Together, that could be two-thirds of your total budget. However, I'd like to try this DIY cycle timer, it would slash your timer budget from $50-$125, to $10!!!
And bear in mind that it will take a while to put together. I have spent 15 hours so far going to and from the various stores (no one store has everything), washing medium, researching the best way to use what you have on hand and general tinkering, cutting and more.
But if you figure your system produces three heads of lettuce per month, after a year you could be halfway there to making your money back!
Give it a try. I'll keep you updated on how things go with me.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Year 2 of Austin's green roof implementation plan wraps up
-Foodshed planning in California is being taken to a whole new level. San Diego is the latest to give it a go, but San Francisco and Los Angeles were the pioneers.
-It's February and the fiscal year will wrap up in a few short weeks. Austin, Texas is finishing up year 2 of it's 5 year implementation plan. With 26 green roofs documented in the city so far, it looks like they are doing pretty well.
I'm working on a big post for later in the week, so that's it for now!
-It's February and the fiscal year will wrap up in a few short weeks. Austin, Texas is finishing up year 2 of it's 5 year implementation plan. With 26 green roofs documented in the city so far, it looks like they are doing pretty well.
I'm working on a big post for later in the week, so that's it for now!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Two green infrastructure/ living architecture (GILA!) words of the week
-More on the practice of countries buying agricultural land abroad and global food security. This really is a hot topic.
-San Diego city council is firmly behind urban agriculture. Let the goat keeping begin.
-In a couple of articles this week I saw attempts to expand the definition of green infrastructure. Trees are a quintessential (read: budget threatened) example.
I think most people would agree rain gardens are already seen as such. Urban agriculture, not yet, but if adopted city wide (a definite possibility in New York City in a few years), it would be hard to argue against it.
-A double dose: two living architecture/green infrastructure words of the week: regenerative cities and way finding. Yes, things can get wacky in February!
-San Diego city council is firmly behind urban agriculture. Let the goat keeping begin.
-In a couple of articles this week I saw attempts to expand the definition of green infrastructure. Trees are a quintessential (read: budget threatened) example.
I think most people would agree rain gardens are already seen as such. Urban agriculture, not yet, but if adopted city wide (a definite possibility in New York City in a few years), it would be hard to argue against it.
-A double dose: two living architecture/green infrastructure words of the week: regenerative cities and way finding. Yes, things can get wacky in February!
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