Need I say more?
Enjoy!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
GILA word of the week: Pinkhouse
Good stuff from the last week.
-There are sooooo many people working on vertical farming techniques and solutions and it's great when folks with good ideas come to the surface to share what they've been working on for decades.
Like this "pink house" idea, which the researcher proposes would best fit in the suburbs.
-Here's a fantastic hotel in Dubai:
With over 27,000 plants spread across six floors, this is probably the biggest living wall in the United Arab Emirates.
- If you're involved in the rainwater catchment industry, here's your chance to give a little bit of information to help fill out the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. ARCSA is conducting their first survey (which is due May 31) in over 20 years!
-There are sooooo many people working on vertical farming techniques and solutions and it's great when folks with good ideas come to the surface to share what they've been working on for decades.
Like this "pink house" idea, which the researcher proposes would best fit in the suburbs.
-Here's a fantastic hotel in Dubai:
With over 27,000 plants spread across six floors, this is probably the biggest living wall in the United Arab Emirates.
- If you're involved in the rainwater catchment industry, here's your chance to give a little bit of information to help fill out the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. ARCSA is conducting their first survey (which is due May 31) in over 20 years!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Green roofs, now better than ever!
If you’re a fan of green roofs no doubt you read the Scientific American article a couple of weeks ago which set off a mini-firestorm in the green roof and broader green infrastructure world. I won’t direct you to all of the sites which reprinted and summarized the article, but they appeared on websites with large followings and active communities (check the comments section of some of those sites!)
Before diving into the comments, let’s take a look at the actual article. As we all know headlines are meant to capture readers and this one certainly did that. The problem seems to be green roofs in America’s biggest, most iconic city are essentially broken, but fixable. In particular the author asserts that they have not fared well in reducing urban heat island and energy usage. That is definitely debatable, as there are several studies which show green roofs can help with both. However, the article offers no evidence for this assertion and actually spends most of its space concerned with another issue, how green roofs planted with primarily sedum species plants do not perform well in regards to stormwater management.
We should take a step back even further and look at the original statement that green roofs are not working because not everyone gets a green roof for the same reason. With over twelve different green roof benefits there are a lots of reasons to get one and yours may be performing exactly as you expected it to. Especially if you bought one to reduce your long term roof replacement costs. Or if you bought one for aesthetics..and year after year it looks amazing!
But one to the stormwater management assertion...
Before reading Scott MacIvor’s work it has been verticiel’s aim to install a range of plants, not solely sedum species, on it's projects. Several grasses can work in 4-6 inches of medium and not a green roof is designed these days without our green roof champs chives and oregano. If you can have a rooftop you can eat from, why not? That's our philosophy, design a roof which provides as many benefits as possible. However we should all be thankful that he is pushing the industry forward and finding out what is best for the environment, even if your practice was to simply install or recommend sedum species plants.
Reading the comments sections I think some people took offense to how he described sedum species plants as “Just being there.” Years ago when I first started in the industry I was surprised at how passionately people felt about certain kinds of plants. Most feel indifferent about plants. Some people LOVE sedum species plants and I have met some who absolutely despise them! To those who abhor sedum species plants, this article means less of them around. And they couldn't be happier.
And to those who love native plants, having someone speak out against plants commonly found in Asia and Europe on North American rooftops, is a cause for a party and gives ammunition to their passionate argument.
Parsing the comment sections further one can plainly see other underlying sentiments. There are those (green roof designers, installers, growers) who have staked their whole business on sedum species plants, Amy Kraft’s article could be one which easily causes their businesses to tailspin...and quickly. And so they react passionately.
I imagine there are other green roof supporters who fear green roofs have plenty of detractors already and now those opponents have even more ammunition against a truly wonderful technology.
But I fear not and neither should you. This article gives us more to discuss. And finding ways to make green roofs better benefits us all, and for that we should be very appreciative!
Before diving into the comments, let’s take a look at the actual article. As we all know headlines are meant to capture readers and this one certainly did that. The problem seems to be green roofs in America’s biggest, most iconic city are essentially broken, but fixable. In particular the author asserts that they have not fared well in reducing urban heat island and energy usage. That is definitely debatable, as there are several studies which show green roofs can help with both. However, the article offers no evidence for this assertion and actually spends most of its space concerned with another issue, how green roofs planted with primarily sedum species plants do not perform well in regards to stormwater management.
We should take a step back even further and look at the original statement that green roofs are not working because not everyone gets a green roof for the same reason. With over twelve different green roof benefits there are a lots of reasons to get one and yours may be performing exactly as you expected it to. Especially if you bought one to reduce your long term roof replacement costs. Or if you bought one for aesthetics..and year after year it looks amazing!
But one to the stormwater management assertion...
Before reading Scott MacIvor’s work it has been verticiel’s aim to install a range of plants, not solely sedum species, on it's projects. Several grasses can work in 4-6 inches of medium and not a green roof is designed these days without our green roof champs chives and oregano. If you can have a rooftop you can eat from, why not? That's our philosophy, design a roof which provides as many benefits as possible. However we should all be thankful that he is pushing the industry forward and finding out what is best for the environment, even if your practice was to simply install or recommend sedum species plants.
Reading the comments sections I think some people took offense to how he described sedum species plants as “Just being there.” Years ago when I first started in the industry I was surprised at how passionately people felt about certain kinds of plants. Most feel indifferent about plants. Some people LOVE sedum species plants and I have met some who absolutely despise them! To those who abhor sedum species plants, this article means less of them around. And they couldn't be happier.
And to those who love native plants, having someone speak out against plants commonly found in Asia and Europe on North American rooftops, is a cause for a party and gives ammunition to their passionate argument.
Parsing the comment sections further one can plainly see other underlying sentiments. There are those (green roof designers, installers, growers) who have staked their whole business on sedum species plants, Amy Kraft’s article could be one which easily causes their businesses to tailspin...and quickly. And so they react passionately.
I imagine there are other green roof supporters who fear green roofs have plenty of detractors already and now those opponents have even more ammunition against a truly wonderful technology.
But I fear not and neither should you. This article gives us more to discuss. And finding ways to make green roofs better benefits us all, and for that we should be very appreciative!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Green roofs not working in NYC?
A few quick hits...
Aquaponics is a fantastic idea, especially in areas around the world without access to the ocean. In Gaza city the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has set up 15 aquaponic urban farms to lessen food insecurity. Good to know the program has expanded.
-As for this article about Manhattan’s Green Roofs "not working"...well, I will tackle that on Monday, but you should have a gander today if you haven't seen it already!
Aquaponics is a fantastic idea, especially in areas around the world without access to the ocean. In Gaza city the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has set up 15 aquaponic urban farms to lessen food insecurity. Good to know the program has expanded.
-As for this article about Manhattan’s Green Roofs "not working"...well, I will tackle that on Monday, but you should have a gander today if you haven't seen it already!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Urban agriculture in Spain
La Ciudad Jubilada / The Retired City from Pau Faus on Vimeo.
Continuing our focus on Spanish language GILA, I give you... --
El día a día de uno de los muchos jubilados que autocultivan sus propios huertos en tierras residuales que no les pertenecen, entre los ríos, las autopistas o las vías de tren de la periferia de Barcelona. Explorar y conocer estos huertos es un modo de aproximarse a una de las muchas prácticas autónomas que, desde su ‘desobediencia’, también dan forma a la ciudad contemporánea. Prácticas que, lejos de ser anecdóticas, nos dan muchas pistas sobre lo que ocurre detrás del supuesto orden urbano. El trabajo se centra en la dimensión social de estos huertos autoconstruidos, entendidos aquí como una lección de autonomía en una sociedad que insiste en asimilar 'Jubilación' a inutilidad y dependencia.
Este video complementa la publicación "La Ciudad Jubilada: Breve diccionario sobre los huertos informales en los ríos de Barcelona”
...
The daily life of one of the many retirees who cultivate their own allotment gardens in an urban margin land that doesn’t belong to them, between rivers, highways and railroad tracks on the outskirts of Barcelona. To explore and get to know these gardens is a way of approaching one of the many autonomous practices that, from its 'disobedience', also shape our contemporary cities. Practices that far from being simply incidental can give us many clues about what is going on behind the supposed urban order. This work focuses on the social dimension of these self-constructed gardens, seen here as a lesson of autonomy in a society that insists on assimilating 'Retirement' to uselessness and dependence.
This video complements the publication "The Retired City: Brief Dictionary on the informal gardens of the rivers of Barcelona."
Continuing our focus on Spanish language GILA, I give you... --
El día a día de uno de los muchos jubilados que autocultivan sus propios huertos en tierras residuales que no les pertenecen, entre los ríos, las autopistas o las vías de tren de la periferia de Barcelona. Explorar y conocer estos huertos es un modo de aproximarse a una de las muchas prácticas autónomas que, desde su ‘desobediencia’, también dan forma a la ciudad contemporánea. Prácticas que, lejos de ser anecdóticas, nos dan muchas pistas sobre lo que ocurre detrás del supuesto orden urbano. El trabajo se centra en la dimensión social de estos huertos autoconstruidos, entendidos aquí como una lección de autonomía en una sociedad que insiste en asimilar 'Jubilación' a inutilidad y dependencia.
Este video complementa la publicación "La Ciudad Jubilada: Breve diccionario sobre los huertos informales en los ríos de Barcelona”
...
The daily life of one of the many retirees who cultivate their own allotment gardens in an urban margin land that doesn’t belong to them, between rivers, highways and railroad tracks on the outskirts of Barcelona. To explore and get to know these gardens is a way of approaching one of the many autonomous practices that, from its 'disobedience', also shape our contemporary cities. Practices that far from being simply incidental can give us many clues about what is going on behind the supposed urban order. This work focuses on the social dimension of these self-constructed gardens, seen here as a lesson of autonomy in a society that insists on assimilating 'Retirement' to uselessness and dependence.
This video complements the publication "The Retired City: Brief Dictionary on the informal gardens of the rivers of Barcelona."
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