"If we speak of a healthy community, we cannot be speaking of a community that is merely human. We are talking about a neighborhood of humans in a place, plus the place itself: its soil, its water, its air, and all the families and tribes of the nonhuman creatures that belong to it. What is more, it is only if this whole community is healthy…[and] the human economy is in practical harmony with the nature of the place, that its members can remain healthy and be healthy in body and mind and live in a sustainable manner." ~ Wendell Berry
" Permaculture is the design practice of creating truly sustainable human settlements that mimic, honor, and cooperate with natural ecosystems."
A city is both an organism and an ecosystem. Its elements are intertwined and overlapping. Yet, most cities are dysfunctional in terms of operating like a healthy ecosystem or closed-loop system.
The way modern cities are set up, it takes many outside resources to keep them functioning. Our food is trucked in, our goods are trucked in (or flown or shipped in), our water is piped in from external reservoirs. And in turn, many resources we produce, mainly in terms of what we call “trash” or “pollution” are carted off or washed away with the rain. Our food scraps and material trash are sent to landfills way outside of the city. Our sewage is flushed to sea; rainwater flushes sewage and chemicals into the ocean.
This is the height of inefficiency and dysfunction. Why can’t we utilize the resources we have in our cities? Why are we throwing them away?
One easy answer is, it’s just the way it is. It’s how our cities have been set up and there are various barriers to change the way things are done. But I won’t get into the bureaucratic problems or political barriers. I’m here to talk about solutions to the tangible stuff. In many cases, one solution will handle many problems. And as permaculturists (aka, permies) like to say, The Problem Is The Solution. Here are some examples.
Problems #1:
* Toxic soil
* Poor air quality (non-compliance with the Clean Air Act)
* Greenhouse gas emissions (climate change)
* High populations suffering from asthma, obesity, diabetes
* Dependence on outside resources for food
* No place to bury waste (no landfill space)
* Rats
Solution #1: Composting & Food Production
Food scraps are perhaps the number one wasted resource of big cities. Composting food scraps (mixed with leaf litter, paper, tree trimmings and other carbon) will provide nutrient rich soil. Nutrient rich soil has the power to remediate toxic soil. Nutrient rich soil has the power to grow food.
If we don’t truck out our food scraps and instead remediate our soils and grow our own food then we’ll have eliminated the need to truck in food as well. Fewer trucks in and out means fewer emissions polluting the air, which means reduced asthma triggers. If we’re growing nutrient dense food in the city, our people will be eating healthier and reducing their risk for diabetes and obesity.
The Fort Mason Community Garden in San Francisco. Credit: Briggs Nisbet, The Architect's Newspaper
The Fort Mason Community Garden in San Francisco. Credit: Briggs Nisbet, The Architect's Newspaper
Food scraps, when put in a landfill, release the powerful greenhouse gas, methane. Methane is 25 times more potent than carbon. If we compost our food scraps and other wastes, there will not just be less to bury in a landfill, there will be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Oh yeah, the rats. If we’re not putting our food scraps on the curb and instead properly mixing them with carbon (trees, leaves, etc.) to create compost, we won’t be tempting our little four-legged friends with midnight curbside snacks.
Problems #2:
* Combined sewer overflow (CSO)
* Dependence on external water resources (reservoirs)
* Polluted waters (non-compliance with the Clean Water Act)
* Urban heat island effect
* Extreme energy demand in summer (air-conditioning)
* Thirsty street trees
* Nature deficit disorder
Solution #2: Hold onto the Rain
The urban environment – paved over, filled in, built upon. Concrete and asphalt are ubiquitous, and are not permeable surfaces. Water rolls off of them, picking up whatever particulates happen to be lying around – lead, mercury, petrochemicals, trash. This polluted water finds its way to the river, to the ocean.
The way our sewers were set up, combining raw sewage with stormwater run-off, well, you can imagine this toxic mire just floating into our waterways every time it rains. As little as 5/8 of an inch of rain is enough to set up a combined sewer overflow (CSO) event in New York City.
In this paved-over place, any semblance of plant life grows in the cracks and crevices in between hardscape, in abandoned lots or abandoned buildings. (A good example of this was the High Line, before it became a park.) This plant life has the power to hold onto the water and store it, preventing the stormwater run-off that pollutes the water.
If we let things be, natural succession of plant life will take place, albeit slowly. But if we speed succession, green will return, which will both keep rainwater on site and invite wildlife back.
There are several ways to approach this, a combination of which can solve the problem. Here are some impactful approaches to increasing water-absorbing potential:
* Plant and care for street trees (and give them bigger tree beds, where possible)
* Install and care for green roofs
* Create more rain gardens
* Start more and tend existing community gardens
* Break up parking lots and other underutilized hard surfaces to create riparian buffer zones
In planting more, gardening more, we will reduce the hardscape and increase the natural green landscape which in turn reduces urban heat island effect, stormwater run-off (and CSOs, polluted water), the need for excessive air conditioning. And we’ll also have the psychological benefits that greenery brings (Please see this wonderful document, Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-being Through Urban Landscapes for more on the subject).
Another way to hold the water in the city is through rainwater harvesting. There are some fairly simple systems for rainwater harvesting which can be used to water street trees, gardens, urban yards, and urban farms. In many places – such as Singapore, Japan, and Germany – rainwater is now being used for general residential use. Perhaps someday we will use rainwater to feed our showers and laundry machines in big modern cities as well, which would reduce our dependence on external reservoir systems.
On November 3rd the Municipal Art Society of New York will hold the Jane Jacobs Forum to talk about the future of economic development and urban designing implications of setting up urban farms to help feed NYC in the future.On November 3rd the Municipal Art Society of New York will hold the Jane Jacobs Forum... more
I haven't read the whole article, yet, but this kind of grand planning worries me, especially since—if I'm reading this correctly—they seem to want to do it in an 18th century french revival style.
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The public character of Washington has grown around two grand plans. First, Charles L'Enfant laid out the city as a sacred grove for the marking of America's history. One century later, the McMillan Commission restored and expanded upon that original design to include the history of the Nineteenth Century.
The city center has grown up in the second hundred years since, enough for Congress to declare the Mall closed to new development. Meanwhile, the rest of the city has built up or spread out into suburbs. In light of the last fifty years, a group of traditional Washingtonian architects have developed an audacious proposal for the next lifetime of growth, known as McMillan Two. Fulfilling some less-known intentions of the McMillan Plan with slight modifications, this plan essentially calls for bringing Paris, mansard, Seine and all, to the Capital of the United States.
[full article at link]
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What do you think about the design itself, historical revival styles, and the whole idea of large scale master planning?I haven't read the whole article, yet, but this kind of grand planning worries me,... more
Rotterdam architecture studio GROUP A have completed a tower block in Arnhem, the Netherlands, to be used for student housing. The building, called Blok 1, contains nine floors of dormitories and a communal roof terrace. The façade comprises a patchwork of brown panelling and windows, which aim to maximise the natural light in each dormitory.
(par.1-3)
Blok 1 is part of the redevelopment of the Presikhaaf area in Arnhem, with plans to demolish the post-war architecture currently found in the neighbourhood and replace it with more upmarket housing.
(par.4)
[more details at the link....]Rotterdam architecture studio GROUP A have completed a tower block in Arnhem, the... more
Urban development in the Netherlands leads to debate, but they can still pull off a gorgeous book!Urban development in the Netherlands leads to debate, but they can still pull off a... more
Bloomframe is an innovative window designed by Hofman Dujardin Architects from which can be transformed into a balcony. Opening the Bloomframe window offers the possibility to step outside and enjoy the outdoor space. With one simple movement, light, air and space are added to the interior.
(Michael; Notcot, 2009, September 4, par.1)
The Bloomframe® balcony, designed by Hofman Dujardin Architects and developed and manufactured by Hurks geveltechniek, is the winner of the prestigious Wallpaper* Design Award 2009 in the category Most-life-enhancing-product.” Additionally it’s picked up – 1st prize Audi Design Award 2008, 1st prize Red Dot Design Award 2008 Germany, Nomination Index Design Award 2009 Denmark, Nomination Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany 2009, and Nomination MKB Innovation Top 100 2009.
(Michael; Notcot, 2009, September 4, par.2)Bloomframe is an innovative window designed by Hofman Dujardin Architects from which... more
Slovakian architects Vallo Sadovsky have created a flexible pavilion for a public square in Bratislava. The BA_LIK pavilion is composed of five wheeled elements that can be configured as exhibition or performance spaces.
(Fairs, M., 2009, August 31, par.1-2)
BA_LIK pavilion designed by Vallo Sadovsky Architects is set in one of the Bratislava’s historical squares. It is one of the projects of City Interventions, their long running initiative which invites young architects to propose feasible architectural solutions to various problems and neglected spaces in Bratislava, with the hope that, within an urban context, small changes can create big effects. (www.cityinterventions.sk)
(Fairs, M., 2009, August 31, par.4)Slovakian architects Vallo Sadovsky have created a flexible pavilion for a public... more
Foster + Partners, announced in their web site that in collaboration with PHA and Mobility in Chain, they have won an international competition where architects were challanged to come up with a masterplan for the expansion of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, encompassing the islands of Kanghwa and Onjin-gun, to the North East of Seoul, thus simply bridging Communism and Capitalism.
Incheon’s Free Economic Zone, the first in Korea, was officially designated by the Korean government in August of 2003. The goal is to transform this area into hubs for logistics, international business, leisure, and tourism for the Northeast Asian, improving the business environment for foreign-invested enterprises and the living conditions for foreigners. IFEZ is planned to be a self-contained living and business district featuring air and sea transportation, a logistics complex, an international business center, financial services, residences, schools and hospitals, and shopping and entertainment centres.
The place will not only be a symbolic bridge between two feuding countries, aslo a hub for green industry (pv panels and wind turbins manufacturers for instance). The masterplan includes biomass energy generation, the use of hydrogen fuel cells and hydroponic roofs. Onjin-gun Island will be transformed into a sustainable resort and world’s longest bridge will connect South to North Korea and the airport.
for the full article, please follow the URLFoster + Partners, announced in their web site that in collaboration with PHA and... more
Recently, a parking space in Boston was purchased for $300,000. What implications does this sale have on our transportation future?Recently, a parking space in Boston was purchased for $300,000. What implications does... more
PARK(ing) Day is a one-day, worldwide event that raises awareness about the use of public space and urban planning issues by transforming parking spaces into public parks, guerrilla-style.
I hope that this video will give you an impression of what an amazing and transformational event this can be. Also, given that PARK(ing) Day 2009 is just about a month from now, this is the perfect time to start planning your own project for September 18. Check out the PARK(ing) Day 2009 Web site that’s been revamped with wonderful digital tools to help you get inspired and started with a project of your own.PARK(ing) Day is a one-day, worldwide event that raises awareness about the use of... more
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - At the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, thousands celebrated the official start of summer, while some debated the prudence of economic development plans.
By Video Journalist Olu Gittens (Producer / Reporter/ Cameraperson / Editor / Writer / Narrator)
Program: Oh Gee Presents on Manhattan Neighborhood Network
Production Facilities courtesy of MNN
Copyright 2009 by Olu Gittens, Oh Gee ProductionsBROOKLYN, NEW YORK - At the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, thousands celebrated the... more
The next time you're waiting at an intersection, look around and imagine how much of the built (and furnished) environment stands empty and unused at any given time. Cafés in the financial district are closed at dinnertime; restaurants that specialize in dinner fare are silent until mid-afternoon; parking lots that fill during the workweek are largely vacant after 6pm and often on weekends.The next time you're waiting at an intersection, look around and imagine how much of... more
We learn from Curbed that environmentalists are agog at the idea of converting Central Park in New York into a new airport. And why not? look at all the fuel that will be saved on trips to and from Kennedy and LaGuardia. And after Sully's Glider got knocked out of the sky by Canada Geese, it is perfectly obvious that if you have too much green space these things breed unsustainably. Isn't it better to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and turn Central Park into a fabulous new airport?
And as Toronto's experience with Porter Airlines has shown, you can't be a world-class city without a downtown airport. It just makes so much sense to take New York's last, biggest undeveloped piece of land and turn it into something useful, especially if it saves precious fossil fuel. The Manhattan Airport Organization writes:
Perhaps most importantly, the significant reduction in energy consumption and carbon-based emissions pursuant to single-person automobile trips between Manhattan and the region’s existing three major airports underscores the fact that building Manhattan Airport is a critical step in living up to our environmental responsibility.
Regular readers of this site will know that we are committed to historic preservation, that "the greenest brick is the one already in the wall." Therefore we are pleased to report that:
Vestigial architectural elements of the original Central Park site will, when possible, be retained or reworked in to the context of the new designs. Past will meet present in an aesthetic, yet pragmatic dialogue as our city’s priceless architectural heritage is reshaped and infused with a bold new relevance and sense of purpose befitting the financial and cultural capital of the world.
Congratulations to the Manhattan Airport Foundation and the " numerous civic organizations, design professionals, and civic-minded individuals and businesses from New York and around the world, united in the goal of providing a viable transportation hub in New York City for the benefit of all New Yorkers."We learn from Curbed that environmentalists are agog at the idea of converting Central... more
New York and Paris will soon be joined by Morristown, Tennessee as cities that have turned abandoned, elevated bits of their aging infrastructure into pleasant walkways. New York’s High Line and Paris’ Promenade Plantee have justifiably received many pages of press, but Morristown’s 1968 Skywalk is known to few people outside of eastern Tennessee. The sheer audacity of the concrete promenade—“built to Interstate quality,” with planter boxes and piped-in Musak—should rank it with the better-known works of 1960s utopian planning. It’s not exactly Cedric Price’s Potteries Thinkbelt in aspiration, but more like Peter and Alison Smithson’s concrete service ramps in Robin Hood Gardens if they were designed by Victor Gruen. Yet unlike most of the era’s utopian visions, over 1,000 feet of Skywalk was actually built.
[full article at link]New York and Paris will soon be joined by Morristown, Tennessee as cities that have... more
Shifting seasons are destroying harvests and causing widespread hunger--but this is just one of the multiple climate change impacts taking their toll on the world’s poorest people--according to a new report released today by Oxfam.Shifting seasons are destroying harvests and causing widespread hunger--but this is... more
If passed, the bill would be a giant step toward low-carbon electric power, but it would not, as many of its proponents claim, solve the grave problem of U.S. oil dependence.If passed, the bill would be a giant step toward low-carbon electric power, but it... more
Standing on a newly renovated stretch of an elevated promenade that was once a railway line for delivering cattle — surrounded by advocates, elected officials and architects who made the transformation happen — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg cut a red ribbon on Monday morning to signify that the first phase of the High Line is finished and ready for strolling.Standing on a newly renovated stretch of an elevated promenade that was once a railway... more
Bold, bio-inspired, vertical and sustainable: those are the traits that architecture of the future will share, if you go by the trends in current cutting-edge concept designs. While some of these architectural concepts will never become reality, others are already in progress or slated to begin construction soon. From a sparkling urban farm inspired by a dragonfly’s wing to a dystopian concept that embraces genetic engineering, here are 12 amazing designs that give us a peek into what the future may bring.Bold, bio-inspired, vertical and sustainable: those are the traits that architecture... more
Despite reassurances from the Transportation Department that the changes would create a greener, more pedestrian-friendly city, some critics of the plan worried that it would sap the square of its chaotic energy. Others, apparently nostalgic for the seediness of the 1970s version of the square, denounced it as another step in New York’s transformation from the world’s greatest metropolis to a generic tourist trap.
Well, I’m happy to report that, a day after the stretch of Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets was closed to cars, the soul of Times Square remains intact. The neon still sparkles. Tourists still wander around bewildered. The whiff of last night’s junk food still hangs in the air.
[full article at link]Despite reassurances from the Transportation Department that the changes would create... more
London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Greater London Authority have rejected a scheme to demolish Queen's Market and pile on 'inappropriate' tower blocks on the site.
Queen's Market, a popular local market in East London, is one of London's most ethnically diverse markets, supplying healthy food at cheap prices, and a long local campaign had fought against Newham council against a re-development that would have seen this the 110-year-old street market disappear.
Last year it was runner-up in the BBC Radio Four Food & Farming Award for best food market in the UK, with the judges praising it for for ‘excellent produce’ and ‘making a difference to the local community’ and describing it as the ‘throbbing bustling hub of a truly multi-ethnic area’.London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Greater London Authority have rejected a scheme to... more
