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| research_report_sanjeev-shankar [2008-04-01 15:16] – nik | research_report_sanjeev-shankar [2008-04-01 15:50] – sanjeev |
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| * Cities are facing new challenges related to health care, rise in food prices and other basic services every day. | * Cities are facing new challenges related to health care, rise in food prices and other basic services every day. |
| * Natural and traditional systems can offer us practical solutions and are a crucial resource to tap into. Problems can be seen as opportunities. | * Natural and traditional systems can offer us practical solutions and are a crucial resource to tap into. Problems can be seen as opportunities. |
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| ==== Methods ==== | ==== Methods ==== |
| The subject of this project demands a sensitized and practical approach. The methodology was crucial to help the design researcher develop empathy for the cause and also become aware of the complexity of the problem at hand. Visiting the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Kerala and subsequent visits to other sustainable enterprises dedicated to organic methods of farming and revitalisation of traditional Indian farming techniques were crucial to inform the research. It has helped the researcher appreciate the nuances and demands of the project. Reading the book, ‘An Agricultural Testament’ by Sir Albert Howard was a critical experience in realising the huge divide in agriculture methods between the orient and the occident. While, 'Permaculture: Principles and Pathways beyond Sustanability' by David Holmgren, gives wonderful insights into the genesis of this idea and how it could positivell impact sustainability efforts globally. All of this has helped to create the right references for this project and enabled the researcher to present a lucid and detailed project report to the producer. | The subject of this project demands a sensitized and practical approach. The methodology was crucial to help the design researcher develop empathy for the cause and also become aware of the complexity of the problem at hand. Visiting the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Kerala and subsequent visits to other sustainable enterprises dedicated to organic methods of farming and revitalisation of traditional Indian farming techniques were crucial to inform the research. It has helped the researcher appreciate the nuances and demands of the project. Reading the book, ‘An Agricultural Testament’ by Sir Albert Howard was a critical experience in realising the huge divide in agriculture methods between the orient and the occident. While, 'Permaculture: Principles and Pathways beyond Sustanability' by David Holmgren, gives wonderful insights into the genesis of this idea and how it could positivell impact sustainability efforts globally. All of this has helped to create the right references for this project and enabled the researcher to present a lucid and detailed project report to the producer. |
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| ==== Solution/Results ==== | ====Solution/Results==== |
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| * //concise description of the actual outcomes of the research // | * //concise description of the actual outcomes of the research // |
| Further, insofar as permaculture is an appropriate response to limitations on use of energy and natural resources, it will move on from its current status as "alternative response to environmental crisis" to the social and economic mainstream of the post-industrial era. Whether it will be called permaculture or not is a secondary matter. | Further, insofar as permaculture is an appropriate response to limitations on use of energy and natural resources, it will move on from its current status as "alternative response to environmental crisis" to the social and economic mainstream of the post-industrial era. Whether it will be called permaculture or not is a secondary matter. |
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| == Permaculture Principles == | ==Permaculture Principles== |
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| Permaculture is a wholehearted adaptation to the ecological realities of decline and offers us a graceful and ethical descent. The process for providing for people's needs within ecological limits requires a cultural revolution. We appear to have little time to achieve ths revolution and in this context, the idea of simple set of guiding //design principles// which have wide, universal application is attractive. The following principles are slogans which act as a checklist when considering complex options for design and evolution of ecological support systems. | Permaculture is a wholehearted adaptation to the ecological realities of decline and offers us a graceful and ethical descent. The process for providing for people's needs within ecological limits requires a cultural revolution. We appear to have little time to achieve ths revolution and in this context, the idea of simple set of guiding //design principles// which have wide, universal application is attractive. The following principles are slogans which act as a checklist when considering complex options for design and evolution of ecological support systems. |
| How one inteprets the principles listed above and implements them is open for refinement and improvisation. One has to take responsibility and see problems as opportunities, or problems as the solution. Every element here serves multiple functions and every function is served by multiple elements. Using these principles we can come up with a design that is in line with our regenerative world. | How one inteprets the principles listed above and implements them is open for refinement and improvisation. One has to take responsibility and see problems as opportunities, or problems as the solution. Every element here serves multiple functions and every function is served by multiple elements. Using these principles we can come up with a design that is in line with our regenerative world. |
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| == Urban Permaculture == | ==Urban Permaculture== |
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| A permaculture garden is not a garden seen in nature. Though it might have a configuration like a forest in terms of stability and efficiency, it is rich in functional plants which have a strong relationship with each other and result in high yields. In urban situations, space is limited, there may be little or no access to land, and various regulatory restrictions exist when it comes to gardening or having backyard animals. Some of the concepts that people have used in urban settings which have allowed them to circumnavigate these obstacles are discussed below. They are a mix of approaches, ranging from gardening to co-parenting, going across different aspects of sustainability. Further the character of cities in the western world is extremely different from the eastern world. These differences work at social, political and physical level and have shaped these cities. Hence, there is a great diversity in all these examples but the concept of "no loss" links them all. | A permaculture garden is not a garden seen in nature. Though it might have a configuration like a forest in terms of stability and efficiency, it is rich in functional plants which have a strong relationship with each other and result in high yields. In urban situations, space is limited, there may be little or no access to land, and various regulatory restrictions exist when it comes to gardening or having backyard animals. Some of the concepts that people have used in urban settings which have allowed them to circumnavigate these obstacles are discussed below. They are a mix of approaches, ranging from gardening to co-parenting, going across different aspects of sustainability. Further the character of cities in the western world is extremely different from the eastern world. These differences work at social, political and physical level and have shaped these cities. Hence, there is a great diversity in all these examples but the concept of "no loss" links them all. |
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| * Rooftop gardens: Rooftop gardens are a specific urban agriculture niche set within a broader system of city gardens, enjoying their own set of distinctive benefits. Rooftops are underutilized and rarely-considered urban spaces with great potential for creative development. | * Rooftop gardens: Rooftop gardens are a specific urban agriculture niche set within a broader system of city gardens, enjoying their own set of distinctive benefits. Rooftops are underutilized and rarely-considered urban spaces with great potential for creative development. There are essentially [[three_options_for_rooftop_gardens]] for rooftop gardens. |
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| There are essentially [[three_options_for_rooftop_gardens]] for rooftop gardens. | * Vertical gardens: Commonly seen in many western cities, vertical gardens act as good insulators and a source of food. They also increase the life of the structural wall behind. Vines are one of the most common plants used to create vertical green facades. |
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| * Vertical gardens: Commonly seen in many western cities, vertical gardens act as good insulators and a source of food. They also increase the life of the structural wall behind. Vines are one of the most common plants used to create vertical green facades. | * City farms: In New york, numerous vacant plots have been converted into city farms where communities grow there own food. These range from apples to pears. Further, by using graftign techniques, fences can be made entirely out of such plants. In Melbourne, the city farms also play the role of community education centres, which is a brilliant way to introduce kids to aspects of food production. In Davis, California, through the allocation of areas for directing rain water into catchment basins, //swail areas// have been created which over the years have now transformed into productive fruit farms. |
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| * City farms: In New york, numerous vacant plots have been converted into city farms where communities grow there own food. These range from apples to pears. Further, by using graftign techniques, fences can be made entirely out of such plants. In Melbourne, the city farms also play the role of community education centres, which is a brilliant way to introduce kids to aspects of food production. In Davis, California, through the allocation of areas for directing rain water into catchment basins, //swail areas// have been created which over the years have now transformed into productive fruit farms. | * Cooperative Arrangements: In Santa Fe, a community group is applying for a variance from the city to start using a small open space in their neigborhood for keeping chickens and bees and to plant an orchard. Combining their negotiating power helps with getting a variance, and distributing responsibilities as well as financial burden of setting up a productive environment ensures its stability and long-term success. |
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| * Cooperative Arrangements: In Santa Fe, a community group is applying for a variance from the city to start using a small open space in their neigborhood for keeping chickens and bees and to plant an orchard. Combining their negotiating power helps with getting a variance, and distributing responsibilities as well as financial burden of setting up a productive environment ensures its stability and long-term success. | * Co-Ownership of Assets: In Albuquerque, a group of people that live near each other decided to downsize and now own one truck, which is shared by several households. |
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| * Co-Ownership of Assets: In Albuquerque, a group of people that live near each other decided to downsize and now own one truck, which is shared by several households. | * Grafting Fruit Trees: In limited spaces one can still get a variety of fruit, when using a technique of grafting. A desirable variety (early ripening, or developed for storage, etc) is grafted onto an existing rootstock, resulting in trees that bears several types of fruit (now, apples don’t become oranges, but there can be several different apples on the same tree!). |
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| * Grafting Fruit Trees: In limited spaces one can still get a variety of fruit, when using a technique of grafting. A desirable variety (early ripening, or developed for storage, etc) is grafted onto an existing rootstock, resulting in trees that bears several types of fruit (now, apples don’t become oranges, but there can be several different apples on the same tree!). | * Worm Composting: A plastic bin with holes can house a family of red wiggler worms, who will be happy to eat your kitchen waste (eliminating it from the urban waste stream), and these critters will make it into good odor-free compost. |
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| * Worm Composting: A plastic bin with holes can house a family of red wiggler worms, who will be happy to eat your kitchen waste (eliminating it from the urban waste stream), and these critters will make it into good odor-free compost. | * The BackYard Forester, Los Angeles: A nonprofit organization, TreePeople leads people towards greening the city, restoring watersheds, ecosystems and neigborhoods. People can turn their yard into a wildlife or bird refuge or create an orchard that produces a surplus to share with food banks ,in the process creating an urban forest. |
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| * The BackYard Forester, Los Angeles: A nonprofit organization, TreePeople leads people towards greening the city, restoring watersheds, ecosystems and neigborhoods. People can turn their yard into a wildlife or bird refuge or create an orchard that produces a surplus to share with food banks ,in the process creating an urban forest. | |
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| * The Citizen Pruner, New York: People can get trained in tree care and pruning, and be able to take care of trees, whenever and whereever needed. | * The Citizen Pruner, New York: People can get trained in tree care and pruning, and be able to take care of trees, whenever and whereever needed. |
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| * Chickens in a City: Depending on the location, people may be allowed to keep chickens in their urban yard! The City Chicken - a website, which includes every answer plus city by city listing of regulations for keeping chickens makes this possible! | * Chickens in a City: Depending on the location, people may be allowed to keep chickens in their urban yard! The City Chicken - a website, which includes every answer plus city by city listing of regulations for keeping chickens makes this possible! |
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| === Europe and India _ urban farming === | === Europe and India _ urban farming === |
| === Possibilities for urban permaculture kits === | === Possibilities for urban permaculture kits === |
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| An important question considered by the researcher was, what are the growth symbols/patterns in urban areas? We have an opportunity here, to design responses which will directly impact the situation, related to real estate, construction, mass production, modular systems, transportation and architecture. Responses which soften the 'corporate sheen' of cities to create ubiquitous greens _ **ubiquitous planting**. How can we do this ? As per recent statistics the planet adds 73 million humans to its tally ! Can we add 73 trillion plants every year ? http://www.worldometers.info | An important question considered by the researcher was, what are the growth symbols/patterns in urban areas? We have an opportunity here, to design responses which will directly impact the situation, related to real estate, construction, mass production, modular systems, transportation and architecture. Responses which soften the 'corporate sheen' of cities to create ubiquitous greens _ **ubiquitous planting**. How can we do this ? As per recent statistics the planet adds 73 million humans to its tally every year!((http://www.worldometers.info)) Can we add 73 trillion plants every year ? |
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| see [[urban permaculture kits]] | see [[urban permaculture kits]] |
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| * //comparison of the expected and the achieved results// | * //comparison of the expected and the achieved results// |
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| * //suggestions and comments on the research process and its results// | * //suggestions and comments on the research process and its results// |
| * //description and suggestions around the collaboration process (if applicable)// | * //description and suggestions around the collaboration process (if applicable)// |
| * //suggestions for the future work based on the conclusions of the research// | * //suggestions for the future work based on the conclusions of the research// |
| * //comments on the response of the public (if applicable)// | |
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| ==== References ==== | ====References==== |
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| * //literature used in the research (books, magazines, journals, URLs...)// | The claims and insights in this research have been informed by the [[delhi interviews|interviews]], [[site visit and survey notes|site visits and surveys]] conducted by the design researcher. The surveys have been based on online research and published papers and books. |
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| URLS (these should be included as footnotes for the relevant sections) | Books |
| | * An Agricultural Testament by Sir Albert Howard |
| | * Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren |
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| | URLs |
| * http://www.sarai.net/fellowships/associate/debkamal-ganguly | * http://www.sarai.net/fellowships/associate/debkamal-ganguly |
| * http://www.teriin.org/sector_search.php?sector=11&tp=Projects | * http://www.teriin.org/sector_search.php?sector=11&tp=Projects |
| * http://www.materialecology.com/ | * http://www.materialecology.com/ |
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| * //media used in the research (film, audiovisual media, photographs...)// | Films |
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| 1. Power of community: Produced by the community solution organization, the film explores the peak oil crisis with focus on community based solutions that reflect the values of cooperation, conservation and curtailment. The film captures the free fall of Cuba's economy in early 90's with the fall of the Soviet Union and its brilliant turnaround using drastic measures to become self reliant. It demonstrates the role of community in dealing with acute challenges. Every aspect of cuban life was affected by the 'special period', but no change was as far reaching as agriculture. Cuba was forced to switch to survival agriculture from the green revolution practices it was accustomed to. A drastic effort to convert every piece of arable land to organic agriculture was begin. An urban agriculture movement resulted where every vacant lot in the city was converted into an orchard. Under urban gardening, idle plots of land were identified, cleaned and turned into gardens by the community. The people cooperating and caring about each other were the main factors for the turnaround. With sustainable practices Cuba found that it took 3 to 5 years to rehabilitate the soil again. To increase food production the government worked with farmers to find local solutions. The result was smaller farms and cooperatives with a high degree of privatization and autonomy. These were able to use sustainable practices in a much more efficient manner and created new ways of decentralized growth under a larger umbrella. With a more stable method of land distribution and ownership, thousands moved to rural areas. The impact was also felt in the education, housng, transportation and energy alternatives realms resulting in improvised solutions from the people and the government which has not only created a unique model for all of us but also reinstilled faith in the power of simple steps taken at a community level. | |
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| * //visual/sonic/tactile material generated in the research to be archived at [[FoAM]]// | * Power of community: Produced by the community solution organization, the film explores the peak oil crisis with focus on community based solutions that reflect the values of cooperation, conservation and curtailment. The film captures the free fall of Cuba's economy in early 90's with the fall of the Soviet Union and its brilliant turnaround using drastic measures to become self reliant. It demonstrates the role of community in dealing with acute challenges. Every aspect of cuban life was affected by the 'special period', but no change was as far reaching as agriculture. Cuba was forced to switch to survival agriculture from the green revolution practices it was accustomed to. A drastic effort to convert every piece of arable land to organic agriculture was begin. An urban agriculture movement resulted where every vacant lot in the city was converted into an orchard. Under urban gardening, idle plots of land were identified, cleaned and turned into gardens by the community. The people cooperating and caring about each other were the main factors for the turnaround. With sustainable practices Cuba found that it took 3 to 5 years to rehabilitate the soil again. To increase food production the government worked with farmers to find local solutions. The result was smaller farms and cooperatives with a high degree of privatization and autonomy. These were able to use sustainable practices in a much more efficient manner and created new ways of decentralized growth under a larger umbrella. With a more stable method of land distribution and ownership, thousands moved to rural areas. The impact was also felt in the education, housng, transportation and energy alternatives realms resulting in improvised solutions from the people and the government which has not only created a unique model for all of us but also reinstilled faith in the power of simple steps taken at a community level. |
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| | * Bill Mollison-Global Gardener Series 1-4 |
| | * Bill Mollison-Funding the Revolution |
| | * Bill Mollison-Permaculture Design Course |
| | * Farming with Nature-A case study of successful temperate Permaculture |
| | * Permaculture- Sepp Holzer - Aquaculture-Synergy of Land and Water |
| | * Permaculture- Emilia Hazelip-Synergistic Garden |
sanjeev