TUE A7 FOOD CITIES: DESIGNING EDIBLE LANDSCAPES FOR URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

Transcription

1 TUE A7 FOOD CITIES: DESIGNING EDIBLE LANDSCAPES FOR URBAN ENVIRONMENTS Instructors: April Philips & Jacob Voit & Diane Dale Duration: 1.5 hours TITLE: Food Cities: designing edible landscapes for urban environments Session Mission Statement: The 21 st century sustainable city requires the merging of urbanism with sustainable food systems. Edible landscapes are a movement in transition and sprouting up as a response to the slow food movement and living a greener lifestyle. These urban agricultural landscapes are fast becoming iconic media darlings and are demonstrating that they are far more than growing vegetables on abandoned lots. This session will present case studies, strategies and tools that demonstrate the path forward to re-invite food back into the city. Learning Outcomes (Objectives) what knowledge, understanding and skills will participants acquire from this session 1. Learn how to design and plan urban environments that integrate a sustainable food system approach 2. Learn design ideas and considerations for urban agriculture from various case study projects located around the world in high density environments 3. Learn specific urban agriculture and green infrastructure strategies that help designers make informed decisions on constructing and leveraging the sustainability aspects of edible landscapes Abstract: The 21 st century sustainable city requires the merging of urbanism with sustainable food systems. This presentation builds on last year s successful presentation Edible Landscapes: growing roots in the urban realm by April Philips & Jake Voit. April is writing a book for Wiley that covers the soup to nuts of designing edible landscapes. The design strategies for agricultural urbanism are about re-inviting food back into the city and re-connecting people with their local/regional food system to promote a healthier lifestyle. This challenges today s industrial food system which separates people from their food sources. The session will provide a framework of information to aid in creating edible landscapes that promote ecological biodiversity and social sustainability no matter what scale, type or location with an emphasis on urban environments. Information includes design strategies that integrate social, ecological and economic values to achieve the best results depending on the land use. Plus, we will examine how to incentivize and design a regenerative landscape that benefits the community and local ecology. The case study projects from around the world will be chosen for their ability to inspire and illustrate the strategies required by these landscapes. Diane Dale from William McDonough s office will present the global examples and focus on building self sustaining biological and technical systems. Jake Voit will focus on food justice and community building with the Midwest and New Orleans examples. April will focus on the West Coast and New York projects including one done with McDonough s office in SF.

2 FOOD CITIES Session Outline: I. Introduction - the evolution of edible landscapes in urban environments a. overview of the growth of the urban agriculture movement II. A Systems Approach the Planning Principles of Urban Agricultural Landscapes a. Ideology and principles b. Sustainability, climate, regional food systems and community planning c. Ecology and social well being - integration of sustainable technologies with social metrics; childhood obesity, human health, biodiversity, and food justice III. Urban Design Strategies & Green Infrastructure Systems a. Green infrastructure and streetscapes b. Parks, plazas and open space c. Multi family/mixed use d. Community & school gardens e. Lifecycle strategies f. Long range & short range strategies IV. Project Case Studies a. SAN FRANCISCO & LOS ANGELES: Mixed use Market Street- sites pilot project; Ninth Avenue, Allemany Farms; SYNTHe in downtown Los Angeles b. NEW YORK: Gotham Farms, Eagle Street Farm, & Brooklyn Grange c. CHICAGO & MN: Rooftop haven School, Growing Power, Cornerstone Rooftop Farm d: NEW ORLEANS: Backyards Garden Network in Holy Cross; The Farm e. TORONTO: Toronto Live/Work Housing Project with restaurant f. MILAN, ITALY- EXPO The theme of the expo is Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life g. DENMARK Bonholm Island Science and Green Solution House V. Urban Agriculture - policy and advocacy a. Understanding city planning policies and codes b. Advocacy and city urban agricultural initiatives - examples from San Francisco, Chicago, Minnesota and New York c. Sustainable rating systems: LEED, SITES, Landscape Performance Series VI: Next steps the future of urban agriculture Materials and methods: The course will incorporate the following: CD PowerPoint format Lecture Handouts of presentation Web site resources Relevant Reference material: Agricultural Urbanism Janine de la Salle & Mark Holland In Defense of Food- Michael Pollan Thinking in Systems- Donella H. Meadows Urban Sprawl and Public Health Howard Frumkin, Lawrence Frank, & Richard Jackson Integral urbanism- Nan Ellin

3 Brief Bios: April Philips, FASLA, is founder of April Philips Design Works, a landscape architecture and sustainable planning firm in California. The APDW studio is a strong proponent of systems thinking and an integrated design approach. She is the founder of the Sustainable Design and Development PPN and Sustainable Sites Initiative within ASLA. April balances studio work with her artwork and leadership advocacy on sustainable design issues and is writing a book on designing edible urban landscapes. April Philips, FASLA, RLA, BFQLP April Philips Design Works, aphilips@apdw.com Jacob Voit is the Incommons Manager for the Bush Foundation. Incommons is a program in Minnesota, and North and South Dakota that works to connect people through local gatherings, engagement and web networks so they can find and share credible tools, knowledge and resources to solve community problems. Raised on a sustainable farm with a community bartering system, Jake knows about ecology from the ground up. Jake is Founder of Community Earth Consulting. Jacob Voit Bush Foundation jvoit@bushfound.org Diane Dale, FASLA, JD, is Director of Community Design at William McDonough + Partners. She leads the integration of Cradle to Cradle and systems-based approaches in the planning and design of neighborhoods and communities. As a landscape architect and a lawyer, Diane has analysis and strategic thinking skills that are critical to the challenges of community planning. Her work has won numerous awards and she is a frequent conference speaker. ddale@mcdonough.com

4 TUE-A7 Food Cities: Designing Edible Landscapes for Urban Environments SUGGESTED READING LIST for Food Cities: In Defense of Food : An Eaters Manifesto Author: Michael Pollan ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Publisher: Penguin Press Year Published 2009 Agricultural Urbanism: Handbook for building sustainable food & agriculture systems in 21 st century cities Author: Janine de la Salle and Mark Holland ISBN: Publisher: GFB ( Green Frigate Books) Year Published 2010 Thinking in Systems Author: Donella H. Meadows ISBN: Publisher: Chelsea Green Year Published: 2008 Urban Sprawl & Public Health Author: Howard Frumkin, Lawrence Frank & Richard Jackson ISBN: Publisher: Island Press Year Published 2004 Greening Cities, Growing Communities: Learning from Seattle's Urban Community Gardens Authors: Jeffrey Hou, Julie M. Johnson, and Laura J. Lawson ISBN Publisher: University of Washington Press Year Published: October 2009

5 Insurgent Public Space: Guerrilla Urbanism and the Remaking of Contemporary Cities Edited by Jeffrey Hou ISBN: Publisher: Routledge Year Published April 2010 Permaculture: A Designer s Manual Author: Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay ISBN-13: Publisher: Tagari Publications Year Published Oct. 1, 1997 The Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea Author: Alice Waters ISBN: Publisher: Chronicle Books Year Published 2008 Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation Author: Sharon Gamson Danks ISBN 13: Publisher: New Village Press Year Published 2010 The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, DVD Author: NA AISN: Publisher: NA Year Published NA Food Inc. (You ll never look at dinner the same way again) DVD Author: Eric Schlosser, Robert Kenner AISN: B0027BOL4G Publisher: NA Year Published Nov. 3, 2009 dirt! THE MOVIE A story of heart and soil DVD Author: Bill Benenson, Gene Rosow AISN: B00366E1AK Publisher: Common Ground Media Year Published Nov. 3, 2009

6 Sunday, July 17, 2011 New SPUR program: food systems and urban agriculture By Eli Zigas Urban agriculture at Alemany Farm. Image courtesy Urbanists We are what we eat. It s true for people but also for cities and regions. The food we consume and the system that produces, distributes and disposes of it are as vital to San Francisco and the Bay Area as our systems for housing, energy, water and governance. Like those other systems staples of SPUR policy food is a basic human need and provides a perspective for answering the question, How do we make our city and region a more livable place? SPUR s new Food Systems and Urban Agriculture program seeks to answer that question through policy that will strengthen both the food system within the city where food is grown, how it s sold and how accessible it is as well as the region s network of farms and distributors. San Francisco has recently experienced a surge of interest in reforming its local food system. In just the past two years the mayor issued a groundbreaking Executive Directive on Healthy and Sustainable Food, the Board of Supervisors updated the zoning code to allow for more types of urban agriculture, and the city hosted the first Northern California slow money investment conference. SPUR s program will be working among a strong base of organizations that are active on food issues in the Bay Area. This desire for innovation and change is driven by many factors, including an interest in reducing the ecological footprint of food; improving public health and eradicating food deserts ; and strengthening communities by supporting local businesses. SPUR's priority will be on policy, especially where food issues intersect with questions of land use, regional planning and economic development. In our first year, we will focus our attention on four main issues:

7 1) The use of public land for urban agriculture 2) Reducing regulatory barriers to urban agriculture 3) Farm-to-cafeteria programs and food literacy in schools 4) Creating metrics and baselines for local food consumption to help inform future policy Along the way we will report back, both here and the Urbanist, on other developments in the field of food policy, ranging from federal incentives for grocery stores in food deserts to state pilot projects funding rooftop agriculture for its role in stormwater management. And we will also host forums (like our May panel on San Francisco s recent food policy initiatives), walking tours and more. As we develop our program, I d like to hear your ideas and feedback. Please send suggestions for potential events, interesting models of food policy in other places or other ideas to ezigas@spur.org.