Urban Permaculture

HOW TO CREATE REGENERATIVE SYSTEMS

Permaculture is an ethical method, based on the natural sciences. It applies a systemic design that enhance the accumulation of resources (physical, knowledgeable, social, political etc.) in the landscape itself. It is a process-oriented practice promoting regenerative actions. It facilitates permanent, rational, inclusive and life-giving cultures.

This short course is an intensive introduction to Urban Permaculture and how to live an urban life that minimizes the negative environmental and social impacts while contributing to a more vibrant and communal urban landscape and culture. We begin by understanding how life works and utilizing that knowledge to design and act for our own life and needs. Following this we give brief overviews of Water, Food production, Soil, and Appropriate Technologies in the urban landscape. We look at these both from the individual/family level of interactions to community strategies and processes. We conclude by giving a step-by-step approach to changing your current practices and day-to-day life to a more Environmentally, Climatic, and Community affirming approach. In this course we will present these topics and understandings via Lecture, Photos, Group Discussions, short videos, and exercises. If you want to contribute to solving many of the challenges we are facing today, or simply to have a more meaningful and engaged life, this course is for you. 

As part of this course we will provide up to 16 gb of resource material and data. 

Day 1, Saturday

Introductions     

What is Sustainability?   

  • Intro Regenerative Systems & Permaculture
  • Systems Thinking and Cycles

Introduction to How Life Works: ‘How to create Regenerative systems’

  • Flows and Nodes
  • Creation and Destruction
  • Energy Storage
  • Goldilocks Zone/Point
  • Edge

How to Make Things Happen

  • How We Structure Reality
  • Observation and Discernment
  • Patterns
  • Regenerative Systems are not Installed
    • Grow Systems 
  • Indirect Manifestation
    • Going Meta
  • Systems Exercise  
  • Summation: Making Things Happen

WHAT IS DESIGN

  • Intro Design & Design Process
    • Observation & Pc Principles
  • Site Assessment
    • Sectors, inventories, Mapping, etc.   
  • Design Methodologies
    • Zones and Other Tools

Water In Urban Landscapes         

  • Living       
  • Harvesting and working with     
  • Greywater
  • Business and politics     
  • What’s Happening in Turin               

Urban Food Production

  • Introduction
    • Food Kilometres
    • Challenge of Soil
  • Planting in Communities
    • Growing in Containers 
    • Vertical Gardening vs. Vertical Farming
    • Companion Planting & Plant Guilds  
    • Mixed Plantings  

         hedges, jungle garden, windbreaks

Tea & A Movie: Global Gardener, Urban Pc with B. Mollison     

EVENING PROGRAM   OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Talk with Photoshow: URBAN PERMACULTURE

A Semi-World tour visiting cities to see Urban Sustainability practices, including, 

Food Production, Community Gardens, City Repair, 

Day 2, Sunday

Question and Answers from Yesterday’s Curriculum

Soil

  • Introduction
  • Building
    • Composting and Vermicomposting
    • Compost Tea and Soup
  • Indigenous Micro-Organisms (IMO’s) 
  • Toxins and Bio-Remediation

Integrated Pest Management  

what is it? + formulas  

Appropriate Technologies    

  • What is Appropriate?
  • Passive Systems
    • Water
    • Ovens and Hayboxes
  • Bicycle Tech
  • Energy               intro, solar, wind   

Microclimates and Buildings    

  • Buildings, Nodes, McC’s, Social McC’s, Shaping Experiences

Buildings and Appropriate Technologies  

Adapting and converting existing structures

Immediate Practical Actions to become more Regenerative

See Doc, ‘What to Do, Practical ……Human’ in Shared Folder (Urban Short Course)

Climate Change and Urban responses

  • What is likely to Happen Where
  • Strategies and Adaptations

Invisible Structures & Creating an Urban Network 

  • Reference Transition Movement

Retrofitting the City

Urban Agriculture & Other Urban  Strategies   

  • Landscape of the City 
  • Community Gardens
  • Suburban Micro Farms
  • Terrace gardening
  • Animals in the Cityscape      

Final Discussion: What to do Now?

Groups  give ‘report’ of their ideas, and we can try to get commitments for people to follow-up on a potential project

Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ib-RC6p5Em37KnMCJuDuzSe3AUHJ3EUzvz8yotrqTe8/edit?ts=63f717fc&fbclid=IwAR334vGSl0xOxNUjBl1VwBJIri0HEJ_1QbghQPCKOmCDNyY-WTkXmRYQ_PQ