Urban Food: Neighbourhoods from VEIL on Vimeo.
Victorian Eco Inovation Lab Melbourne, AU
This concept would work even better in the city using portable micro gardens (aka sub-irrigated planters SIPs). It is particularly suited to row house neighborhoods. It has the potential to provide local fresh food far beyond the production capacity of all the existing conventional community gardens combined.
It is true "farming concrete" rather than a marketing effort to promote outdated communal gardens that serve only a privileged few. Instead, think CSA on your block.
There is no need to wait. This is doable now...this year. All it will take is some creative thinking, organization and most of all leadership. All it will take is just one block of motivated, open-minded neighbors here in Brooklyn to prove the concept.
There is no doubt in my mind that the portable micro gardens will work. Even kids can easily understand how to grow in them. They are also user friendly for seniors. It's simply a matter of people organization.
Regardless of my current medical issues, I will do everything I can to make it happen.
Using my landscape architecture trained eyes; I did a photographic site survey here in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn in the fall of 2008. Most of the photos are front yards but there are many backyard views also.
Each photo represents a potential portable micro garden even if only a few square feet. Think on a micro iPad, iPhone personal or family level. It's an incremental private enterprise numbers game powered by individuals who live in close proximity and know each other...or will get to know each other better. Modern urban gardening like this can be a daily and weekend block party.
This photo set demonstrates a variety of urban front yard attempts to grow some edible plants, most of them feeble. Think what could be done with highly productive portable micro gardens coupled with the knowledge of how to use them. The urban food production potential is awesome.
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