permaculture

[Bob howard <rmhoward@omninet.net.au>]

Pacific Edge Permaculture + Media wrote:
> 
> CHANGING REALITIES - THE CENSUS, DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE AND THE FUTURE OF
> PERMACULTURE
> 

[snip] a very interesting and worthwhile essay Russ -

Couple of quick thoughts 

I live in a small rural, coastal city (Albany W.A. 27,000). Even in this
environment, planning and development is focused on 500 - 800 sq m.
blocks for new subdivisions. The R20 zoning (20 blocks to the hectare)is
the norm throughout this town and all the trends that you identify in
Sydney are taking place here in miniature. Inner areas being redeveloped
with townhouses, old factory sites being recycled as medium density etc.

Under current planning policy in W.A. - new subdivisions are required to
leave 10% public open space(POS). How this is allocated is largely left
up to the developer and the POS also includes storm water drains and
sumps etc. This allocation is a result of 1950's amendments to Town
Planning Law - when block sizes were much larger than the R20 zoning of
today. We should be lobbying for 20% POS as a norm as well as specifying
conditions for the allocation of POS - i.e. not broken up piecemeal,
excluding drainage, other ideas???

I think you are throwing in the towel a bit with your talk of window
boxes ( but then its a long time since i lived in Sydney-:). Cuba has
addressed the problem of urban food production in crowded cities with
some success if news reports are to be believed. 

Local government could be a succesful target for policies regarding
farmer's markets, urban food production. Fremantle City Council protects
mature olive trees in their streets and certain families are entitled to
the fruit of specific trees. Although this is custom rather than by-law
it is widely known and respected.

regards 
Bob Howard