permaculture

[Paul Wheaton <paul@richsoil.com>]

--- Golden Love <goldenlove@cruzio.com> wrote:

> Here in Santa Cruz, there is so much land around houses and in parks, that
> we could grow enough food for the whole town. Right now the land is laying
> fallow or covered with rocks. In places like San Francisco and Oakland, most
> of the land is asphalt and concrete, so it looks like we would need to grow
> on the roofs and start removing concrete and asphalt. I have even dreamed of
> that happening here in Santa Cruz. If people got rid of their cars, all of
> National Street could become this wonderful growing area. Actually, I see
> this happening. My sledge hammer is ready.
> 
> Golden Love
> Love's Gardens
> Creating and Maintaining Sustainable Urban Landscapes
> California Licensed Contractor C27 363672
> 127 National St.
> Santa Cruz, CA 95060
> Phone  (831) 471-9100
> Fax  ( 831) 471-9200
> goldenlove@cruzio.com
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Rain Tenaqiya
> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 11:51 AM
> To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [permaculture] smart growth vs permaculture
> 
> Here in Ukiah, California, there is a debate going on about how the town is
> allowed to grow.  Given that water is limited, it is questionable whether
> any increase in population should be allowed without corresponding
> conservation measures.  But mainly, the debate is about whether the town
> should increase its density, or whether new housing should be built on an
> expanding perimeter.  'Smart growth' is a term used to describe conscious
> planning that increases density, but also integrates many functions and
> actually increases the quality of life for the inhabitants.  Mixed use, with
> offices and businesses downstairs and housing upstairs, integrated with
> parks and public facilities, is becoming more common and makes a lot of
> sense.  There is less driving, in theory, because one can work, shop, and
> play right next to your home.
>  
> The problem, some say, is that once fossil fuels run out, dense urban areas
> will be unable to provide for their own needs.  Also, even though people can
> theoretically live next to their workplaces, people rarely choose to do so.
> So it's a mixed bag.  These people advocate building new homes on the edge
> of town, where people can grow their own food, capture their own water, and
> harvest their own energy.  But, as Toby mentioned, people rarely do this
> either.
>  
> So as long as we are using fossil fuels, it seems that smarth growth is a
> good idea for those that are not into being self-reliant.  For those who are
> into self-reliance, living on the edge of town, or in town with a large lot,
> or in an ecovillage that you seldom leave, is a good idea.  Since moving to
> a town from the country, I , like Toby, have also been driving less- and I
> am still growing the same amount of food.
>  
> The fact is that the vast majority of people, even farmers, buy most of
> their food, use fossil fuels for energy, and drive their cars like crazy.
> Since the food farmers grow contains way less energy than the fossil fuels
> that it took to grow it, we might as well all just live in city boxes and
> eat oil.  That is basically what we are doing anyway.
>  
> Rain
>  
>  
> 
>               
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