Designing For Urban Green Space Elizabeth Goodman University
Designing For Urban Green Space Elizabeth Goodman University of California, Berkeley School of Information
Urban green space is not “natural” San Francisco Historical Photo Collection - San Francisco Public Library
Design is a form of politics What we want for green space can tell us a lot about what we want and fear for our cities. What public visits the park? Whose community is in the garden? Library of Congress
Urban green spaces are a technology …for what end? Air Trees Eco Boulevard
The benefits of city green space Public health Opportunity for exercise Asthma mitigation Psychological well-being Neighborhood stability Building social cohesion to address local concerns Early education, adult job training Environmental remediation Storm runoff reduction Pollution absorption Wildlife protection Noise buffering
Defining urban green space
Defining urban green space “Urban jewels” Celebrated spaces Publicly owned and accessible
Defining urban green space Neighborhood spaces Ordinary small places Accessed mostly by “the locals”
Defining urban green space Privately owned street places The public can see (and often touch), but doesn’t own them
Defining urban green space Privately owned private places Things and places that cannot be seen without invitation
Challenges Awareness Complexity Maintenance Costs Virginia Department of Forestry
Technologies for urban green spaces
Sensing
Botanicalls Sensors speak “for the plant” Data feeds distribute responsibility
Easy Bloom Soil sensor accesses expertise in database Assisting reasoning about environmental conditions
Social networks of cultivation
Myfolia. com Building a database of local knowledge Sharing plant varieties
Landshare. net Making unused land available Creating connections between neighbors
Local mapping
fallenfruit. org “Every day there is food somewhere going to waste. We encourage you to find it, tend and harvest it. If you own property, plant food on your perimeter. ” Fallenfruit. org
Park. Scan. org Enlisting local volunteers Working towards accountability and transparency
Journey North Reporting small events to map climate change http: //www. learner. org/jnorth
Imaging regions
Remote imaging A tool for making charismatic images americanforests. org
“The $50 Million Photos”
Framework: Green spaces as a network
Of distributed food production Farmadelphia - Front Studio
Of ecosystem intervention Plant. SF. com
Of institutions and groups City of Seattle Food Bank garden plot
Of new modes of sharing, ownership, and access Guerillagardening. org
In conclusion: Back to the future? Railroad worker cultivating the small victory garden in the Proviso yard, Chicago Jack Delano, 1943. flickr. com/photos/library_of_congress/2179195976
Elizabeth Goodman www. confectious. net egoodman@confectious. net Thanks!
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