Permaculture Farming

Question: what will a successful sustainable city based on the philosophy of Permaculture look like?

send me a visual postcard.

what will i see? what won’t i see?
http://www.earthaven.org/index.php like this?
http://www.curitiba-brazil.com/ like this!

Answer: The now possible. Post card from Hull.
I arrived at Hull City Train Station early this morning. At first glance most things seem the same only with lots more trees and a lot greener. There are bat boxes, bird feeders, lots of benches. Everywhere is teeming with life. All the buildings support food producing plants. There is no pollution. Few people drive into the city now, there is no need with the new train/to tram to car pool linked vehicles. Only a few people own cars as a lot more people work from home. The ornamental fountains and water features are full of fish and wild life. It is hard to remember that they are reed beds; all of the water/sewage is processed in city. Hull is fortunate it has lots of water in the city, Marina’s and Docks so it is able to produce all of it’s own electricity. Backed up of course by the new super efficient low cost solar panels most buildings have on their roofs. Of course the Humber Estuary Wind Farm generates most power.

There is too much food choice. Hull grown honey and wine. What were once department stores in Princess Quay now has fresh local grown food markets. You won’t find the same stall twice as everyone comes a long and sells their food excesses on the market on that day. The variety and choice is amazing, takeaway food is made fresh from local grown products. There is a small livestock market and a thriving second hand market too, much on the lines of a car boot sale. If you get tired of shopping you can have a pedicure, massage or reflexology in the day rent beauty units. There are still plenty of shops that sell high end luxury manufactured products, those who want them don’t mind the high tax.

There are beautiful hand crafted items too. New legislation encourages people to sell their own locally grown products and it is not taxed if sold locally, everyone has so much more free time.
NHS costs are going down and people are relaxed so even friendlier. They don’t have to work to pay so much on electricity, food, water treatment, car, entertainment etc.

Hull has always been an amazing place for free open air concerts, free museums, for the art gallery, the theatre. Now they have fewer concreted areas, and even more parks in the city center. There are fruit and nut trees, perennial food plants such as raspberries, rhubarb and everyone is encouraged to pick and eat the fruits. Most people have their own Permaculture Garden so few do unless they are picnicking, watching wildlife. I am going to eat lunch in the city center, watch the wide screen TV or sit in the amphitheater and watch an outdoor play.

Wish You Were Here?

City Repair – Permaculture for Urban Spaces