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Module Overview
Module Overview
Our cities currently consume a vast amount of energy and resources. However, city dwellers have a lower per capita carbon footprint than their suburban counterparts whose neighborhoods make it difficult for sustainable lifestyles. Although the modern city faces many issues, this can also be where we can find solutions to sustainable living. The way we build our cities will dictate how we mitigate climate change, reduce waste, and make low-impact living easy for everyone. Cities can create regenerative solutions that give humans the opportunity to live within the planet's ecological boundaries.
Homework
Homework
- Read this article on the film, Lost World, and watch the 10-minute documentary linked on the same page. Why is it ironic that Singapore's Gardens By the Bay tries to teach visitors about sustainability? What does this tell us about 'sustainability' in global cities?
2. Read about what American cities can learn from urban areas leading the way in low-carbon living.
2. Read about what American cities can learn from urban areas leading the way in low-carbon living.
This week is supplemented by....
This week is supplemented by....
The Plant Chicago is an example of how local businesses can use each others' waste streams & benefit local communities. What if this model was applied to entire city blocks? If we rethink how we handle waste, our cities can begin to function like closed-loop systems.
The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.
But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.
Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:
Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value?
Documentary: The Garden
Documentary: The Garden
Berkeley Spotlight
Berkeley Spotlight
The Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California serves as the Edible Schoolyard Project's demonstration site and innovation hub. We have been gardening and cooking with sixth, seventh, and eighth graders – and working closely with the school community – since 1995.
Building Sustainability @ Cal aims to engage students with facilities teams on campus in order to implement environmentally-conscious design choices in campus buildings and accredit them with certifications like LEED. The team also teaches a DeCal on sustainable buildings and urbanism.
Sustainable Housing at California is an umbrella organization housing THIMBY (Tiny House in My Backyard) and the Solar Decathlon team. Undergraduate and graduate students collaborate on designing and building environmentally conscious and socially responsible houses in the Bay Area and internationally.
Aerial View
Aerial View
Ecology Center Ecohouse
Ecology Center Ecohouse
Ecohouse is a demonstration home in the North Berkeley neighborhood. Tours begin 2020. The unique home features:
solar panels
backyard food forest
recycled and salvaged building materials
rooftop garden
permaculture garden
rainwater harvesting system
water efficient home appliances
wetland-integrated greywater system
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Environmental hazards are often found near communities of color and low-income communities. More so, since the early 1900s, zoning laws have influenced local accessibility of services and neighborhood investment decisions, resulting in racial segregation and wealth disparities that are still seen in cities today.
Watch these short videos to learn more about the current affects of redlining and displacement.
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