Imagine if we lived in neighborhoods with winding walkways lined with trees and juicy berry bushes. Walking to a neighbor’s house for a cup of tea would become something to look forward to, as opposed to a loud and smelly unpleasant walk beside the road. This is what permaculture can gift us. (If you don’t know what permaculture is, here’s a whole post I wrote about it!)
Today I wanted to talk about how neighborhoods can be designed for people, not just cars, by using permaculture design principles. Everything I’ll talk about in this post is inspired by this video that I watched for a permaculture class I’m taking. I highly recommend watching it if you get a chance!
Rethinking Neighborhoods
common areas
— In the Netherlands, there are Woonerfs or “living streets”. These are common areas where there is seating, vegetation, and they act as a quiet space for people away from cars.
— Not only does this provide solace for those living in urban places, but it also provides a safe place for children to play and teenagers to hang out.
shared resources
— Having spaces for things like a little book library or a seed library can be a great way to encourage community. It’s also so fun to give and receive in other ways besides monetarily.
pathways
— Having a beautiful space to walk naturally encourages more movement and socialization within communities, therefore leading to happier, healthier people.
watercourses
— Imagine walking through your neighborhood and every time there’s a little stream, you get to cross a beautiful bridge.
— Not only does this provide a tranquil space, but it also supports biodiversity for all the little creatures who benefit from running water.
urban agriculture
— Having something like a neighborhood garden is a beautiful way to combat food insecurity and encourage community teamwork. It never hurts to have more organic, fresh produce available.
energy
— If every house in the neighborhood had its own set of solar panels, each family would be able to run their own house off of solar energy and save on costs.
These are just a few ways that neighborhoods can be improved. The more we design in a people-focused way, as opposed to profit (like designing spaces for cars), the healthier and happier we will all be. And a healthy, happy society is how we create a world we actually want to live in.
For similar posts, check out my permaculture tag.
