DIY Edible Urbanism

The City of Seattle has a great history of supporting urban food production through its 30+ year P-Patch program, but with growing interest and demand for local food production it is pushed to its limits. Waiting lists for neighborhood P-Patches have ranged from 1-7 years forcing urban dwellers with limited access to fertile ground to take measures into their own hands.

Within only a 10-block radius on the east side of the Capitol Hill neighborhood a broad variety of space appropriation (public, private and quasi-private) is taking place to accommodate citizens’ growing enthusiasm. On a few wintry January days, do-it-yourself edible urbanism is surprisingly evident despite the season and snow.  Colorful kale, chard and beets peek out of lumpy piles of snow in traffic claming circles and chickens announce their daily progeny in alleyways.

While these growing spaces are distinctly unique in design and come in a wide range of scales they appear to share certain characteristics that I propose are qualities of most do-it-yourself urbanism(s). Each space has a public quality to it even if it is actually on private property. All of them challenge the spatial constraints that are presented in dense urban spaces and in most cases challenge potential legal constraints. Regardless of size, they are highly visible from the street and therefore invite public engagement. Their placement and design all have invitational qualities to get others involved (with or without owners’ permission), for example to have a snack, to share in the labor, or to replicate the strategy at one’s own dwelling because, indeed, they prove they are easily DIY.

An affirming observation of all of these examples is the sense of trust displayed by the intrepid urban farmers.  While the chickens were behind a locked gate, all growing spaces were open to public harvest, destruction and/or play. How important is trust in other forms of DIY urbansim?

Solo Team (with permission from instructor): Ginger Daniel

Selection of 3 photos

ALLEY FARM
tucked among alley dumpsters this creative one-foot wide, multi-level design invites growing in some of the most urban constraints.
LOCATION 
alley behind walgreen’s between 15th and 16th off of e. republican
DATE
january 16 2012

STREETSIDE FARM
nearly 40 feet long and 8 feet wide, this streetside farm provides a significant growing space on the south facing side of this corner lot that is otherwise filled with the house footprint.
LOCATION  
22nd and mercer
DATE
january 16 2012

 

 

TRAFFIC CALMING FARM
tagged with a cheery “pesticide free zone” sign and sporting a baren pea tipee trellis, this traffic calming circle is filled with winter greens and perennial herbs. its its farmers are unknown.

LOCATION
13th and denny
DATE
january 16 2012