Read the descriptions under each heading below. Then, I suggest choosing two or three to examine more closely by exploring the links provided.
1. Urban Permaculture:
There are widespread examples of Permaculture systems at the urban scale throughout the world. On balconies, rooftops, small yards and empty lots we find intensively cultivated and highly productive systems. Permaculture designs in urban areas are packed tightly, making the most use of limited space through complex relationships between rainwater and wastewater flow, food production, composting, sunlight, pollinator habitat, social areas, and the urban waste stream which can provide free and inexpensive materials for building structures and soil. Below are links to urban Permaculture projects and resources:
The Institute of Urban Homesteading Oakland, CA
Urban Permaculture Guild, Berkeley, CA
Planet Repair Institute, Portland, OR
Deep Green Permaculture, Melbourne, Australia
Article; How the Reading International Solidarity Centre built an urban permaculture garden, UK
Milkwood Blog Funky Urban Permaculture Designs, Melbourne Australia
The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann
Top Leaf Farms specializing in rooftop farms
Permaculture Association's resource guide to Sustainable Urban Drainage
2. Suburban Permaculture:
Suburban-scaled Permaculture systems are rich with possibilities . As co-founder David Holmgren said: “Suburban sprawl in fact gives us an advantage. Detached houses are easy to retrofit, and the space around them allows for solar access and space for food production. A water supply is already in place, our pampered, unproductive ornamental gardens have fertile soils and ready access to nutrients..”. When we look throughout the world, we find abundant examples of suburbs that have filled in with productive Permaculture systems. The lower density of suburbs means that there is a lot of space for more expansive gardens, animals, tree crops, and land-based livelihoods. Below are links to suburban Permaculture projects and resources:
Adaptation of David Holmgren's lecture on Retrofitting the Suburbs for Sustainability
Suburban Permaculture, information and resources to transform the suburban environment
Growing Futures Kenya, Suburban Permaculture Development
Midwest Permaculture, 18 part Intro to Permaculture video series
3. Permaculture in Public Space:
Especially in urban areas, we find very rich examples of Permaculture systems which take advantage of the diversity of the ‘human ecosystem’ found there. Gathering places, public park, and community food forests all contribute to the sustainability and resilience of a community. It’s not just food, water and habitat that can make a place resilient; it’s the social connections between people that make a strong and secure community where people know each other and help each other out. Permaculture in public spaces is often centered around places where people can gather and meet each other, so they have more of an opportunity to make those connections. Below are links to public Permaculture projects and resources:
The City Repair Project, Portland OR
Keepers of the Waters, artistic, community centered remediation of living water systems
Beacon Food Forest, Seattle, WA
4. Multi-unit Urban Development:
As Permaculture design has spread into more conventional fields; developers, architects, planners and landscape architects have utilized it to design multi-unit housing projects. Permaculture is about applying different patterns to the layout of a housing subdivision, with attention to solar access, energy systems, water flow, pathways, and a productive landscape for people and wildlife. Development projects at this scale are already investing in buildings, utilities, drainage, and road infrastructure, so often it’s just the matter of having proper positioning, orientation and interconnection between these elements that creates the ‘mainframe’ for a more regenerative settlement. Below are links to multi-unit Permaculture projects and resources:
Columbia Eco Village, Portland, OR
Permaculture Design International, project in Eastern Oregon
5. Ecovillage:
The loose term for a Permaculture-based village or community is ‘Ecovillage’, which is short for ecological village. There are many inspiring examples all over the world of how Permaculture design is applied to create intentional communities, as well as transforming existing villages in traditional cultures and contemporary settlements. Ecovillage design is a very rich field, where the elements of food, water, energy, materials, ecology, housing, and forestry are woven in with community political structures, economics, urban planning, and all the challenges and opportunities of sharing resources. Below are links to ecovillage Permaculture projects and resources:
The Chikukwa Project, Zimbabwe
6. Retreat and Healing Centers:
Many people have utilized Permaculture design when creating healing or retreat centers. It’s been used both for retreat centers that are built from the ground up in colonized areas, as well as indigenous people practicing traditional medicine in their native lands. The fact that two of Permaculture’s ethics are care of Earth and care of people means that the design system is very conducive to the healing environment of hot springs, yoga centers, ashrams, retreat centers, alternative medical facilities, indigenous medicine centers, and eco-resorts. In these environments, the natural patterns of Permaculture can bring a heightened esthetic that is functional and productive. Below are links to retreat and healing center Permaculture projects and resources:
Chakra Alegria de Amor Rainforest Healing Center, Peru
Paititi Institute, Peru (Links to an external site.
Chaikuni Institute, Peru (Links to an external site.
Heartwood Institute, Garberville, CA
(Links to an external site.
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