Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009 - (Page 22)

GROWING LIVES CATEGORY GREEN WALLS GREEN LIVING TECHNOLOGIES, LLC IS A CRITICAL LINK IN THE URBAN FARMING FOOD CHAIN SPECS T PROJECT: Urban Farming Food Chain Edible Green Walls, Los Angeles, California AWARD RECIPIENT: Green Living Technologies, LLC PROJECT VISIONARY: Urban Farming, www.urbanfarming.org ARCHITECT FOR THE GUARDIAN WALL: EOA, Emily Osler Architect “Not all people want help. There was a time during a visit to Glades Park in Los Angeles that we encountered resistance to the green wall being placed in a common area where the local population gathered. We just assumed we could march in there and put up the edible green wall and it would be embraced. This was the farthest from the truth; we were encroaching and never asked if they wanted the wall. It forced us to step back and rethink how we would feel if someone forced something on us.” George Irving, CEO, Green Living Technologies, LLC Images courtesy of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and Green Living Technologies. LLC he Urban Farming Food Chain consists of 750-square-feet of edible food-producing green walls mounted on buildings, concrete walls, freestanding or in parking areas, growing fresh produce (without the use of pesticides) at four locations in and around downtown Los Angeles, including the Central City East (Skid Row) area. The organizations that host these green walls use the food for their own purposes as well as donating a portion of their harvests to neighbors and/or organizations in need. Los Angeles was the pilot city for the Urban Farming Food Chain, a project now being replicated in other cities (New York, Rochester, Detroit, Las Vegas). The Urban Food Chain green walls use Green Living™ Wall technology with four to six inches of growing media, a simple maintenance program and an automated irrigation system intended to create minimal wastewater. The primary function is food production and crops have included tomatoes, strawberries, hot peppers, sugar baby watermelon, lettuce, radishes and legumes. In addition to urban agriculture, the Urban Food Chain green walls provide important opportunities for education and community involvement. The designers suggest that the individual installations of the Food Chain can be seen as “links" connecting each location by intention and design, as well as presenting a new definition for the familiar “food chain” term. Through the creation, care and maintenance of the green walls, these city dwellers – normally far removed from the food production process – experience a more intimate relationship with the lifecycle of the fruits and vegetables they grow and consume. Judges singled out this project not only for its’ aesthetics and functionality but also for the way the Urban Farming Food Chain brings together economically disadvantaged people to promote self-sufficiency while encouraging collaboration and improved social interaction. D http://www.urbanfarming.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009
The Case for Mandated Green Roofs
Citiesalive!
Student Sustainable Design Competition
GIF Road Show
U.S. Green Roof Industry Grew By 35 Percent in 2008
Part 1 of 2: Risk-Reduction Tools
On the Roof With . . .
The World's First Accredited Green Roof Professionals (GRPs)
A Haven for Butterflies
A Green Roof at Sea
A Biophilic Oasis
A Green Roof for Every Angle
Community Focal Point
Nature in the City
Growing Lives
A Green Roof with Wings
A Policy Pioneer
A Dedicated Researcher
Designing a Better Future
Fire & Wind Standards
GHRC Professional Development Calendar
Welcome New Corporate Members
Green Wall Research
Standing the Test of Time

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009