watch dalston grow precedents

//// //detroit future city// //grow sheffield// //home gr/own milwawkee// //sacramento front growing// //uk victory // //middlesbrough urban farming// //sub-plan// //making space in dalston// //halifax garden network// //dalston eastern curve garden// //organoponicos// //on guerrilla //

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden1 Produced by Chris Hall in relation to MA Urban Design Project ‘Watch Dalston Grow’ for studio Facilitating Resilience

Sheffield School of Architecture

introduction

This booklet contains a number of precedents which have been used as inspiration during the Watch Dalston Grow project. Whilst this is not all the precedents studied, the most useful and relevant have been documented here as an effective way to visualise what they are www.facilitatingresilience.wordpress.com and how they are useful. incredible edible

Incredible Edible originated as a bottom-up guerilla gardening movement in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and has since grown into a vast global network of foodscaped urban areas. Each project is supported by a local network of governance which sits below an umbrella network. This allows a vast number of community run projects to exist in relation to gardening such as cooking classes and education events3.

Incredible Edible’s humble beginnings provide a useful precedent to explore, alongside ideas of wide spread and its model of governance which allows the project to become so active within the community. The inclusive nature of this project is also something which is important to interpret into schemes in Dalston.

Incredible Edible2 detroit future city

Detroit Future City is a strategic planning document for the reinvention of Detroit from its former industrial past, towards a green and environmentally sensitive future. The document has been born out of the death of Detroit’s manufacturing industry, which has taken many of the city’s former workers with it. Detroit now exists as an infant in adult sized clothes. The regrowth of the city has been meticulously planned in this document, towards a new city model with an agricultural heart5.

This precedent provides an interesting example of a radical, wide scale strategy towards urban , however it relies on strong top-down governance, as well as the desperate economic and political situation which is facing Detroit. Whilst this strategy is radical, it is also reactionary.

Detroit Future City Plan4 grow sheffield

Grow Sheffield, in a similar manner to Incredible Edible, are a bottom-up network across 3 branches; Community Growers, Abundance Sheffield and Sheffield Food Network. These projects grow collaboratively, provide training and skills, distribute surplus and link locally sourced growers, retailers and food outlets. It is an example of urban agriculture in a major UK city. The project is run by volunteer members who each pay a fee of £1. The project has grow to collaborative with a vast number of public and private bodies across the city7.

This precedent is an example of the possibilities of urban agriculture in a major city. It shows how a number of different projects can join together into a network, and is evidence of the length of time it takes to establish projects fully.

Grow Sheffield6 A HOME GR/OWN NEIGHBORHOOD

D L M

K

C

home gr/own milwawkee J

Food Hub aggregates & resells city/neighborhood produce, Farm stand generates income; D generationg income for grow- I neighborhood meeting spot Home Gr/own Milwawkee tackles the key driver in the Watch Dalston Grow ers. Runs operation at for blocks 2, 6 and 7 B project,H access to affordable, nutrious foods. It does this by utilising vacant (L) - former factory parking lot G space in some of Milwawkee’s most vulnerable areas, and uses these to begin to farm. The intention is not only to grow food for consumption. The project also links localI growers with local markets, to start new economic flows in 9 Garden site now controlled A these deprived neighbourhoods . Foreclosed home kept by City by adjacent corner store, The project is almost entirely top-down however. This limits the ability of transferring ideas from here, into Dalston. What this project does highlight, E for commercial development J increasing healthy food is the growing potential of dead spaces in an urban area with a short growing season. This is certainly transferable for Dalston. in store

Urban farmer sells produce to High value potential a­ordable Vacant lot now controlled by A Food Hub (D) housing site non-pro„t, sells to Food Hub 8 F K E Home Gr/own Milwawkee

Former factory parking lot, F Foreclosed home repurposed Heavily wooded vacant lot now compost operation using by CBO as social enterprise converted to pocket park - no neighborhood and Food Hub B community cafe G value for farming L food/garden residuals

Vacant factory converted to Foreclosed home & vacant lot New community garden operation. sold for urban homesteading H controlled by residents of Produce sold to Food Hub. C blocks 6 and 7 M Fish processed and sold by Food Hub. sacramento front garden growing

The Sacramento Front Garden Growing project removes the barriers which prevent the planting of fruit and vegetables in front gardens. This has stirred many onto the idea of doing so, which has provided for unique and interesting streetscapes to emerge in the area11.

The interesting element of this project is that front garden growing is not permitted in the US under their zoning laws. The changing ordinance in Sacramento and the connected media attention has been stimulus enough for people to embark on these projects. In the UK, agriculture does not constitute development, therefore front garden growing has always been considered permitted development. The stimulus for front garden growing projects is lacking, therefore policies here need to incentivise, rather than simply allow.

Sacramento Front Garden Growing10 uk victory gardens

The UK Victory Gardens project was a simple top-down instruction issued during World War 1 and 2, to promote food growing in all public and private green spaces. It was issued due to the pressure of war on agricultural production, however the promotion and teaching of the skills and knowledge around self-sufficiency was invaluable. They existed at the time almost exactly opposite to what we see today, where there is an expectation of all foods to be available, no matter what season it is.

The success of these gardens could also be attributed to the community cohesion which is quite obviously prominent during periods of war. As a direct response to war, the project is not the reactionary type of project which is being derived here, however this does show well that foodscaping can be, and has been done, almost everywhere.

UK Victory Gardens12 a4-5f

middlesbrough urban farming

Middlesbrough Urban Farming project was a temporary top-down initiative to alter modern expectations of food, improve health and aid regeneration. The project involved more than a 1,000 participants who helped grow food in disused urban spaces around the city. The project has continued where it has proven to work, and the city council has supplied seeds and containers for those who have expressed an interest14.

This project follows identical principles to that which is proposed for Dalston. Strong council support is one of the many reasons why the Middlesbrough Urban Farming project has been such a success. Projects in Dalston currently may not be so fortunate in this respect.

Middlesbrough Urban Farming13 sub-plan

Sub-Plan, whilst not directly related to urban agriculture, is an interesting adventure into the usually bland world of permitted development planning. It pokes holes in the policy by showing radical solutions to planning related problems which are technically all classified as ‘permitted’16.

The ideas contained in this book provide thought provoking, radical interventions which could be applied to proposals around Dalston. It shows the potential that policy manipulation can have from below, whilst also providing an interesting after thought about the power of Section 106 (or Community Infrastructure Levy) if the Council were involved.

Sub-Plan15 making space in dalston

Making Space in Dalston is a joint masterplan produced by MUF architects and J+L Gibbons for the regeneration of public space in Dalston using community organisations. Whilst the majority of the projects have failed to materialise (due to funding issues), this masterplan shows the potential Dalston has to reinvent itself. Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is one of the spawns of this masterplan18.

Making Space in Dalston17 halifax garden network

The Halifax Garden Network is a network of community gardens across the Halifax region of Canada. This network shares knowledge and skills between individual community gardens. However where it is most successful is the help it gives to emerging new gardens20. This level of support within a garden network is interesting to explore in Dalston’s case, using the surrounding green community (Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, Farm Shop etc.) as the initial aides.

Despite being a relatively rural network. The education it provides about starting gardens anywhere is valuable for anyone and is something that should be provided within governance of a network in Dalston.

Halifax Garden Network19 Dalston Eastern Curve Garden provides strong proof that community garden projects thrive in Dalston, and thrive even in adverse conditions. The garden exists in a temporary, low quality and architecturally dense area, however it has excelled itself by providing high quality facilities. Governed by just 2 people as a social enterprise, its model of volunteers is dalston eastern curve certainly a method of governance which can be explored.

Even if the garden were to lose its battle against development, it has garden unearthed Dalston’s underlying love of gardening. The space has become a true community asset not just in Dalston, but wider afield. Any project in Dalston would be irresponsible if it wouldn’t build on the platform that this garden has created.

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden21 organponicos

The Organopónicos in Havana are arguably the original and best form of urban agriculture project in the world. They consist of concrete planters which cover 87,000 acres of land in Havana and is worked on by over 44,000 residents. They exist as a direct response to lack of food security which continues to plague Cuba, forcing rationing. The planters are governed publicly, however they are supported and subsidised by the Cuban government. They provide enough food for each resident of Havana to get 280 grams of fruit and vegetables a day23.

This level of urban agriculture is unprecedented elsewhere. It again shows what can be done during times of need, and therefore may not be applicable to everyday life in Dalston. However, what is does show is what is possible if communities do bond together towards a common goal. There is no reason to say these desperate forms of urban agriculture cannot be managed in less than desperate situations also.

Organopónicos22 on guerrilla gardening

On Guerrilla Gardening describes itself as a ‘handbook for gardening without boundaries’ It sets out both the history and reasons for the movement, as well as a manual for how to get involved and what is needed to participate. It is written by Richard Reynolds, would has been credited for being one of the key original guerrilla in London25.

As well as providing useful technical information such as what should be grown where and how to work with certain types of soil, the book really excels at being a manual. In this respect, the book is extremely useful for the Watch Dalston Grow project, and the manual type information can be directly translated for the guidance that will be provided with this project.

On Guerrilla Gardening24 notes references

1 Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, 2013. Festival of Light [online]. Available at: http://easterncurvegarden. tumblr.com [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 2 Incredible Edible, 2012. Incredible Edible Network [online]. Available at: http://incredibleediblenetwork.org.uk [Accessed: 27/2//2014] 3 Ibid 4 Detroit Free Press, 2013. Detroit Future City Neighborhoods [online]. Available at: http://www.freep.com/ interactive/article/20130113/BUSINESS06/130112039/Graphic-Detroit-Future-City-neighborhoods [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 5 Detroit Future City, 2014. Detroit Future City Strategic Framework [online]. Available at: http:// detroitfuturecity.com/framework/ [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 6 Grow Sheffield, 2012. Fruithouse [online]. Available at: http://growsheffield.com/abundance-2/fruithous1-2/ [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 7 Grow Sheffield, 2014. About Us [online]. Available at: http://growsheffield.com/about-us/ [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 8 Milwawkee City Government, 2013. Home Gr/own [online]. Available at: http://city.milwaukee.gov/ sustainability/HOMEGR/OWN.htm [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 9 Ibid 10 Imgur, 2012. Vegetable Garden Vs Front Lawn [online]. Available at: http://i.imgur.com/lMw9T.jpg [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 11 Sacramento Press, 2009. Ordinances Allows DIY Food [online]. Available at: http:// sacramentopress.com/2009/07/17/front-yard-ordinance-allows-diy-food/ [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 12 Canadian Victory Gardens, Date Unknown. Mission [online]. Available at: http://www. canadianvictorygardens.ca/about/mission/ [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 13 Urban Acupuncture, 2013. Middlesbrough Urban Farming Project [online]. Available at: http:// urbanacupunctureblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/middlesbrough-urban-farming-project/ [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 14 The Guardian, 2008. Urban Jungle [online]. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/ mar/26/cityfood [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 15 Mammoth, 2010. SUB-PLAN [online]. Available at: http://m.ammoth.us/blog/2010/09/sub-plan/ [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 16 Knight, D. and Williams, F., 2009. Sub-Plan: A Guide To Permitted Development. Lulu.com 17 Muf Architecture, 2009. Making Space in Dalston [online]. Available at: http://www.muf.co.uk/portfolio/ making-space-in-dalston-2 [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 18 Ibid 19 Halifax Garden Network, 2013. Halifax Garden Network [online]. Available at: http://halifaxgardennetwork. com [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 20 Ibid 21 Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, 2013. Getting Ready for Winter! [online]. Available at: http:// easterncurvegarden.tumblr.com [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 22 Wikimedia, Date Unknown. Produce and Flowers From a Cuban Organoponico [online]. Available at: http:// upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Produce_and_flowers_from_a_Cuban_organopónico.jpg [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 23 Monthly Review, 2009. The Urban Agriculture of Havana [online]. Available at: http://monthlyreview. org/2009/01/01/the-urban-agriculture-of-havana [Accessed: 27/2/2014] 24 FocalLocal, Date Unknown. Community Guerrilla Gardening [online]. Available at: http://focallocal.org/ community-guerrilla-gardening/ [Accessed: 10/3/2014] 25 Reynolds, R., 2009. On Guerrilla Gardening. London: Bloomsbury