Jane Toner’s Post

Can a city give back more than it takes? For the past six months, a project  "New Ways of Growing Together" developed by artist Katy Conner, co-designer Chloe Meineck, Liz Roberts (UWE), and Georgia from Bricks, has explored hydroponics – a method of growing plants without soil, working with local residents to explore what a community hydroponics system at St Anne’s House (SAH) could look like. _ We talked a lot and asked lots of questions during our sessions. About how this could work in your house and what the ideal community hydroponics system would look like. About ways to make the process more eco friendly and whether there is waste or resources in St Anne’s House we could use. We’ve started to think about the inputs and outputs. The care, time, money, energy that goes in and the knowledge, ideas, plants, friendships that come out. We began to explore how these things can (and can’t) be measured. Through this project we have seen the parallels of indoor growing and growing communities, it’s hard to predict, unexpected things happen and there is a need to be constantly watching, shifting and adapting. Hydroponics can be perceived as an approach to growing which removes the human, a controlled environment which seeks to maximise yield, but following on from Katy’s work ‘hydropoetics’, where she is exploring it as a site of care. We have also seen how it can be a space to practise some of the approaches (which we need in order to be hopeful and generous) which people came up with in the initial event back in October 2022: ‘Reciprocal over extraction’ ‘collaboration over competition’ ‘citizen over consumer’ ‘interdependence over separatism’. By getting people together, new things are grown. Knowledge exchanged and expanded, neighbours get to know one another better and seeds of ideas are planted! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/espf7VbH Partnerships: Creative Economy Lab, UWE Bristol, and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

We’re excited to share one of our recent projects: transforming a neglected property into a multigenerational family compound and biodynamic farm. The land was overrun with Himalayan blackberries, and the home needed updating, but with great sun exposure and open space, we saw its potential. Here are a few lessons we’ve learned along the way: ✔️ Open communication and third-party facilitation are crucial for navigating family dynamics and reducing tension. ✔️ Clustering housing can significantly save on utilities like power and water, but thoughtful design is needed to maintain privacy. ✔️ Time is essential for bringing a farm to life, and biodynamics can take it to the next level. ✔️ When designing for multigenerational living, Universal Design ensures spaces are functional for every generation. #community #familycompound #pugetsound #washington #oregon #madison #wisconsin #regenerativerealestate #regenerativedevelopment #biodynamicfarming #biodynamicagriculture

Join me for a fascinating examination of regenerating goods and services in urban landscapes with UCLA Horticulture/Landscape Design. This 12-week class starts Monday, September 23, and runs from 6pm to 9pm. What You Will Learn ·       Twenty-one renewable energies that can be captured and/or generated in urban areas. ·       The three types of urban food systems. ·       Public health tactics that reduce harmful particulates, oxides, allergens, and night lighting. ·       The self-care items, such as bouquets, fragrances and medicines, that any landscape can grow. ·       The craft items, such as dyes and fibers, that can be grown in any garden. ·       The design and maintenance strategies that provide thermal comfort naturally. ·       Making the most of urban waters. ·       And so much more! https://lnkd.in/gBzHgfFg

🇫🇮 🐝💡Exciting news from Finland: The city of Lahti is pioneering pollinator-friendly urban lighting. They've installed 12 special streetlights in a local nature reserve that filter out blue-spectrum light, mimicking natural nighttime conditions for our buzzing friends. This innovative approach aims to prevent confusion among pollinators, ensuring they can navigate and pollinate effectively. By shifting to a warmer light spectrum, Lahti is taking a significant step towards harmonising urban development with nature's needs. This pilot project showcases how simple, thoughtful changes can make a big difference for biodiversity. It's a shining example of how cities can adapt to support local ecosystems while meeting human needs. #UrbanEcology #PollinatorProtection #SustainableCities #InnovationForNature

Exciting news from MEGA headquarters! Biophilic Trinidad and Tobago is revolutionizing public spaces and residential areas by integrating biophilic design elements. This innovative approach aims to enhance community spirit, safety, and overall quality of life for residents. Key Benefits: - Safer Communities: Reduced crime rates through inviting environments (CPTED). - Enhanced Well-being: Improved mental health and reduced stress levels. - Increased Property Values: Boosting property desirability with biophilic features. - Sustainable Development: Contributing to environmental sustainability. - Community Empowerment: Fostering local ownership and pride. Their Unique Selling Proposition involves a holistic approach combining urban planning, environmental sustainability, and community engagement. By leveraging the power of nature, Biophilic Trinidad and Tobago is paving the way for safer, healthier, and more vibrant communities. Interested in learning more about innovative crime prevention strategies? Sign the petition in the link below and message me for a chance to receive a prize (feasibility study). #CommunityDevelopment #BiophilicDesign #CrimePrevention #Sustainability #TrinidadAndTobago

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟑-𝟑𝟎-𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞: A Path to Greener, Happier Communities 🌿😊/ numbers that may been happiness to you. Cecil Konijnendijk a leading expert in urban forestry, has proposed an exciting new guideline called the 3-30-300 rule. 📏🌳 This simple yet powerful concept has the potential to transform not just cities, but also rural areas, into greener, healthier, and happier places to live. 🏡💚 Numbers that required to be increase, write down data, to improve your live. Write down data. Improve the numbers. Make them make sense. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 3-30-300 𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡: 1️⃣ Every home should have a view of at least 3 trees 🌲🌲🌲 2️⃣ Neighborhoods should have 30% tree canopy cover 🌳🏘️ 3️⃣ All residents should live within 300 meters of a park or green space 🏞️ While much discussion has focused on urban areas, the 3-30-300 rule holds great promise for rural communities too. Imagine if every village ensured residents could easily access green oases, with ample tree cover and inviting parks nearby. 🌿🌷 The benefits would be manifold: ✅ Exposure to greenery reduces stress and increases happiness 😌 ✅ Children with access to nature tend to be more active and creative 🤸🏽🎨 ✅ Trees provide vital ecosystem services like cleaning air and absorbing carbon 🍃🌎 By adopting the 3-30-300 framework, rural community leaders can take a strategic approach to weaving high-quality green spaces throughout their towns. This could involve: 🌳 Planting street trees 🏞️ Creating new parks and trails 🍃 Protecting natural areas The 3-30-300 rule provides a clear, science-based model for leveraging nature to uplift rural communities. It's a vision of villages where: 👧🏻👦🏾 Kids play in dappled groves 👵🏽👳🏻 Neighbors socialize under leafy canopies 🧘🏿👨🏼🦽 Everyone can connect with the healing rhythms of nature Summary> increase green and surely happiness will increase.

As we navigate the complexities of modern challenges, turning to nature's wisdom offers unparalleled insights. The mighty oak, with its robust stature and ecological significance, serves as a beacon of inspiration across various fields. Here are key takeaways from oaks through the lens of biomimicry, enhanced with specific examples and potential challenges: 🏗 Structural Strength & Durability The resilience of oak teaches us about developing materials that are not only strong but also sustainable. This has guided innovations such as the development of cross-laminated timber, inspired by oak's cellular structure, offering a lighter, yet more durable alternative for construction. However, scaling these solutions to meet global demand while maintaining sustainability poses a challenge. 💧 Efficient Resource Use Oak's adept water management strategies inspire advancements in water filtration and distribution systems, akin to the project that mimics the tree's efficient nutrient and water uptake to enhance sustainability in arid regions or densely populated urban areas. The limitation here involves adapting these complex natural systems to varied and changing human environments. 🌍 Energy Efficiency & Climate Action Mimicking the natural climate control provided by oak canopies has led to the design of buildings that naturally regulate temperature, reducing reliance on artificial cooling. The challenge lies in integrating these designs in existing urban landscapes where space and resources might be limited. 🌱 Ecosystem Services & Biodiversity The ecological role of oaks has inspired projects like urban forestation initiatives that use mixed-species planting, including oaks, to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services. A potential challenge is ensuring these urban ecosystems can thrive amid the pressures of urban development and pollution. 💊 Healing and Medicinal Applications Inspired by the medicinal properties of oak bark, researchers are exploring new pharmaceuticals that harness these natural compounds for health benefits. The complexity of natural compounds and their interactions in human biology often makes development and approval processes lengthy and challenging. The longevity of oaks has inspired community planning and development projects focused on sustainability and resilience. Challenges include balancing growth and development with conservation efforts, especially in rapidly changing climates. #Biomimicry #Sustainability #Innovation #NatureInspired #OakWisdom #Oak

Europe's Largest Vertical Garden: A Living Proof That It's Possible! 🌿 All it takes is courage and commitment to redesign our cities for a healthier, climate-friendly future. The Kö-Bogen II project in Düsseldorf, Germany, is setting new standards in urban planning and climate protection. With 30,000 Trees Spanning 8 Kilometers, this incredible building is like a vertical forest in the heart of the city. This building – or more accurately, this ecosystem – does more than provide space for people. It absorbs CO2, filters pollution, and reduces temperatures in the surrounding area. The plant-covered walls act like natural insulation, saving energy, improving air quality, and providing a home for local wildlife. Most importantly, it brings life back into the heart of the city. Designed by Christoph Ingenhoven and ingenhoven associates, this project shows how we can transform our urban landscapes into healthier, greener places. This isn't just a building - it's proof that we can make our cities better places to live. And it all starts with the courage to think differently about how we shape our urban spaces. At BIOTONOMY, we are inspired by projects like Kö-Bogen II and excited to see more cities embrace Nature Based Solutions that bring real benefits to both people and the planet. Thank you to Christoph Ingenhoven and his incredible team for being true pioneers and having the courage to bring such an inspiring project to life. The challenge is real, but so is the opportunity. Let's use this opportunity to transform our cities beyond our imaginations. Would you like to see a vertical forest in your city? Share this inspiring project in you network and show everyone that it’s possible – and that it’s already happening. #biotonomy #verticalgarden #sustainablecities #naturebasedsolutions

Inspired and energized after giving a presentation at Nanaimo Climate Action Hub's Climate Solutions Cafe this past Saturday! We reviewed some of the current best practices around home and building efficiency surrounding lighting, insulation, efficient technologies a la heat pumps and heat-pump-integrated hot water, then dove into applying urban permaculture design to further bolster these technologies. TL;DR, by designing landscapes to capture, slow, and sink water into the soil (Rather than washing it into the storm system), then planting a strategic combination of deciduous and evergreen native species, we can insulate our homes from the more extreme summer/winter temperatures, buffer against wind chill and dust, support local wildlife, and build local food security. This kind of design amplifies its effects when done to scale, or when multiple properties in a neighbourhood do the work, since what we're doing is building watershed health and biodiversity in a way that also directly reduces home grocery and energy bills. Win-win! https://lnkd.in/gNbkHvFp

Yesterday, I met the team from Regen Streets Melbourne, one of the projects of Regen Melbourne. Their goal is to generate “a wave of connected regenerative streets across Melbourne”. "Regenerative" has become a bit of a buzzword and it means different things to different people. So, what does a regenerative street look like? What does it mean to you? Is a regenerative street about growing extra plants, or ecosystems, or community, or economic activity, or something else? Every street is different so there's no one answer. What elements do you think are important in the streets where you live, shop, walk or drive? Read the latest newsletter below (not all are posted here so subscribe if you want to receive them all) https://lnkd.in/egiPKzZa