Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Vertical Gardening

Here's a new take on urban gardens...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/us/31portland.html?em

Do you think this project is worth federal stimulus money?
Will buildings with this type of "garden" become popular?

8 comments:

  1. I have mixed feelings on urban gardens in general. I think a lot of them don't really do what they're set out to do. With most gardens, like the community garden we were in today, the goal is to give people a place to build community and also a possible source for local, sustainable food. These gardens, however, are kind of appealing to me because of how innovative the design idea is. However, I don't know if these will actually add a beneficial, environmentally-friendly element to this building or just look ridiculous. I'm undecided as to whether or not it's worth the money.

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  2. I’m not sure that the government needs to be funding projects such as this when the economy looks the way it does. As stated in the article by Joe Vaughan “no private developer would undertake” this. This $133 million could have been spent on other projects for health care or education.
    Also there are a lot of unanswered questions and the building is supposed to be done by 2013. Shouldn’t the plan be more concrete prior to beginning to build?

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  3. I think the idea is very different and I really like it, however I am not positive if it is really worth the funding. Most of the urban gardens end up going to waste and do not do a justice. Many of them are there to "build" a sense of community and yet the community is not out there doing it, it is people, often volunteers, outside of the community that come in to help.

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  4. I agree that this seems like a very different conception of urban gardening than the community gardens that we have been focusing on. These are clearly not meant to be community building tools, but, thinking about sustainability, I think that they play an interesting role in developing a sense of community commitment to greener practices. Portland has increasingly developed a reputation for being greener and more sustainable. As this reputation grows it becomes a part of the culture and (from what I have observed) has lead to a tangible increase in environmental awareness and sustainable practices. I think that public buildings like this help reinforce the sustainable culture that is growing...which from an environmental angle is a positive thing.

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  5. This idea may be expensive and may not ever be worth it in terms of actual monetary terms. This shouldn't be the goal, the goal should be inspiring new ideas that will be cost effective. If we dont try anything we will never know if any of these ideas will truely work.

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  6. This idea seems too expensive for the benefit it gives, but at least its a step towards a more open-minded direction.

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  7. I agree what people said above. It is expensive, and our money could be put into a good use in a different project.

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  8. I think this a great idea, but do not believe that it will work for all cities. If it is going to be popular and approved by the community anywhere in the United States, Portland would be the place. Though I can see these type of project happening in other cites; I do not see them as being the norm. For example, I can see one or two buildings or apartment structures in New York City having this type of garden, but I could never see a future NYC made of more than a handful. I think the culture of this city dictates if these gardens will work successfully.

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