Reinventing the parking structure
I've been following James Howard Kunstlers blog and podcast since I read his fascinating book, "The Long Emergency" in 2007.
JHK likes to talk about the car dependent culture of the American suburban living arrangement, the happy motoring era of cheap and abundant liquid energy. He also discusses the declining value or usefulness of automobile reliant systems and our future lack of funds (credit) with which to attempt any major projects of last minute techno-wizardry.
The voices in the peak oil conversation have made it clear to me that problems with the production and transportation of vegetables will demand more food to be grown closer to the point of consumption - back yards, roof tops, window sills and so on.
Kunstler believes that cities will contract, and those on the coast (exposed to sea level rise) are certainly likely to, as are those that require air conditioning or heating to make the climate bearable.
The limiting factor to contraction I see is that desirable land is generally privately owned, with current occupants unwilling to share. I believe many will cling to all they have, attempting to eek out a life in the slowly decaying cities, entertaining the slowly fading hope that things will improve. The entrepreneurs and opportunists, that exist at every level, will look for way to sustain themselves, and maybe others.
Because of the circumstance, this will mean making do with what's available and what opportunity provides. When survival is at steak we don't have the luxury of choice. Many areas where people will attempt to garden will be be unsuitable, unhealthy, even toxic. How quickly will we have to learn to adjust, how smart are we really?
When investigating the subject of feeding urban inhabitants with locally produced food, I've come across the idea of high-rise farm. These are purpose built to be green, living buildings incorporating a number of 'crops' that work together to maximize beneficial relationships and reuse otherwise waste byproduct. I agree with Kunstler that it is unlikely 'farms' of this type will be constructed from scratch.
A similar result may be achievable by other means.
One of the early casualties in the decline of the petroleum age is the parking structure, those hulking concrete and steel monstrosities scattered amongst the high-rises, shopping districts and malls. With a little thought and some old fashioned labor, these derelict, easy access buildings may be retrofitted with drainage, topsoil and compost to make productive vertical growing spaces.
Windmills recycle liquids by pumping from lower levels back to the top
Mirrors, light-wells (lift shafts), prisms, lenses and fibers bend and duct light to required locations
A modest parking building, like that near the Christchurch Central public library on Gloucester Street holds 360 cars or 12,000 square meters of surface over 5 levels. That's enough area to feed at least 600 people according to intensive gardening guru, John Jeavons.
