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--- research_report_sanjeev-shankar [2008-05-16 13:45] – sanjeev
+++ research_report_sanjeev-shankar [2008-05-17 10:36] – sanjeev
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 === Introduction ===
-{{:perma93.jpg|}}
 Plants are the centre of the web of life. The growth of urban centres around the globe has had a critical impact on ecology. Some of the questions at the core of this research are:
   * Is there an ecological limit to economic growth?
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   * Natural and traditional systems are a crucial resource and can offer us remedies. Problems can be seen as opportunities.
-=== Methodology ===
+For details on the methodology of this project please click on [[method]].
-For details on the methodology please click on [[method]].
-=== India ===
-India, which has been traditionally known for its diverse culture and strong traditional agricultural methods is today synonymous for rapid growth and transformation both in rural and urban areas. The nation thrives and lives in both rural and urban areas. New Delhi, situated within the metropolis of Delhi, is the capital of India and provides a dynamic and complex urban setting. Though Delhi continues to be the political and administrative capital of the country, it also plays a crucial part of the global political economic scenario. With a population of over 15 million the city is undergoing massive change. A couple of decades ago the area surrounding the city was mostly agricultural. One could drive out of the city, and quickly enter into a very rural countryside. Today, the situation is different. Now the city is increasingly in the midst of a continuous urban sprawl.  Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon are now ‘extensions’ to the city, even though they are in other states. The pace of change has been so fast that it is strange to find vegetables and flowers being cultivated below high speed flyovers and in front of emerging shopping malls! Delhi has over 40% of it citizens living in slum like conditions. Often these habitations have been inter-seeped amongst the affluent colonies and have formed the informal service sector. However, over the past decade they are being systematically thrown out. The river banks too were till recently a site for the poor. As demand for scarce land rises, there is an ongoing change in the demographics of residential areas. After a concerted city action in early nineties over 7500 hectares of forest are now legally protected in the city, and through another law, tree cutting needs special permission. Similarly Non Governmental Organisations along with the Courts forced the conversion of public transport from diesel to CNG, a cleaner fuel. At the social and physical level, Delhi remains a historical, multi-layered fragmented city, with each fragment contributing in its own way to the city fabric. Over time, these multiple layers of historicity are expressed through multiple identities and realities. Such multi layered city character is very common in India and creates a complex dynamic within the city.
 === Permaculture ===
-Permaculture is an integrated, interdependent, evolving, multidimensional and creative design response to a world of declining energy and resource availability with emphasis on design processes drawn from nature. It is about values and visions, and design and systems of management that are based on holistic understanding, especially of our bio-ecological and pychosocial knowledge and wisdom. Permaculture also reflects the ongoing evolution of our knowledge systems and can be intepreted to any area which might benefit from such holistic design theory and practice. Human settlements, business enterprises, political and economic systems, learning environments, health field and child rearing can be some of these areas.
+Permaculture is an integrated, evolving, multidimensional and creative design response to a world of declining energy and resource availability with emphasis on design processes drawn from nature. It is about holistic values, design and systems of management. It also reflects the ongoing evolution of our knowledge systems and can be applied to other areas requiring holistic thinking, for example: human settlements, business enterprises, political and economic systems, learning environments, health field and child rearing.
 For more on this topic please see [[history of permaculture]]
 ==Urban Permaculture==
-In urban situations, space is limited, there may be little or no access to land, and various regulatory restrictions exist when it comes to gardening or having backyard animals.((http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/Urban/)) Some of the concepts that people have used in urban settings which have allowed them to circumnavigate these obstacles are discussed below. They are a mix of approaches, ranging from gardening to co-parenting, going across different aspects of sustainability. Further the character of cities in the western world is extremely different from the eastern world. These differences work at social, political and physical level and have shaped these cities. The examples discussed here are therefore quiet diverse, but the concept of "no loss" and an aspect of "community" links them all. Also, though a permaculture garden might have a configuration like a forest in terms of stability and efficiency, it is infact rich in functional plants which have a strong relationship with each other and result in high yields.
+In urban situations, space is limited, there may be little or no access to land, and various regulatory restrictions exist when it comes to gardening or having backyard animals.((http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/Urban/)) Some of the concepts that people have used in urban settings are discussed below. These are a mix of approaches, ranging from gardening to co-parenting, going across different aspects of sustainability. Further the character of cities in the western world is extremely different from the eastern world. These differences work at social, political and physical level and have shaped these cities. The examples discussed here are therefore quiet diverse, but the vision of "no loss" and a practical aspect of "community" links them all.
 For more on this topic please see [[urban permaculture concepts]].
-see [[urban permaculture initiatives]] for other examples.
 === Regional Cultural peculiarities ===
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 === Possibilities for urban permaculture kits ===
+This section explores a series of initiatives which could trigger independent green worlds.
-An important question considered by the researcher was, what are the growth symbols/patterns in urban areas? Can the challenges in cities be seen as opportunities? How can we come up with design responses which directly impact the situation? This could be related to real estate, construction, mass production, transportation and architecture. As per recent statistics the planet adds 73 million humans to its tally every year!((http://www.worldometers.info)) How can we add 73 trillion plants every year ?
 see [[urban permaculture kits]]