Design for Life: Bringing Life to the City
(Page 3 of 3)
January/February 2003
By Carol Venolia
You’re already in paradise
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If, like me, you’re timid about “converting” neighbors, take heart; you can begin with the smallest, simplest gestures. Last year, I planted a strip of earth adjacent to the downtown triplex where I live. My neighbors began asking questions, and I casually shared information about mulching, organic methods, native plants, and small-space vegetable gardening. One neighbor donated a birdbath, and another suggested that we begin composting as a group. Slowly a sense of eco-community is growing among people with diverse political leanings.
When you stay put and gradually transform your neighborhood’s vitality, you can improve existing buildings (less wasteful than new eco-building); avoid invading rural land; educate neighbors who aren’t already part of “the choir;” grow healthy food that doesn’t need to be trucked in; help cool the urban heat island; recharge the water table; bring birds, bees, and butterflies back to barren areas; reduce car use; and lower crime while increasing a sense of belonging by increasing community.
In short, you can make life a lot more enjoyable and sustainable without leaving home—and you can do it one step at a time, growing naturally.
CAROL VENOLIA is an architect, author of Healing Environments: Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being (Celestial Arts, 1988).
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