September 29, 2016
Dear Division 16,
Given that we’ve just started a project on food, let’s get thinking about the role that food plays in the world.
Let’s start close to home. Please read this article and then answer one of the following questions:
- Which of the benefits of urban gardening do you think is the most important? Explain your thinking and give reasons for your answer.
- What spaces in our city do you think would make good places for urban gardens? Try to think of spaces that aren’t already being used for growing vegetables.
I look forward to your responses!
Jody
Divisions 17 and 18 
#2 I think that a space we could use to have an urban carnival is the green way because it’s not really gicing a lot and yes I know that kids like myself love to play on it I just don’t think that it was worth the money and time.I think our school and community around our school would benefit more by havingredients a long strip of garden sort of like at Robson park .
Oh! That’s a neat idea. It’s always a balance, isn’t it, trying to find a use for public space that ticks all of the boxes!
#1 I think that growing a garden at a local place in Vancouver or by your own is a great why to look after the earth because since you can just pick up a fruit or other types of food then we would cut back on carbon footprint and you would save a lot of money!
Nice connection to the environment, Touchdown!
2# I think that the storage car lot by the Trillium Park would be the prime location for an urban farm. First of all, it is pretty big so the urban farmers can plant and harvest plenty of produce in that space. Since a large number of kids play soccer at the Trillium Park, they can see the garden and they can be inspired to grow their own food. One minor con could be that soccer balls sometimes can land in the potential garden so there would have to be some fence renovations to prevent that.
I appreciate how specific your thinking is, smeagaleater10, and a nice connection back to our work with Me on the Map!
2. I think that it would be nice if there were urban gardens on the side walks because in somewhere like downtown, since there are so many tall buildings that make it shady and dark there could be some flowers on the sidewalk, probably a bit in the sun though just so that they can grow. On top of apartments or just buildings because there is a lot of sun on top of buildings and it would be very pretty for all of the planes that fly on top of our city. I agree with Soccerboy123ABC about putting long strips of gardens because in my opinion it looks a lot better than just having a bunch of random gardens all over the place.
Very well thought out, Amythest! I like how you considered the quality of sun and shade and also different parts of the city!
What I think is most important about urban gardening is that if you’re gardening in a city, it makes it look like more like a community than just a bunch of buildings. I also think that this type of urban gardening is important because if you’re growing fruits and vegetables you can sell them or give them to the homeless. I also think urban gardening is really good because it brings the community together.
Community gardens can really bring people together! Great point!
#2 I think that lots of places can be great for urban gardens. Like parks and even just outside of restaurants or stores. So people walking past by could also look at them. After eating in the restaurants and buying stuff at the stores they can just go and look at the amazing veggies and plants!
Ah! Like a dessert for the senses! What a nice idea!
#1
I think that a benefit of urban gardening is the fact that we would save a lot of money and it would cut back the carbon footprint. Eating local foods is more healthy than eating food that came from across the globe.
Good point, lordofthepies05, transportation of food over long distances has some serious drawbacks!
#1 I think having fresh and local food all year round is the most important benefit of urban gardening. If it is local it uses less gas to transport it. The food is less likely to be wasted or rotten because it is not driven across the country. Fresh food tastes better and is better for your health because the stores don’t have to put on chemicals or wax to make the food last longer and look better.
Sushi Monster, I really like how you shared a lot of detail about why transportation is a problem for both food quality and the environment!
#1: I know that the supply of the food is what urban farming is meant for but I think the most important part of urban farming is that it doesn’t pollute the earth because it grows things locally so we don’t have to use trucks to bring it to town. I mean that the main problem with people is that our products and technology are often bad for the environment. But urban farming helps turn that around.
These are all good points, the engineer. Both of those are good reasons for urban farming! I appreciate that you took the time to list your reasoning.
#2 I think that having plants growing around the city is very good, because it helps the city look more green and inviting to people staying in Vancouver. Maybe we could make something like an indoor garden so that people can grow their food right in their kitchen and when they need say a tomato, they can just grab some easily and quickly. I also think that we can grow plants in our home’s rain gutters. Then when it rained it would soak the soil and if there was extra water it would drain out. Perhaps not ideal for edible plants because you wouldn’t be able to reach them.
Purple pom-poms, this idea about a garden in the rain gutters is amazing! I suppose that having windows is similar to a greenhouse… I wonder what would be required for an indoor vegetable garden!
#2 I think that it would be very nice to have a urban garden on every tall buildings that has space on it. Because some buildings has a empty rooftop and its full of concrete’s gray color it just doesn’t look good when a plane flies over, the whole down town just looks gray on top. If we have some urban gardens on there, it’s good for us because the vegetables and plants can purify the air in downtown. Plus if a plane flies over downtown it won’t look all gray instead It will look green and refreshing. Also the residence can go up and plant vegetables for fun if they wanted to, and it can be used to teach their kids the knowledge of the plant.
Hey! Great work, supercheesecake, you’ve made a whole lot of connections here, and I really appreciate how thoughtfully you answered the question. You considered the environment, learning, air quality and our ability to enjoy the world around us!
1#
The urban farm has lots of fresh vegetables and harbs that they sell in Chicago area.
Also it would be helpful because it brings the local community together. The residents and chefs that purchase the produce from the urban farm could get to know the growers, and the produce that they are buying. It iwould not the same as going to the grocery store.
Flying Mandarin, I really like that you thought about how gardens and food can bring people together. It’s an excellent point!
#2 I think that it would help a lot of people if there were urban gardens on rooftops. People could go up to the roof tops of apartment buildings to buy food. Some people don’t live close to or don’t have access to stores or markets. This way it would allow everyone to have food closer to them. Most of the plants would grow well because of the access of sunlight and rain assuring quality fruit and vegetables.
#2 I think that the green strips next to sidewalks would be a good spot to put community gardens because, you wouldn’t have to DRIVE to the garden. Another that reason why that location would be great is that fund raising could be easy door to door selling. Also the nearest community center could create their own version of CSA (community supported agriculture ) which could possibly double food and the CSA could even branch out into helping feed people who don’t have the money to feed themselves.
#2 I think we should think of our future farming because in the future something might happen so we need to have a special place for vegetables and fruits like military protection guarding the seeds like plants versus zombies sorta but with humans and a top high security and walls made out of steel that might sound very crazy but it maybe it can happen but then again imagination is very important.
#2 I think that it would be nice to have urban gardens in public parks and have the community run them.
1. It is important that we grow vegetables here in Vancouver because if not imported from half way around the world which is not good for the Environment!
#2 I think that gardens could hang on windows of worker buildings in downtown, it wouldn’t get in the way of the people that work in the buildings because it’s outside, they could have one of those window lifts for cleaning windows they could go around watering the fruit and cleaning the windows at the same time!
2#
I think that growing food is a good thing one of the places that thay should make more space to grow them like field farms so they have personal space
I really like your idea French waffles.
1. I think that the most important part of urban gardening is that it is adding more things to the city. How it’s doing that is that it is making Vancouver greener and having a greener city is better for the environment and all of the people who live here. Urban gardening is making sure that we are still giving back to the earth and not just taking from it. The urban gardening is also bringing parts of different communities together that’s why urban gardening is such a great thing for a city like Vancouver.
2# Some people might already be growing here but i think just next to the road, in front or peoples houses next to the side walk would be the perfect place. I just think it has so much potential. It would make it so much more beautiful . Also to those who don’t have a back or front yard this would be perfect! A wonderful way to have a a community garden. even in city’s next to the side walks it would just make such a difference! make the air smell much fresher ( i do NOT like how the city smells) and would make it so bright colourful.
1# I think you need urban gardening so that you can have fresh produce, because I find that fresh fruits and veggies are more refreshing and things that have been sitting in boxes for a long time won’t taste as good. I also think and/or feel that fresh fruits and veggies are more healthy. So pretty much I think there should be urban gardens everywhere so that people almost all over the world can get the best fruits and veggies.
#2. I think that a good space for urban farming in Vancouver would be around BC place. I think this because the space around the stadium is very bland and having a little green space around it would not only light up the area, but would also go quite nicely with false creek in the background.
2. I think that the space for garden should be at home because people at there house can keep the vegetables that r growing can keep them safe some people my step on them or take some even though its not there property.