Urban Gardens

BEFORE

“I wish it were ours,” I thought when I spotted the ugly brown house on the hill overlooking a pond in the park. Six years later, it was our ugly house. Slowly, over the years, the ugly house got … Read More...

Millions of years ago nature perfected many of the design challenges we face today. Many  contemporary designers across many fields use Biomimicry in the development of sustainable design solutions that emulate the patterns and strategies of designs found in nature. … Read More...

I’m riding 130 feet in the air at the top of the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel. From my vantage point above the Santa Monica Pier at Pacific Park, I have a panoramic view of the surrounding Southern California coastline. … Read More...

 Contemporary terra cotta pot from Eye of the Day Garden Center.

You’ve likely strolled through garden centers stocked with hundreds of ubiquitous terra cotta nursery flower pots in the usual shapes and sizes. But did you know that this simple … Read More...

How about growing a meal a week in less than 100 square feet with a robot who manages your garden for you remotely?

Imagine sustainably growing food at home with a personal solar-powered smart robot gardener that will automatically irrigate, … Read More...

 Photo via Living Lights.

Read by the light of your arugula and kale? Researchers at MIT in Massachusetts are embedding specialized nanoparticles into the leaves of plants and vegetables such as arugula, kale, spinach, and watercress to create…edible lights and … Read More...

Pasona, via Kona Design.

Ever tried growing rice at work? A Japanese company did. The Pasona Group, not only produced a bounty of nutritious food, they’ve also helped reap a healthy profit — and they aren’t farmers.

As urban populations … Read More...

We’ve all heard the aphorism, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.” The phrase comes from Robert Frost’s 1915 poem Mending Wall. In the poem, two neighbors disagree about a stone wall separating their properties, one with pine trees, the other apple … Read More...

Updated January 2025

The festivities begin as soon as I step into the streetcar.

I sit next to a woman wearing a large hat adorned with flowers and illuminated by tiny, white lights. This might seem a bit odd … Read More...