Permaculture and the City

Beauty combined with utility have transformed this Illinois front yard into a model that inspired neighbors to follow suit. In 2006, its owners began with a water-retaining rain garden, flowers, and five edible plants. Wanting to see how much food they could produce, these permaculture pioneers now have more than 40 edible plants growing in this space. 

The term ‘permaculture’ is not one that is widely recognized. Although it has been around since the environmental movement of the 1970s, it has yet to become a household word. The principles and practices of this concept may be even less recognized, at least as applied in the broad context of urban forestry. But the time may be here for permaculture to be on the palette of tree boards and city foresters who increasingly take a holistic view of communities as urban ecosystems. 

The name and ideas of permaculture originated in Australia with Bill Mollison and David Holmgren who are credited as the founders of this school of thought. The word is a contraction of ‘permanent agriculture,’ or cultivating crops sustainably. Key concepts are production for human use and multiple purposes, but in harmony with nature by mimicking nature. And although it began as a means for household and community self-reliance, it soon took on a larger meaning — a design system for creating sustainable human environments. 

In this issue, we present the basic philosophy and principles of permaculture and showcase some ways it is being applied in American communities.