Integrated Farming and Housing Designs

Berkeley's Garden Village

www.discovergardenvillage.com

KQED article: ‘Innovative’ Housing With Rooftop Farms Set for South of UC Berkeley Campus

A key element of the project is the rooftop farm, with which Garden Village hopes to break “new ground for the local, organic, & sustainable food movement.” Intensive rooftop farms — which are intended to be visible from the street — are planned above 16 of the 18 building volumes: “The rooftop farm will be the first of its kind in California and will yield approximately 16 tons of produce annually. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, this equates to enough fresh vegetables for every daily meal for an estimated 160 people.” The produce — an estimated 32,000 pounds annually — will be available to all residents and the broader community via a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.

Developers said the idea is part of their effort to maximize the project’s sustainability performance: “With the goal of creating a model for truly low environmental impact housing, Nautilus Group moved away from image focused certification goals and trendy photovoltaics. Instead, they carefully focused on developing deep green value through energy and material efficiency strategies combined with addressing specific underserved community needs like car sharing and local agriculture.”

Why San Jose needs better pedestrian experiences as seen by Leah Toeniskoetter

SPUR's view: Silicon Valley and San Jose need better designed places

San Jose Mercury News article on the need for and value of open space.

Valuing open space: Preserving land is no frivolous luxury

Ever heard of Agrihoods?  Check these out:

12 Agrihoods Taking Farm-to-Table Living Mainstream

All over the United States people are embracing local food production in an exciting new way. Called ‘agrihoods,’ this new type of neighborhood serves up farm-to-table living in a cooperative environment. Instead of being built around a pool or tennis court, these housing developments are centered around a farm, often using the sweat-equity of residents to create a sustainable food system for the entire community.

Related Developments

Casa Feliz Case Study

Japantown Senior Development

Blu Homes - Beautiful Modular Designed Buildings

The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the leading organization promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions.

Prince Charles's Foundation (UK)

We believe that sustainably planned, built and maintained communities improve the quality of life of everyone who's part of them. They help us both live better at a local level and start dealing with the broader global challenges of urbanisation and climate change.

Phoenix Commons (Oakland, CA)

Senior Co-housing - Research shows that social connectedness is one of the key elements associated with health and well being in older adulthood.