Co-farmin / Elizalde + Márquez + Millán

Co-farmin

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Co-farmin An alternative system based on community values, solidarity and resilience

Ana Elizalde Lรณpez Carolina Mรกrquez Luna Melanie Millรกn Acosta

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Professors MSc. Urb. Diana García Arq. Pedro Mendoza Escuela de Arte, Arquitectura y Diseño, ITESM

Arq. Adriana del Castillo

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Special thanks Santiago Martínez Rodrigo Pantoja Monserrat Loyola Diana Zuñiga Mónica Muñoz Yael González Carla Serrano Mario Espinosa

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Preface How do we feed an entire city?

Cities in the whole wide world will continue to face new

This is one of the most important questions nowadays,

and ongoing challenges in creating enough employement,

yet we can say that more than the half of people cannot

providing services like water, health, green spaces and

answer it, or even ask it. We can easily say that we go to

sanitation, and last but not least, enhancing food security,

supermarkets to buy our food and restaurants to eat, but we

decent housing and education. Mexico is desperate for a

take it for granted that the food comes out of nowhere and

change, 27 million Mexicans live in food poverty, and after

it just appears in our tables.

the Covid-19 pandemic, how many of Mexicans are going to

In a city like QuerĂŠtaro, enough food has to be produced,

join these 27 million?

transported, bought, sold, cooked, consumed and disposed,

Local food systems in cities have the potential to have a

and this happens every day, in every city in Mexico, America

positive impact: community supported food production,

and the world.

distribution and consumption iniciatives can join forces and

For ages, we have been completely dependent of the natural

improve economical, environmental and social problems

world. Time passes and everyday more and more of us

we are facing today. This is when we, aspiring young

are moving into cities, more food will have to be able to be

architects, have decided to make a change through design

produced and transported. Food production and urbanism

and management. An innovative way to start ongoing

is rising together, and by 2050 it is estimated that twice the

resilient cities, defining the relationship between food, city,

number of population nowadays is going to be living in cities,

community values, sustainability and urban agriculture.

6 billion of us will be prepared to be fed by huge corporations who´s only will is money.

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WE PLEAD FOR HELP!.......... 12

THE TERRITORY................... 26

THE SITE..............................46

Worlwide threats.................................................14

Rural situation in MĂŠxico.................................... 28

QuerĂŠtaro..............................................................48

Money over earth................................................16

Mexico: a country full of problems.................. 30

Rainwater............................................................... 50

The city is all we have!........................................18

Health: overweight and obesity....................... 32

The water issue....................................................52

Responding to an urgent agenda...................22

Food security and poverty.................................34

Food production.................................................. 54

Threats and shocks............................................24

The role of the food sector............................... 36

City growth............................................................56

What happens next? covid................................38

From rural to urban..............................................58

Towards resilient cities!......................................44

A pressured peri-urban area............................60 Close studies: site and context....................... 64 Sun path and topography.................................. 80

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CO-FARMIN’.......................... 82 THE SYSTEM / EXTRAS........154 REFERENCES.......................204 A self sufficient future...........................................84

Sustainability on site........................................... 156

Promoting access to food................................... 86

The system: biodiversity & sustainability.......158

Space requirements..............................................88

Waste and water factibility.................................160

Working together to lighten the future............ 90

Biogas production............................................... 162

Building socioecological systems...................... 92

Wetlands................................................................164

Traditional farming vs. vertical farming.............94

A place full of plant variety!................................168

Exploring new technologies................................ 96

Endemic trees...................................................... 178

Users: different needs!......................................... 98

Fruit trees...............................................................180

Stakeholders.........................................................100

Aromatic and medical plants............................ 182

Community supported agriculture.................102

Cacti and acuatic plants.....................................184

Sharing is urgent!.................................................104

Conclusion: What needs to be done!............. 188

A flexible housing menu.................................... 106

Extra tips................................................................ 192

Urban strategies.................................................. 108

Eat the rainbow!....................................................194

A full look................................................................112

Healthy recipes for a healthy lifestyle!........... 196

A closer look......................................................... 116 Agricultural biodiversity......................................122 Program..................................................................124 Developing a local food system.......................128 Showing volumetry: shadows...........................138 Adaptive housing: the way you want!............. 142

References............................................................206

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We plead for help!

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Help!

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Worldwide threats Cities are social and economical systems that can end up

According to FAO, in 1960 we had over 3 billion people on earth,

in chaos thanks to the rapid economic, political, social and

but it rapidly rose to 6.5 billion in 2005, and by 2050, we will be

environmental conflicts. Urban sustainability nowadays is being

over 8.3 billion people on earth. How are we going to be able to

threatened by a number of problems like insufficient access

feed over 9 billion people? The need for food is increasing while

to water and sanitation, rising world food and fuel prices, poor

the amount of farmland in decreasing. When we adress city

local governance and climate change - is increasingly forcing

growth challenges, we are also adressing rural and territorial

us to rethink our resource management methods, including

development. So, how are we going to produce enough food

re-imagining the ways that we grow or rear our food!

for urban dwellers? What kinds of infrastructures are needed to ensure this? How can cities preserve these farmlands?.

Today, we use 1/3 of the

By 2050, we will need twice the

planet’s surface to produce.

food.

15 Waste & Wastewater 2.8% Forestry 17.4% Energy supply 25.9%

Agriculture 13.5%

Transport 13.1%

Industry 19.4%

Buildings 7.9%

Global greenhouse emissios, ONU HABITAT

Food production is responsible for almost 13.5% of global

It is not enough to diversify urban food sources and income

greenhouse emissions, and bad managed fertilizations

opportunities, but also by maintaining open green spaces,

exacerbates pollution of the air, erosion and water. City

enhancing vegetation cover and water infiltration, and

adaptation to climate change has become a growing concern.

contributing to sustainable water and natural resource

As FAO also states, “Building more resilient cities is a key issue

management�.

for future urban development�. Multifunctional landscape

especially helps to improve air quality, reduces urban warming,

management, integrating agriculture, trees and forests help to

curbs erosion and enhances urban biodiversity. We urgently

make cities more resilient.

need an improve food production systems committed to a

Urban

forestry,

including

better use of resources, we plead for help!

agro-forestry,

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Money over earth Why are large profit corporations getting bigger, with small scale farms being left out of the food production economy? Money.

Large scale agriculture corporations sell more products at a lower cost and gain more profit than the small scale farm competitors.

Investors provide more money to large farms, expecting as they do much more higher returns of investment, therefore, they perceive small farms to be a higher risk.

However, large farms tend to achieve more money without counting the negative impacts caused by their economical and agricultural practices, like soil degradation, contamination and poor low wage work conditions. The current food chain is completeley unsustainable and economically not viable. Fixing our food systems using urban agriculture could play an important role in the community and especially in the economic growth in cities.

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The city is all we have!

The graphics shown in the next pages show how the population on earth has been migrating in the past years to cities. In 1950, we could say that very few countries were largely urban, while most of the world was agricultural. Now, by 2050, fundamentally every civilization will be urban.

This does not mean that the whole world will be turned into a city. Right now, two percent of the world is covered in cities, but what it really means is that the countryside will be much less densely inevitable than it is now.

As the world continues to grow, sustainable development depends increasingly on the successful management of urbanization, especially in low income countries where the most rapid growth in cities is expected between now and 2050. Integrated policies to improve the lives of both urban and rural dwellers are needed, strengthening the linkages between urban and rural areas and building on their existing economic, social and environmental ties.

(United nations, world urbanization prospects)

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1950

Majority rural

Majority urban

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2050

Majority rural

Majority urban

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Responding to an urgent agenda Cities face a huge challenge of ensuring nutritious, safe and sustainable food available to every single human being. Today, one of the main problems is population growth. This challenge is more critical than ever because of the demographic shift from rural to urban areas. Currently, more than 50% of the world´s population live in urban areas, and in cities like QuerÊtaro, it is estimated that 30% of the urban area will grow by 2030.

On the other hand, clean water scarcity is also a major issue in a world of over 8 billion people. The strain on the water system will grow by 2050 when the world population will reach to over 10 billion people. This strain will be worse because of unequal population growth in different areas unrelated to local resources.

The key to building resilient cities is simple, we need to pay attention in matters such as natural resources, health and the population itself. Cities grow, the number of people will increase and therefore, more water will be needed. How are we going to be able to solve these city growth problems and balance it with population and environment welfare?

Forecast of population growth in the past and future 23

Forecast of population growth and water demand: 1950 - 2025

Population growth

Water availability

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Threats and shocks Food prices: The high prices in food have risen sharply in the recent years. This has raised big concerns about health issues, especially in countries with high poverty numbers.

High food costs directly hit the household consumption budgets of the poor as they are almost all net consumers.

This situation is aggravated by the direct effects of worsening economies and job losses in cities. Children, women and elderly are among the most vulnerable groups affected. High food and fuel prices resulted in a huge widespread in the last year in countries as diverse as Haiti, Mexico, Egypt, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Indonesia. (RUAF, 2019).

Climate change: Now admitted as one of the most serious environmental, economic and societal challenges facing the entire world. Cities are becoming vulnerable to severe food supply shortages that are caused by floods or droughts that reduce the farming production.

Also, the increase of the earth´s temperature will lead to changes in rainfall, leading to more frequent droughts and floods. If farmers continue standard agricultural practices, productivity could decline between 10% and 25%.

25 Adaptation: This involves taking step by step to understate the future impacts of climate change. This is important especially for low income countries such as Mexico, that are exposed to the consequences of climate change. Adaptation stands for securing actions to reduce these environmental problems we are facing, and include them into our everyday practices of urban planning, land use regulation, water management and infrastructure invesment (RUAF, 2008)

Water scarcity: The connection with water is obvious not only for food production but for also other services the city needs.

Many cities like Mexico suffer from water scarcity because the water resources are not enough or are polluted, or simply because the capacity to treat and distribute water is limited.

Urban dwellers lack access to improved domestic water supply, the possibility that this limited water resource will be used for agriculture in and around cities is minimal. As a greater proportion of economic activity is concentrated in spaceconfined urban areas, and competition for natural resources increases, the development of new sources of water will be needed. (RUAF, 2008)

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The territory

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24 million Mexicans (almost a quarter of the national population) live in rural areas

The margin to improve the use of agricultural natural resources could increase the levels of agricultural production and productivity

It is crucial to favor the expansion of opportuniti for the children of poor families living in rural are

Rural development also means the incorporation of a

Mexico has a national territory of 198 million hectares of which 145 million are dedicated to agricultural activity.

The rural environment is also a privileged repository of many of the Mexican cultural roots and expressions of national identity

ies eas

an important economic potential for the progress of the country Source: FAO

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MĂŠxico: A country full of problems

16.2%

Lack of health services

19.8%

57.3%

Lack of basic services

Lack of social security

41.9%

7.4%

Poverty

Extreme poverty

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16.9%

11.1%

Lack of education

Don´t have decent housing

20.4%

Lack of nutrition

29.3%

21.9%

6.9%

Vulnerable by income

Social deprivation

Not poor and vulnerable

CONEVAL, 2018

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Health: Overweight and obesity Excess body weight (overweight and obesity) is currently recognized as one of the most important challenges of public health in the world, given it´s size, speed of growth and the negative effect it has on the health of the population that suffers from it.

Today, Mexico is the second place of global obesity in adults and fourth place in children.

Over 70% of the adult population between 30 and 60 years suffer from overweight, this

2nd p

represents a major challenge for the health sector in terms of promoting a healthy lifestyle and in the development of public policies to reverse this scenario.

We need to plan and promote stategies for the prevention and control of obesity, especially in children and teenagers, promote exercise, nutrition and health for our country.

6.5

14.7

013.0

20.0

5-1 15.0

18.5

1227.7

41.7

20Men

Overweight

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place

18.4

5.1

-4 20.6

12.2

11 26.4

12.8

-19 35.6

-50

37.1 Women

Obesity

ENSANUT, 2016

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Food security and poverty Even though Mexico is considered a country with a growing economy, 44.5% of the homes have food security, on the other hand, 22.6% present high and severe food insecurity , while 32.9% present a low food insecurity.

-OCDE mentions that Mexico is the second country with the mayor economical inequality.

-1 of 2 people suffer from poverty.

- 27 million people live in poverty, and 12.5% suffer from malnutrition.

25.4 million Food security

Food insecurity

48.9%

30.5%

Lo

12.9%

Hig

7.7%

3 of 10 people do not have the enough income to buy the basic food basket

Sev

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7.8 million 30.9%

ow

40.7%

gh

17.7%

vere

11.2%

7 of 10 people do not have access to services and products to satisfy their basic needs

CONEVAL, 2018

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The role of the food sector Nowadays, in rural areas, as well as urban areas, the food and

In Mexico, 76% of the water destined for human consumption

nutritional transition is observed, joined by internal migration

is used in agriculture. This means agriculture is the most widely

that influences the growth of cities, this has promoted the

used sector and one of the main water polluters in our country.

existence and demand for food such as meats, dairy, and

Therefore, improving water management in agriculture is

processed products, and gradually reduced the participation

essential for a sustainable and productive agri-food sector.

of foods such as cereals, legumes and vegetables.

On the other hand, agriculture is the sector that generates

According to FAO Mexico, the domestic food market is

the most amount of greenhouse gas emissions, followed by

characterized by it´s concentration on large marketers and

industrial activities and public consumption.

the exclusion of small producers. Great part of the problems

The agro-food sector also represents 3.6 of Mexico´s gross

faced by food producers are linked with the lack of market

domestic product, this means agriculture also plays a very

access. This means that there is a difficulty in marketing,

important role in the economy.

lack of transportation and storage, lack of information on the product prices and the lack of production organization.

The age average of rural population in 78 years old

37 76% of water destined for human consumption in used in agriculture.

34% of the food in Mexico goes to waste every year.

13% of agricultural labour force in Mexico.

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What happens nex

xt in México? Covid.

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83 - 123 million people may starve as a result of the economic recession (worldwide).

This will sum up to over 690 million who already suffer from hunger.

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Over 8.1 million people lost their job in Mexico.

As consequence, unemployement will mean people will have less money to spend in food.

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The decrease in government revenue in Mexico will mean social safety programs (like school feeding programs) will be underfunded.

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The percentage of the Mexican population with a salary lower than the cost of the basic food basket will increase by 45.8%.

Towards resilient cities!

So now, there is a huge awarness that combined with the effects and problems of climate change, water scarcity, food crisis, fast increasing urbanization and population growth have the potential to disrupt the resilience of cities and its connection to sustainability and ecological systems. “Resilience is a measure of a household, city or nation´s ability to absorb shocks and stresses, one can even say resilience is the opposite of vulnerability� (FAO) The variety and complexity of the conditions shaping current and future urban food systems, combined with the interdependency of these conditions, indicate that it is an enormous challenge to create resilient urban food systems.

We urgently need to support economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional developing planning!

(RUAF,2009)

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The site

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Querétaro The state of Querétaro is located in the west of the Mexico,

There is also a big amount of social inequality, 43 of 100 women

fixing its extreme coordinates between 20º 31 ’to 20º 56’ north

suffer violence and 12.66% of the population live in very poor

latitude and 100º 19 ’to 100º 36’ west longitude.

conditions, meanwhile 20% of the homes in Querétaro are

Queretaro is one of the entities with the highest population

uninhabited.

growth in the country, doubling its population and quadrupling

The Metropolitan area of Querétaro (MAQ) is formed by 4

its urban stain between 1990 and 2007 (UN Habitat, 2017).

municipalities that together create the urban area (El Marqués,

Querétaro is a highly competitive city thanks to it´s great

Corregidora, Huimilpan and Querétaro). Over 60% of the total

economic, population and urban dynamism (4th national place

population in Querétaro live in these 4 municipalities. It is also

in the Urban Competitiveness Index 2016 IMCO).

import to add that in this area, over 80% of the state´s Gross

The Urban area of Querétaro has a total of 759.9 km2, which

Domestic Product (GDP) is generated, even though we have

corresponds 6.5% of the total extension of Queretaro state.

chronically presented problems on the availability of water.

It occupies the seventh place in territorial extension of the

In addition, there is a trend in the increase of water

entire country.

consumption for domestic use per inhabitant. In 2015, there

Speaking economically of Querétaro, the municipality

was an increase of 36% in the water supply against 2.5% of

contributes $220,000 millions of GDP, while the state

the population increase. It is worth mentioning that the lack

contributes with over $330,000 millions of pesos . Although

of maintenance in the installed systems causes a significant

Querétaro brings over $14.7 billions of GDP to the country,

loss of water, between 33% and 40%, almost the equivalent of

49.5% of the habitants do not count on laboral benefits, and

what is extracted from aqueduct II.

27.82% of the population do not have a superior education.

Due to this, MAQ is facing several water challenges such as water shortage, overexploitation of aquifers, floods and contamination of bodies of water.

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Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

Farmland

Drains

Permeable areas

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Rainwater The atmospheric precipitation is a natural phenomenon whose

Therefore, representing precipitation in the State to a single

occurrence varies greatly both in its spatial and temporal

indicator hides this spatial and temporal variability. This

distribution. In its temporal distribution, rain occurs in annual

assertion is even more accurate in the case of agriculture,

cycles that we can observe, for example, in Querétaro the

which uses rain as a vital input.

period from May to October of each year is considered a rainy

In recent years, the low uptake of water in the state impacs

season.

the agricultural production cycles, because of the 38 bodies of

Santiago de Querétaro is dominated by the local steppe

water, three are practically empty and the rest accumulate an

climate. There is not much precipitation in Santiago de

average of 17.7% of storage.

Querétaro throughout the year. The average temperature in

From 2016 to 2019, there are records of a decrease in rainfall

Santiago de Querétaro is 18.7 ° C. In a year, the precipitation

conditions, as there is a recurrent reduction, since last year, in

is 574 mm.

addition to low rainfall, the rains were spaced.

In it’s spatial distribution, it can be observed that it rains more in forested areas than in semi-desert areas, for the state of Querétaro a notable example is to compare the southern part of the state (the municipality of Amealco), as the rainiest area with the central part ( the municipality of Cadereyta), as the driest area.

Source: SEDEA

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100 mm

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fe 02 br .3

ry uamm

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mbmer e c de 10.20 m

60 mm

h ma.60rcmm

octob 78.10 m er m

40 mm

m a

11 .9

t usmm

april

02.70 mm

ber m e t sep66.00 mm

04

20 mm

0

5 7 .2 0

y mm .0 mm 104

june

57.30 mm

july

au g

The water issue In general, Querétaro presents a negative hydric balance, this

in rural areas as a source of income and food provider. The

means that the extraction overstands the recharge, with a

agricultural sector develops it’s activities in a large part of the

deficit of 190 million cubic meters.

rural localities and takes advantage of natural resources like

We can also say that 61% of the consuntive water in Querétaro

water. The agricultural activities constitute one of the main

(which includes agriculture, cattle raising and industrial

employment sources for people residing in rural areas.

activities) comes from superficial sources like rivers, streams

Querétaro today has 1,400 wells and 11 aquifers. 6 of these

and lakes, while the other 39% comes from subterraneal

aquifers are currently suffering overexploitation (San Juan del

sources like aquifers.

Río valley, Querétaro valley, Amazcala valley, Buenavista valley),

In 2017, 60.9% of the water for consumptive use came from

these overexploited aquifers present a total of 236 million cubic

surface sources, the rest came from aquifers. On the other

meters. Also, 641.7 cubic hectometers of the concessioned

hand, 54.4% of water in Queretaro came from non-renewable

water are destined for agricultural use, making this the first

sources, this means that the pressure on water resources in

place in concessioned water.

Querétaro is very high.

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In Querétaro, agricultural activities have a great importance

CO N

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-3

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Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

Water courses

Water bodies

QuerĂŠtaro river

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Food production

Alfalfa Oats Asparragus Onion Weat Chile Cucumber Barley Zucchini Strawberry Tomato 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

cm

Main crops with high productivity and therefore occupy more water exploitation

55

1 10

1

2

10

1 2

10

1

1

2

2

10

2

10

9

3

9

3

9

3

9

3

9

3

8

4

8

4

8

4

8

4

8

4

7

7

5 6

6

Fodder Corn

Mushrooms

6

6

Roses

Chia

1 2

10

2

5

7

1

1 10

5

7

Asparragus Lettuce Celery Carrot

2

10

2

5 6

1

1 10

7

5

2

10

9

3

9

3

9

3

9

3

9

3

8

4

8

4

8

4

8

4

8

4

5

7

5

7

6

6

Grapes Chickpeas Artichokes

Cauliflower

5

7 6

Broccoli Spinach

5

7 6

Corn Fodder corn Barley

5

7 6

Tuna Jamaica

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City growth Nowadays, rural and productive areas in QuerÊtaro are the most affected by the city’s sprawl, we learned that municipalities such as Corregidora have constituted a great amount of the agricultural area, but now it has been invaded by new housing developments that isolate some of the people that still live in these areas. This forces the small producers to sell their land, and as a consequence of the same, people are migrating to the city, leaving the aging people to work the land, provoking the establishment of new technologies very difficult for them.

1950

1990

57

2010

2018

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From rural to urban “The transition zone between fully urbanized land in cities and areas in predominantly agricultural use, is characterized by mixed land uses and indeterminate inner and outer boundaries, and typically it is split between a number of administrative areas”. (UNESCO) Economic growth has created strong pressure to convert agricultural land to industrial or commercial use, but especially in Queretaro, residential. Much of this land-use change is occurring around cities around the world, in areas that are described as “peri-urban”.

The term peri-urbanization refers to a process in which rural areas located on the outskirts of established cities become more urban in character. This transformation occurs in physical, economic, and social terms.

The most difficult issue that comes with the development is that it usually involves rapid social change, as small agricultural communities are forced to adjust to an urban or industrial way of life in a very short time.

farmlands were located at the outskirts of the city

people from rura informal settlements

59 Peri-urban areas, as transition zones, play a vital role in linking urban and rural areas. Rural labor increasingly migrates to peri-urban areas rather than to urban.

Farmers in peri-urban areas frequently pioneer high value agricultural systems, because of market access and economic pressures related to the high value of land. Last but not least, with their large populations, peri-urban areas will increasingly wield political power—a new constituency neither rural nor urban.

al areas move to s in peri-urban areas

(UNESCO)

peri-urban complexes will be built by the provate sector

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A pressured peri-urban area Corregidora is a municipality of the metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro. Historically, it is an area that has been developed with a number of traditions and particularities that have been imbued with a strong local identity.

The farmlands in Corregidora are located mainly in the center of the municipality, and they are being invaded slowly by the housing developments due to the strong demand. This is a process that will continue and these farmlands will slowly lose space and will directly get stuck between these developments. Also, a new source of pressure will emerge, thanks to the construction of the new highway Palmillas-Apaseo and the construction of more industrial parks that wil end up destroying various existing farmlands.

Thanks to these important aspects, we decided that Corregidora will be the area where Co-farmin will set place.

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Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

Study site

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Close studies: urban fabric and site In the past decades, migrants from low-income rural areas solved their housing needs with informal settlements in peri-urban areas. Nowadays, they move to peri-urban complexes built by the private sector with state subsidies.

This happened in Corregidora. We can see how a self-built housing space was left among a housing complex built by a private developer. This space on the periphery of the metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro was first an agricultural space, later it was occupied by rural inhabitants who migrated to the city in search of better opportunities and little by little private developers have bought these spaces to build housing complexes.

Paseos del Bosque

Projec

built: 55%

built: 22%

sidewalks: 7%

permeable: 78%

green areas: 20% roads: 18%

ct site

%

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Puerta Real built: 26% sidewalks: 8% green areas: 32% roads: 34%

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meridians and parks Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

Medians

Public parks

Private parks

Farmland

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land cost Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

950 K-1100 M

1200 M-1500M

1600M-2100M

2200M-3000M

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type of housing Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

Economical

Popular

Medium

Traditional

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public transport Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

R-20

R-69

R-75

R-76

R-77

R-5

R-79

R-85

R-125

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land use Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

Housing

Housing with commerce

Equipment

Green areas

Commerce

Industry

Mixed housing

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important highways Metropolitan area of QuerĂŠtaro

Constituyentes Avenue

Villa Apaseo el Alto

Libramiento Sur-Poniente

Libramiento Nor-Poniente

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important landmarks

73 After a series of urban investigation about our site, we conclude that the main problems we could find in general is a strong economic disparity, as well as the north part, because it does not count with connectivity to the city, neglected and unatended productive areas that are slowly being invaded by more housing complexes and a constant change in land use which comes from farmers not making enough profits, so they are forced to sell their land to have a better income.

Site 25,800.00 m²

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Sun path and topography Before having a concrete idea about the volumetric composition of our project, we made a brief analysis of the sun path in our project, as well as an the analysis of the topography, which is practically a flat a terrain. The west parto of our site is facing the primary road, while the east part faces the wall from the housing development. North and south part of the terrain face the selfbuilt houses and streets of the site.

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summer solstice 1:00pm

winter solstice 1:00pm

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Co-farmin’

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Co-farmin!

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Promoting access to food The project begins with the establishment of housing because the first thing to question is how to grow one’s own food in a space connected to living spaces, transforming the current lifestyle. We also call the house “flexible� because it depends on the user, an optional and variable menu is offered to make the house a more enjoyable place.

The house has a direct and desirable relationship with the infrastructure that allows better resource management, such as the wetland, solar cells and the biogas generator that produces natural gas and electricity.

Housing and food production are intrinsically related and it is the strong point of the project. The production involves aeroponics, which allows 90% water and land recycling, this also guarantees to double the production compared to traditional agriculture.

In the public area, an educational space is proposed. Through theoretical and practical training, teaches users about the impact of agriculture. This space is thought as the main catalyst for the interest of urban inhabitants towards productive methods, as well as the importance of providing food security to others.

Finally, a market is projected in which the production of the site can be sold through the farmers themselves, so local consumption is promoted, free of any distribution that exceeds the metropolitan area. And likewise, it ensures a regular income to farmers. It is important to mention that this space is well connected with public transport and a parking space for people who do not live in the polygon.

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natural ventilation

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Thinking together to lighten the future The links between the urban and rural sectors are essential in co-farmin and especially relevant if the new spaces that are added to the urban area of ​​the city are to begin to be truly sustainable. However, we cannot speak of sustainability if we do not speak of collaboration.

Therefore, the following diagram shows the areas in which this type of union between visions of cooperation about what could begin to happen in the outskirts of the city. There are four sectors (spatial, social, environmental and economic) and these are directly related to the food production cycle , this way joining efforts on how to avoid brownfields, how to promote social inclusion between social classes, how to promote local economy and above all, how to give citizens food security.

Referring to spatial relevance, having food spaces and food trading helps to create a diversity of landscapes, connectivity, access to green spaces but above all to generate a productive urban landscape.

Socially, having food spaces and food eating promotes a healthier urban lifestyle, improving public health and ending food poverty, providing food security for all.

Likewise, it may be that the environmental sphere is the one with a bigger impact by this type of initiatives because the ecological footprint is closely related to food production. Therefore, having an efficient way of obtaining food would benefit the management, better use and reuse of resources such as water, air and land. In the same way, it would help reduce the amount of garbage that is generated daily, ending food waste.

Finally, economically represents a support to the inhabitants of cities because they are self-employed in a safe way selling their products, this way promoting local consumption and ensuring an income.

In conclusion, Co-farmin ’promotes that the barriers of rural and urban are beginning to blur in a way that integrates better opportunities and provides better social justice to both consumers and farmers.

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Building socioecological systems The study and analysis of the increasing global risks derived from the environmental crisis and the consequence of a greater social, economic, political and ecological problems at a different spatial and temporal scale, require an interdisciplinary perspective that allows us to comprehend the complexity of these problems.

This is why we can propose actions and change agendas to increase the resilience and sustainable developments in all it’s dimensions, focusing on the study of resilience in the socio-ecological systems.

Urban resilience is an emerging property in the cities system. Seeing it as a socio-ecological system, but it only arises by the interaction of it’s components, this is why strategies for incrementing the urban resilience can not rely on the individual resilience of it’s components, but rather focusing on their interactions.

93 Domestic kitchens / forest fires / urban pollution and greenhouse gases Leading cause of death, illness and displacement worldwide

Desertification, deforestation and chemical pollution Effects on access to land and employment

Pollution and extraction Effects on water safety, health and employment

Decreased levels of fishing, plastic waste, coral bleaching and ice cap melting Loss of protein and jobs

Decrease in the number of pollinators, extinction of species and ecosystems Effects on food security

Healthy Low

Stable

Reversible

Adverse effects on public health around the world

Irreversible High

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250 L water usage per kg of lettuce

3.9 kg Crop yield per m ²/year (lettuce)

Traditional

Aeroponics

2000 Food miles in transportation

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1L water usage per kg of lettuce

80-120 kg Crop yield per m ²/year (lettuce)

Traditional

43 Food miles in transportation

Aeroponics

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Exploring new technologies for co-farmin’ Harvesting robots: Orchard farmers can now use robots instead of seasonal pickers. Harvesting robots use algorithms to identify and locate fruit in trees. In a wide range of industries, the same technology can be applied, but for now they use it in agriculture. The robot is designed to accurately harvest and store fruit and vegetables.

Pixel farming: “It’s a super complicated futuristic farming system that looks and acts like nature but can only be managed by tender swarms of tiptoeing ecofeminist robots that haven’t been inveted yet” - Lenora Ditzler Pixel farming is a diverse community of plants , packed in next to each other in small spaces, neighbors borrowing from each other, insect visitors navigating foliated avenues, colonies of uninvited but tolerated flora occupying the awkward spaces in between, all of it somehow coexisting.

The food grown in pixel farming are randomly allocated within the plots, but they are carefully chosen to be there because they are expected to behave in certain ways.

Each pixel follows a standard organic arable rotation, which alternates root crops with leafy crops and cereals to avoid soil degradation, separates species that share soil-born pests and diseases, allows regeneration of soil nutrients, and keeps the gorund covered year-round.

A countryside report, Rem Koolhaas

Drones: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles has a great potential to support and address some of the most urgent problems faced by agriculture in terms of access to actionable real-time quality data. We predict that the agriculture sector will be the second largest user of drones in the world in the next five years. Drones are increasingly being used in the agriculture sector to meet the challenge of harvesting meaningful and actionable information from the big data generated by these systems.

Drones for agriculture (FAO)

Substrate slabs: The use of stone wool substrate slabs offer many advantages. Thanks to the controlled manufacturing process, this growth medium is of a consistently high quality.

The sterile production under extreme temperature ensures that the product is clean and sterile. Its unique hydrophilic fibre also makes the cultivation on stone wool substrate very easy to control. The grower can administer the amount of water and nutrients the crops need in a very directed and controlled manner, to achieve optimal growing results. The efficient use of water and nutrients keeps the yield per square metre high, and energy consumption per unit of product low. Additionally, the product is lightweight, making it easy to use. And last but not least, stone wool can be easily re-used. To sum up, it is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly product!

Grodan.com

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Users: different needs!

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Stakeholders-

CPULs by Katrin Bohn and Andre Viljoen

“The practice of urban agriculture is out stripping policy support.

Action IUC = inventory of urban capacity

The concept of productive urban landscapes proposes a

An “inventory of urban capacity” is necessary, especially

framework in which urban agriculture can contribute to more

of spatial, stakeholder and managerial capacities. At the

sustainable and resilient food systems”.

beginning of the relatively short history of the urban agriculture

Cities over the world are seeking policy guidance. Getting urban

movement, planning emphasis was given to identifying and

agriculture written into planning documents is the next critical

mapping available urban space (soil quality, pollution, water,

enabling step everywhere in the world, along with developing a

exposure, adjacency to markets and compost).

public discourse that articulates the benefits. All of the actions

Action R = design research

that are required if urban agriculture is to be embedded in

Constant research, development and consolidation of the

city frameworks and rise to the challenge of proving its value

CPUL concept is needed to adapt it to changing circumstances.

beyond direct financial return.

Social and environmental conditions can change rapidly,

Action U+D = Bottom Up + Top Down

locally and globally. To keep pace with such developments

This project needs parallel top-down and bottom-up initiatives.

these strategies have to undergo continuous evaluation

An urban agriculture project will have the best chance of long-

and evolution. Theory and practice need to be able to

term success, when it can rely on local initiators and supporters

accommodate change. Applied design research is needed to

and when these enter negotiation processes with their local

develop different procedural, spatial and business models for

authorities or municipalities. Bottom-up motivations can

different scales of production.

be identified ranging from community-led to entrepreneurial initiatives.

Action VIS = visualizing Urban agriculture needs visualizing to raise public awareness and influence decision makers. To further the case for urban agriculture, this role widens to include alongside the design of productive urban spaces also the public and visually descriptive dissemination of ideas, data and best-practice examples in the form of exhibitions, installations, talks, websites and publications. Here, the professional become the agent of change, which carries on a long, and at problematic times, tradition of the architectural manifesto as a herald of future change and challenges.

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Community supported agriculture Many people around the world are looking for ways to re-skill themselves and re-connect the civic society after generations of unemployement and lack of opportunities. Local governments are not taking action and this project´s success will be reliant on the enthusiasm of the community rather than strategic or economic support.

We consider urban agriculture to be everything that contributes to food supply produced and harvested inside the city, bringing along people into direct contact with food production. Co-farmin works as a community supported agriculture were the community pledge support and interest to the food production, this way, the productive spaces become the communities farm, with the farmers and consumers together share the costs of farming season, seeds, tools and farmers salaries. Likewise, they share the organic food production in their community.

The community supported agriculture in co-farmin will bring along a series of benefits for people, they get to have fresh food from the aeroponic facilities, produced by farmers they already know, as well as farmers getting great working conditions, creating a better relationship between farmer and consumer.

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Sharing is urgent!

Shared living has the potential to address some of the world’s most pressing problems; lack of affordable housing, loneliness, aging populations. As more people move to urban areas in search of better lives, in search of jobs and opportunities, our cities will grow like never before. The housing debate needs to focus about potential ways of living. Shared living is also a new way to create more affordable housing for everyone through a better use of space and by sharing costs.

The idea is that residents have their own private living spaces but also gain access to shared facilities. Private spaces may be smaller but they will be more efficient, and residents will have access to more space and better facilities for less money.

Our lifestyles are also changing and it is more popular to live alone, single-person households are projected to see a faster growth. Even though more people live as singles, it does not necessarily mean they want to live alone. Shared-living spaces could be designed prioritizing people’s individual privacy while offering spaces for a vibrant community.

Developing business models that allow for new ways of co-owning and operating property is essential to foster and scale more shared-living projects. Food and sharing meals is central to shared-living communities due that it is a fundamental aspect of our existence and one of the most important ways that people come together. Eating together builds relationships and be a place of community. source: space 10

1900

105 2 out of every 10 people lived in an urban area 1990

4 out of every 10 people lived in an urban area 2010

5 out of every 10 people lived in an urban area 2030

6 out of every 10 people will live in an urban area 2050

7 out of every 10 people will live in an urban area

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A flexible housing menu The productive area will be the central and essential part of the project, which is why we intend it to establish new small-scale relationships between inhabitants. This in order to understand how people’s lives would change if they were directly in contact with the process from growing seeds to composting and starting the cycle again.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, housing became a big issue because we were forced to live in a space that is often not adequate. The housing problem and the pandemic got worse both in Mexico and in other countries to the point where intra-family violence grew exponentially. In a very abrupt way, we realized that if housing becomes a repressed space, then violence occurs more within our own home than on the streets as we are used to see it.

This is why we propose a “flexible” home in which inhabitants of different social classes, multi-generational and different places of origin can collaborate and co-live. It is intended to offer a living space with a program that is suitable for the needs and tastes of each family or person, which makes the house a place of enjoyment.

In the same way, the pandemic also leaves us larger scale challenges, such as the eternal debate whether dispersed or dense cities are best. And although a large part of the population is going to the suburbs, we think that a dense city has a greater range of services, including health.

So then, what we would have to change if our eating habits and not the kind of place where we live in? This way, living in Querétaro with a direct access to food helps us to fight the future with more resilience.

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Urban strategies

inner courtyard for privacy

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terraces

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uninterrupted views

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pedestrian paths

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Program total area 25,800 m²

regenerative area 15,452.83 m²

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parking 690.77 m² educational center 867.6 m²

market 1,847 m² commerce 820 m²

housing 2,463.6 m²

waste 61 m²

wetlands 1,859.6 m²

dune area 460.6 m² pixel farming 971.4 m² private communal kitchens 305.6 m²

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Developing a local food system The co-farmin´ market is a food growing and preparation place that seeks a full integration of the food chain. Everything grown in the aeroponics will be distributed to the people that live in the project, but also a percentage of the food grown can be bought by external people. The same food can be cooked in the communal kitchen and consumed in the dining area, as well as a special area where external farmers can get a space to sell their own products.

The market in co-farmin´ will be extremely relevant for the new urban development in QuerÊtaro, this because it integrates as many aspects of the food system into a local production and consumption cycle!

01 metal section in pre-painted steel for water canal

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02 corrugated galvanized sheet 03 insulated portland concrete panels with an intern metal structure. base 1.22 and height 2.44 04 thermal and acoustic insulator made of fiberglass 05 galvanized C profile 06 thermal and acoustic insulator made of fiberglass

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wild grass

aeroponics

aeroponics

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pixel farming

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Showing volumetry: shadows

winter 10:30

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autumn 10:30

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summer 10:30

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spring 10:30

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Adaptive housing: the way you want!

36 m² 1-2 people edible terrace 1 bathroom kitchenette+dining 7.0 m² flexible area

36 m²

modules modules

service service/circulation/rest circulation rest

ventilation ventilation and illumination illumination

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6.00

8.80

7.20

6.00

flexible area

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53 m² 2-4 people edible terrace 1 bathroom kitchenette+dining 13.0 m² flexible area

53 m²

modules modules

rest rest/circulation/service circulation service

ventilation ventilation and illumination illumination

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6.00

8.80

6.00

flexible area

11.80

flexible area

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82 m² 2-4 people edible terrace 1 bathroom kitchenette+dining 19.0 m² flexible area

82 m²

modules modules

rest/circulation/service rest

circulation service

ventilation and illumination ventilation

illumination

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0

7.00

11.80

flexible area

flexible area

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The system / extras

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Sustainability on site One of the main concepts in co-farmin´ is forecasting the re-connection of flows: food waste, energy and water factibility, this way we are creating an integrated and sustainable process within the urban ecosystem.

Our strategies will transform monofunctionality into symbiotic relationships that rely on all living needs. Disconnected flows of food, energy and water are replaced by an integrated, sustainable and regenerative process.

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The system: biodiversity and sustainability

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Waste and water factibility: a sustainable system

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Biogas production Biogas is produced through the processing of various types of organic waste. It is a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel made from local feedstocks that is suitable for a diversity of uses including fuel and energy. The circular-economy impact of biogas production is further enhanced by the organic nutrients recovered in the production process.

crop waste

food waste

black water

bio

ogas production

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energy

fertilizers

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Wetlands The design of the water system is an important foundation for the urban planning design of co-farmin. We will manage to create wetlands capable of retaining greywater and run-off water.

Our main intention with the constructed wetlands is coping with the productions without having to use extreme amounts of water, because this is exactly what makes agriculture unsustainable. The constructed wetland is based on the processes that occur naturally in the envirnoment. The systems that cause the wastewater treatment is based in: -Elimination of organic matter: Happens by sedimentation and filtration of particles between the gravel spaces and the roots.

-Elimination of suspended solids: Due to the filtration of phenomena between the substrate and the roots. Suspended solids are removed in the first five meters from the inlet.

-Elimination of pathogenic organisms: Takes place through the adsorption on substrate particles.

-Elimination of phosphorus: Happens when there is a contact between the fluid that contains the phosphorus and substrate.

The advantages of having wetlands are simple, it has zero energy consumption, because the purification process is carried out by plants. It also helps the reduction of bad smell and the maintainance is easier to follow.

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A place full of plant variety!

The vegetation pallette in co-farmin´ is enormously important for the natural cycles in the project. Each space develops a unique design process based on the site, it´s purpose and maintenance. By creating these spaces, we communicate stories and experiences that enlighten the appreciation for green spaces and productive areas.

We are considering the quality of the selection of each plant, which results as an excellent sustainable approach regarding each space. We are living through a number of problems involving climate change and we must create spaces that fight urban envirnomental issues. Our approach to our landscape design consists of the use of local and indigenous plants, focusing on the enhancement of biodiversity. We are considering 8 types of plants, each type has a special purpose in the project, from pollinator plants, fruit trees, endemic trees and acuatic plants in wetlands to cacti, aromatic and medical plants.

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cedar

ash tree

Scientific name: Cedrela dugesii Size: 30-40m Uses: Retention of eroded soil, percolation of water.

Irrigation: Abundant Type: Perennial Light: High luminosity

Scientific name: Fraxinus uhdei Size: 10-20cm Uses: Medicinally. Restore soils, infiltrate rainwater.

Type: Deciduous Irrigation: Abundant Light: Shadow

Endemic trees

huizache

garambullo

chirimoya

colorin

Scientific name: Acacia schaffneri Size: 2-5 m Uses: Medicinal qualities. Retention of eroded and dry soil, and water seepage.

Light: Direct Irrigation: Little Type: Evergreen

Scientific name: Myrtillocactus geometrizans Size: 2- 7m Uses: Food and protection for birds and small mammals, source of nectar.

Type: Perennial Light: A lot Irrigation: Little

Scientific name: Annona cherimola Mill Size: 5m Uses: The fruit is edible. They infiltrate rainwater, control erosion, and medicinal.

Light: at least 6 hrs Irrigation: Abundant Type: Deciduous

Scientific name: Erythrina coralloides Size: 7 m Uses: Soil retention and water filtration. It improves the soil through its litter and by fixing nitrogen.

Light: intense Irrigation: Moderate Type: Perennial

pirul

encino

white stick

mezquite

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Scientific name: Schinus molle L. Size: 15 m Uses: Medicinally. Improve the soil, infiltrate water, control erosion, regenerate soils.

Type: Evergreen.

Irrigation: Little Light: Moderate

Scientific name: Quercus grisea Size: 3- 8 m Uses: Control erosion, infiltrate rainwater, regulate hydrographic basins.

Light: Full sun Irrigation: Little Type: Deciduous

Scientific name: Lysiloma microphyllum Benth Size: 20 to 30 m Uses: Improves eroded and dry soil, as well as its fertility; infiltrates rainwater.

Light: Moderate Irrigation: Abundant Type: Deciduous

Scientific name: Prosopis laevigata Size: 2-13m Uses: Windbreak barrier, it fixes nitrogen so it generates islands of fertility around it.

Type: Deciduous Light: Abundant Irrigation: Little

bobo stick tree

quince

tabardillo

tronadora

Scientific name: Ipomoea murucoides Use: medicinal application. Infiltrates rainwater, provides shelter and food for wildlife Size: From 2 to 13 m in height.

Light: Bright light Irrigation: Moderate Type: Deciduous

Scientific name: Amelanchier denticulata Size: 1 to 3 m Uses: Medicinal properties. Helps control erosion, infiltrates rainwater, improves soils, create windbreaks.

Light: Full sun Irrigation: Intense Type: Deciduous

Scientific name: Iresine schaffneri Size: 40cm- 1m Uses: In medicine it is used as a diuretic Light: A lot Irrigation: Abundant Type: Deciduous

Scientific name: Tecoma stans Size: 1-5m Uses: Controls erosion, serves as a windbreaker, attracts bees.

Irrigation: not excessive Type: perennial Light: 6 hrs a day

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jasmine

tomato

Scientific name: Jasminum officinale Size: 1- 6m Use: ornamental and medicinal Irrigation: Moderate Type: Creeper Light: Direct light

Scientific name: Solanum lycopersicum Size: 1.5- 3m Use: Source of vitamins and minerals, fight infections, control diabetes, etc.

Irrigation: Moderate Type: Perennial Light: Direct light

Fruit trees and climing plants

tangerine

apple tree

avocado

fig

Scientific name: Citrus Ă— tangerina Size: 3m Type: Perennial Description: For aromatic, food use Irrigation: Abundant irrigation Light: Direct

Scientific name: Malus domestica Size: 4m Type: Deciduous Use: Medicinal, ornamental, food, pollinator, protect from the wind Irrigation: Moderate Light: Sun but protection from the wind

Scientific name: Persea americana Size: 4m Type: Perennial Description: For medicinal use due to its natural oils, edible Irrigation: Abundant irrigation Light: Direct

Scientific name: Ficus carica Size: 2m Type: Perennial Description: For pollinating, ornamental and food use Irrigation: Moderate Light: Light or Shadow

strawberry

orange tree

lime

peral

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Scientific name: Fragaria Type: Perennial Size: 10- 20cm Uses: Great allies for the skin and hair, antioxidants, diuretics, cleansers and dental protection.

Light: Direct light Irrigation: Moderate

Scientific name: Citrus Ă— sinensis Size: 3m Type: Perennial Uses: Food for its fruits, they are very aromatic, source of income and source of pollen.

Irrigation: Abundant irrigation Light: Direct

Scientific name: Citrus x limon Size: 3m Type: Perennial Uses: Ornamental, food, aromatic and medicinal use.

Irrigation: Abundant irrigation Light: Direct

Scientific name: Prunus persica Size: 2m Type: Deciduous Description: For pollinating, food and ornamental use Irrigation: Moderate Light: Direct

lemon tree

plum

peach

cherry

Scientific name: Citrus Ă— aurantifolia Size: 3m Type: Perennial Description: For aromatic, ornamental and food use Irrigation: Abundant irrigation Light: Direct

Scientific name: Prunus domestica Size: 2m Type: Deciduous Use: For food and ornamental use Irrigation: Moderate Light: Extreme climate

Scientific name: Prunus persica Size: 2m Type: Deciduous Description: For pollinating, food and ornamental use Irrigation: Moderate Light: Direct

Scientific name: Prunus avium Size: 2m Type: Deciduous Use: ornamental, aromatic, food Irrigation: Moderate Light: Little

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Aromatic and medical plants

chamomile

arnica

Scientific name: Chamaemelum nobile Size: 50cm Type: Perennial Use: Medicinal for stomach or eye infection Irrigation: Moderate Light: Soft lighting

Scientific name: Arnica montana Size: 20 to 60 cm Type: Perennial Use: Treat bruises, rheumatic pain, abrasions and muscle aches, and analgesic properties.

Irrigation: Regular Light: Requires direct sunlight

ruda

oregano

peppermint

black tea

Scientific name: Ruta graveolens Size: 20 to 60 cm Type: Perennial Use: medicinal herb, condiment and ornamental.

Irrigation: In moderation Light: Requires direct light

Scientific name: Origanum vulgare Size: 50 to 100 cm Type: Deciduous Use: aromatic, medicinal, Good for the digestive system.

Irrigation: In moderation Light: Sunshine.

Scientific name: Mentha spicata Size: 30cm Type: Perennial Use: Used in gastronomy and perfumery for its intense and fresh aroma.

Irrigation: Moderate Light: Direct sun

Scientific name: Camellia sinensis Size: 15 m Type: Perennial Use: Lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood. Protects the immune system, reduces sugar level and stress.

Irrigation: Abundant Light: Direct sun

lavender

sabila

mint

rosemary

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Scientific name: Lavandula angustifolia Size: 20cm Type: Perennial Use: Medicinal plant, analgesic, cell regenerator, sedative, antiseptic and pollinating power.

Irrigation: Regular Light: Requires direct ligh

Scientific name: Aloe vera Size: 1m Type: Perennial Use: It can be used for both skin wounds, burns, sores and ulcers.

Irrigation: Very little water Light: Requires direct light

Scientific name: Mentha Ă— piperita Size: 80cm Type: Deciduous Use: Food and medicinal; colic, nausea and to regulate vomiting.

Irrigation: Requires abundant watering Light: Requires direct light

Scientific name: Salvia rosmarinus Size: 2m Type: Perennial Use: Aromatic, medicinal, nutritional, antiseptic.

Irrigation: Regular Light: Does not require direct light.

green tea

white tea

corainder

parsley

Scientific name: Camellia sinensis Size: 5 to 15 m Type: Perennial Use: It is used as an infusion or directly as a natural medicine.

Irrigation: Abundant Light: Abundant

Scientific name:Camellia sinensis Size: 10 to 15 m Type: Perennial Use: Improves mental alertness and thinking, for weight loss and for the treatment of intestinal disorders Irrigation: Abundant Light: Abundant

Scientific name: Coriandrum sativum Size: 40 to 60 cm Type: Perennial Use: It is used to flavor, it is an antiinflammatory food with antiseptic properties Irrigation: Abundant Light: Minimal

Scientific name: Petroselinum crispum Size: 30cm Type: Perennial Use: Aromatic plant, purify vital organs, control hypertension, it is also a powerful antioxidant Irrigation: Frequent Light: Direct light

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prickly pear cactus

pitaya

Scientific name: Opuntia ficus-indica Size: 4m Uses: Animal fodder and human food. Retain the soil, increase water retention and attract fauna for pollination.

Light: Direct Irrigation: Little bit

Scientific name: Stenocereus griseus Size: 6 -9 m Uses: Used as a source of fruits for humans and birds Light: Sirect Irrigation: Little bit

Cacti and acuatic plants

old man´s head

rush

papyro

accordion

Scientific name: Cephalocereus senilis Size: 15 m Use: Medicinal and ornamental Type: perennial Light: direct Irrigation: Little bit

Scientific name: Schoenoplectus californicus Size: 80cm Type: Perennial Use: Controls erosion, infiltrates rainwater, improves soils, works as a windbreaker.

Light: Semi-shadow

Scientific name: Cyperus papyrus Size: 1m Type: Perennial Use: It grows in flooded soils; It blooms and bears fruit all year round Light: Semi-shadow

Scientific name: Salvinia auriculata Size: 10cm Type: Perennial Use: control pollution Light: semi-shadow

maguey ash

cardon

chilli biznaga

cardo

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Scientific name: Agave applanata Size: 1m Uses: To produce fibers and ornamental effects Light: Direct Irrigation: Little bit

Scientific name: Mammillaria mathildae Size: 20 cm - 1 m Uses: It retains soils, infiltrates water into the mantles and is a source of shade for the germination and establishment of other species.

Light. direct Irrigation. little bit

Scientific name: Mammillaria mathildae Size: 20 cm - 1 m Uses: It retains soils, infiltrates water into the mantles and is a source of shade for the germination and establishment of other species.

Light: direct Irrigation: little bit

Scientific name: Euphorbia lactea Size: 6M Use: To produce fibers and ornamental effects Light: Direct Irrigation: Little bit

alcatraz

duck flower

cortadera

vetiver

Scientific name: Zantedeschia aethiopica Size: 60 to 100 cm Type: Depending on the rainfall, it can be perennial or deciduous Use: Useful in cleaning wastewater avoiding the proliferation of algae Light: Shade or semi-shade

Scientific name: Azolla filiculoides Size: 2-5cm Use: Gives the plant the ability to fix nitrogen from the air Type: Perennial Light: Direct sunning

Scientific name: Cortaderia Selloana Size: 2- 3m Use: Stabilizes the banks of water bodies, they are used for the production of paper and as fuel.

Type: Perennial Light: Direct

Scientific name: Cortaderia Selloana Size: 2- 3m Use: Stabilizes the banks of water bodies, they are used for the production of paper and as fuel.

Type: Perennial Light: Direct

basil

cumin

malva

phacelia

Scientific name: Ocimum basilicum Size: 1 and 130 cm Type: perennial Use: an aromatic herb, culinary use, treats various ailments of the body Irrigation: abundant Light: full light

Scientific name: Cuminum cyminum Size: 60-90cm Use: in the kitchen, attracts pollinating insects Irrigation: Frequent, but avoiding waterlogging.

Light: Direct sunlight

Scientific name: Malva sylvestris Size: 20-150cm Use: It allows to treat skin irritations, has expectorant and antitussive properties.

Irrigation: Little Light: Needs alternation between sun and shade

Scientific name: Phacelia tanacetifolia Size: 100cm Uses: one of the most important producers of honey for honey bees and it is also very attractive for bumblebees.

Irrigation: Not necessary Light: Constant exposure to the sun

limon

calendula

fennel

red clover

Scientific name: Calendula officinalis Size: 40-50cm Uses: Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, soothing, antibiotic properties, and to treat indigestion, stomach ulcers and conjunctivitis.

Irrigation: regular Light: In full sun, tolerates semi-shade.

Scientific name: Foeniculum vulgare Size: 90-210cm Uses: Spice for mainly culinary uses. It also serves as an aromatic herb, Irrigation: Moderate Light: direct sun

Scientific name: Trifolium incarnatum Size: 60cm Uses: It is one of the earliest forage legumes available in spring.

Irrigation: Moderate Light: Partial shade

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Scientific name: Pastinaca sativa Size: 40-130cm Uses: Nutritionally stands out for its high carbohydrate intake. Excellent pollinator Irrigation: Moderate, not excessive Light: direct sun

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Conclusion: what needs to be done!

“The food system issue has gained a lot of force in the past years and it´s huge impact on the environment, but the real question is, how are we going to be able to create more innovative food initiatives and contribute to the rethinking of urban dynamics in a physical, social and economic way? We urgently need more community-made initatives, ideas, experiments to inspire urban communities, because living well means a very big challenge to have more flexible, adaptable and resilient cities” (CITIES) This is why co-farmin´ is an hipothesis, an experiment. It is naive from us to think we can change the whole issue with this one architecture project, but it sure is a student-made initiative. The way we live nowadays is no longer enough. We need cities to think big. The fact that this pandemic has broken urban and public protocols has shown us that we are a fragile society and now, the future is headed towards a better planning of food systems.

Food connects! an it is an effective entry point in improving cities, because it´s direct impact on other urban issues like transportation, health, land use and cost, disposal management and climate change. Together, these opportunities can be transformative, the whole project punctuates the importance of valuing food imput into multi-stakholder processes to make space for the community and active participants.

The future is shared!

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Extra tips On this very last section of the co-farmin´ book, we would like to suggest our lectors with some tips for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle! We are living hard days right now thanks to the marvelous covid-19, and having a healthy lifestyle is not only good for you and your mental and physical health, but it is also good for the planet and the people that surround you!

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Eat the rainbow!

Color makes food attractive to eat, and it is crucial to presentation and enhances contrast between foods. Careful incorporation of foods with a variety of colors makes for a more visually appealing plate. But even more significantly, color is indicative of the nutritional contents of natural produce. Variety in color, or lack of, can also have some very real health consequences. Colorful foods are rich in phytochemicals, naturally occurring in produce that have been shown to support the immune system, protect against certain carcinogens and DNA damage, and regulate hormones, among other benefits.

Red: Supports joint health, improves circulation (lowers blood pressure; protects against heart disease), lowers LDL cholesterol, and may protect against prostate, cervical, and lung cancers. Generally rich in lycopene, folate, and other antioxidants.

Strawberries, raspberries, apples, cherries, tomatoes, peppers, onions, watermelon, chard, grapefruit, beets.

Orange and yellow: Supports eye health, maintains lining in major organs (including respiratory and urinary tracts), supports immune function and reduces risk for heart disease. Generally rich in beta-carotene, and Vitamin A.

Pumpkins, squash, apricots, oranges, mangoes, lemons, nectarines, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, bananas.

Green: Immune System and Heart health support, regulates glucose levels, and is rich in Vitamins A, C, E, and iron, zinc, as well as some leafy greens containing bone health support with calcium and Vitamin K. In fact, the USDA recommends at least three to four servings of leafy greens per week.

Kale, spinach, lettuces, broccoli, cucumber, zucchini, celery, green apples, kiwi, grapes, limes, peas, endive, leeks, chayote.

Purple and blue: Dark foods are especially rich in antioxidants. These foods contain flavonoids, important for regulating blood pressure and resveratrol, which plays a role in circulation and artery health. In addition, purple and blue foods protect against certain cancers, ulcer, urinary tract infections, and support liver function.

Cabbage, plums, blueberries, blackberries, olives, eggplant, grapes and raisins, purple potatoes, purple carrots, purple asparagus.

White and brown: Variety in color is key, and in produce, colorless does not mean it lacks nutrients. These foods offer a range of health benefits, including reducing blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing risks for various cancers, and supporting the heart. Many of these foods contain allicin.

White Peaches, brown pears, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, jicama, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, shallots, white corn. cookscanner.com

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Healthy recipes for a healthy lifestyle!

Lemon funnel puree Micheal Anthony In this recipe, fennel bulbs are cooked a la Grecque in olive oil and lemon juice until very tender and falling apart. They are then whizzed into the m ost beautiful puree. It can be a dressing on salads or hot vegetables, or as a part of a larger meal. The puree has a wonderful mayonnaise type texture so it acts amazingly well as a dressing over salads, or over baked or steamed vegetables...

1 oz garlic cloves, cut julienne 1 oz shallots ½ LB Fennel, cut julienne 6 pieces candied lemon zest 1 lemon juice 1 tbsp ollive oil Salt and pepper 1. Preheat the oven to 140C. Place the fennel and garlic in a heavy oven-proof saucepan with the lemon juice, olive oil, chilli, turmeric powder and orange zest.

2. Heat on the stove-top and when it begins to bubble well, cover with a close fitting lid (or fashion one out of foil). Place in the oven and bake for 1.5 hours. By now the fennel should be completely soft and broken down.

3. Remove the chilli, if you wish, and stir in the reserved fronds. After cooling for 10 minutes, blend in batches to a smooth puree.

Vegetarian biryani Andres Costa Biryani is a rice dish made with layers of rice, spices and traditionally meat (but in our case veggies!)

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced ½ cups chopped or thinly sliced veggies ( bell pepper, zucchini, or carrots) 3 garlic cloves, rough chopped 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon coriander 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or one cinnamon stick) 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (or 3 crushed cardamom pods) ½ teaspoon turmeric 1 bay leaf 4 cups veggie stock 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed ¾ teaspoon salt 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed ½ cup raisins 1. Garnish: 1/4 cup cashews and chopped parsley or celery in a large skillet, or ina a shallow dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring often, until tender and golden, 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium, add your choice of veggies and garlic and ginger, and cook 4-5 minutes.

2. Remove one cup of the mixture and set aside. Add basmati rice, and saute one-minute stirring. Add stock and salt.

3. Top with chickpeas, raisins and the cup of veggies you set aside. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover the pot with a thin dish towel, place the lid over the top of the towel, and bring the four corners of the towel up and over the lid. This will tighten the seal and keep the steam in, allowing the rice to cook more quickly and evenly.

4. Uncover the Vegetarian Biryani and fluff up with a fork. Top with the toasted cashew and cilantro. Serve with optional Chutney.

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Whole roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce Maria Duarte This dish is comfort food at its best! you won’t be able to believe that a vegetable like cauliflower can be so yummy! It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, made with simple ingredients, amazing as a main course or a side dish, easy to make, gluten-free, slightly spicy and wholesome!

1 whole cauliflower 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon zaatar spice ( or try dukkah!) ( or try a mix of coriander, cumin and optional sumac) 1 cup water 1 Batch of tahini sauce 1. Trim the cauliflower. Place it in an oven proof skillet.

2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil all over the cauliflower, sprinkle with salt and Zaatar spice. Pour one cup of water into the bottom of the pan.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45-55 minutes.

3. Very carefully take the foil off, minding the hot steam. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, place back in the oven for 30 minutes, perhaps rotating halfway through. At this point it should be deeply golden, but if not, continue roasting until it is, another 10-15 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs, optional aleppo chili flakes, and either drizzle the tahini sauce over the whole thing right in the pan, or cut it up, like a cake, into wedges and serve the tahini sauce on the side.

Vegan alfredo Alma Thais Don’t think I’ve ever met a person who didn’t like alfredo pasta. Alfredo sauce is so rich, creamy, and classically Italian. Plus, it’s loaded with so much parmesan cheese it’s practically irresistible! So what’s a dairy-free girl to do? Improvise... ½ tablespoons olive oil ½ white onion 4 fat garlic cloves ½ cup raw cashews (or hemp seeds, see notes) 1 cup veggie broth (or 1 cup water and boulllion) 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast ½ teaspoon white miso paste ½ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 5 ounces dry pasta, cooked to package directions 1 cup fresh peas (or frozen, or sub snow peas or steamed broccoli) 8 ounces mushrooms, sauteed, or try smoked mushrooms 1. Cook Pasta: Set salted water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to directions. If using fresh or frozen peas, feel free to add to the pasta water, during the last minute of cooking.

2. Make Alfredo Sauce: Heat oil over med low heat, and saute onion and garlic until tender and golden. Place it in a blender along with cashews, veggie broth, nutritional yeast, miso, salt, nutmeg. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Saute or smoke the mushrooms. If sauteeing, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute 6-7 minutes, until golden and tender, seasoniong with salt. Garnish with lemon zest, pepper, chili flakes and chopped parsley.

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Chipotle portobello tacos Maria Duarte 2 extra large portobello mushrooms 1 red bell pepper 1 tablespoon oil 2 tablespoons canned Chipotle in Adobo sauce ( SAUCE ONLY) 1 minced garlic clove ( or ½ teaspoon granula ted garlic) ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon coriander salt to taste 4 tortillas, warmed 1. Slice the portobellos into ½ inch thick wedges and slice bell pepper in to ½ thick strips. Place all on a sheet-pan lined sheet pan & Mix mari nade ingredients together in a small bowl. When ready to serve, warm the tortillas ( over a gas flame on the stove, or in a toaster oven) and spread generously with the refried black beans.

2. Divide chipotle portobellos and peppers (and onions if used)among the tortillas.

3. Brush both sides of mushrooms liberally with the marinade, then remaining red bell pepper and onion lightly. Sprinkle portobellos with salt.

4. Roast for 20 minutes or until the portobellos are fork-tender.

Vegan tlayudas Jorge Santiago Nava Traditional Oaxacan street food, tlayudas are, made with a crispy tortilla, silky refried beans, optional meat and cheese, delicious cabbage slaw, avocado and cilantro. This lightened-up version is vegan-adaptable and loaded with healthy veggies. ½ head of cabbage ( 14–16 ounces), shredded 1 cup shredded carrots 4 radishes -thinly sliced (optional) ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion – or sub pickled onions or pickled shallots 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more taste ½ an english cucumber- sliced 1 tablespoon jalapeno- finely chopped- optional ¼–½ cup scallions sliced ¼–½ cup cilantro- chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus a little zest 1. Toast tortillas dry, directly on the oven racks. Combine the cabbage, carrots, radish, onion, and toss in a large bowl with the salt.

2. Add the cucumber, jalapeño, scallions and cilantro, Toss well, then add olive oil and lime juice and a little zest. Let it rest on the counter, When ready to assemble, heat the refried beans, adding ¼-½ cup water (to loosen them) and using a fork, whip in a pinch of salt, cumin and coriander to season to taste.If using chicken or chorizo, heat them up now and if using cheese, turn on the broiler. To assemble,carefully lather up some beans on the tortilla.

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Crispy jackfruit tacos Adriana Lopez 1 recipe for Crispy Jackfruit Carnitas 1 can beans Shredded cabbage or lettuce 1 avocado Your favorite hot sauce!

Celery Optional- pickled onions Optional- celery for garnishing On a parchment-lined sheet pan, lay out the tortillas. Spread with a few tablespoons of refried beans. Top some with cheese if you like or keep this vegan. Divide the jackfruit carnitas among the tortillas and place them in the oven. Bake until heated through and the edges of the tortillas are crispy. Top with cabbage slaw and avocado, pickled onions and salsa or hot sauce. Serve with optional sour cream or vegan-adaptable chipotle.

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References

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Books and video references 1. CITIES (Organization). Farming the city: Food as a tool for today’s urbanization 2. Rem Koolhaas. Countryside, a Report 3. Carolyn Steel. Hungry city: How food shapes our lives 4. Countryside, The Future, A UN75 Dialogue in partnership with The Guggenheim 5. Publications from https://ruaf.org/publications/ 6. Arquine. Densidades 7. Michael Windfuhr y Jennie Jonsén. (2005). Food Sovereignty. Warwickshire, UK: ITDG Publishing.

8. Marcin Gerwin. Food and democracy.

9. Brand, C., Bricas, N., Conaré, D., Daviron, B., Debru, J., Michel, L. Designing Urban Food Policies: Concepts and Approaches also, thanks to dimensions.com for the dimensioned drawings!

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