Food Forests in the City!
My idea for contributing to a more sustainably designed community with a more inclusive culture is to plant food forests in parks. A food forest is a diverse eco-system designed to be self-maintaining. With smart design, including companion plants that all benefit one another and increase soil, water, and fruit health, these systems just make sense in the city! Why not replace a lot of the decorative trees with have with greater varieties which also produce food? Instead of walking past a mono-culture of trees, how would you love to walk through the park and smell some sweet berries ripening under a pear tree in the sun? Food forests will benefit people by improving access to local and healthy foods. The forests will also encourage greater animal biodiversity in the community (birds, bees, interesting insects). All of these components lead to incredible educational opportunities and foster an environment of being connected with the nature we have within the city. It will encourage people to get in touch with their inner explorers and to embrace creative design within their own parks and community spaces. I believe planting more food producing plants in our public spaces would really make our communities beautiful.