BCFN Young Earth Solutions YES! Suburban requalification through condominium garden Abstract: The following program intend to propose a solution to the bad quality of life in Italian neighborhoods, especially of the industrial metropolis, through the creation of condominium garden, that can be obtained by the joint owners, renting ground or using the roofs surface or the condominium external wall. As a consequence there will be an environmental improvement, first of all thanks to the decrease of pollution, through the reduction of means of transport carrying vegetables, and to the energy saving that can be achieved. Generally speaking, condominium gardens, can allow an improvement in life quality, not only for the connected environmental improvements, but also for the joint owners' direct application in the agronomic activity, that can promote a psychophysical growth and an intergenerational and intercultural exchange, thanks to the proposals that the foreigner flat owners could do to cultivate some species, common in their homeland but not here. Economically speaking, a saving will be possible through the spending reduction for vegetable, seeing that joint owners will reach quite a food autarchic. In addition there will be the possibility of a tax reduction, particularly of TARSU, if the cultivation is associated to compost.
Author
Valentina Carella Susanna Leonarduzzi
SUBURBIAN REQUALIFICATION THROUGH CONDOMINIUM GARDEN THE GENERAL PROBLEM Suburbs are usually considered as synonymous of marginalization. What’s can be considered worrying is in particular the emptiness of social relation and the condominium’s transformation in location without social connotation. Our project of condominium garden intends to propose a solution to the bad quality of life in Italian neighborhood through a better access to food to everyone.
FOUNDAMENTAL DATA PM10 AND CO2 LEVEL: They, in general, reach very high level1, especially in suburbs2, and, as they have a big responsibility in different kinds of mortal disease, they contributes to worsen the quality of life of the inhabitants. Then, there’s also the problem of urban heat islands, which in summer raises up urban temperature of 5° more than in the countryside3. URBAN PLANNING‘S DECLAY: Suburbs came out without a very clear urban planning. This is why in suburbs we still have problems such as lack of public services and transportation, not coherent distribution of buildings and carelessness of meeting public spaces (ex.: parks, squares, etc.…). All those problems communicate to the inhabitant a sense of inconstancy, fragmentary and incompletes, which contribute to decrease their quality of life4. FOOD EXPENDITURE: The average Italian food spending for potatoes, fruit and vegetables is around €1.011 per family per year ( ¼ of the general family expenditure per year)5. Due to the economic crisis in the first semester of 2012 there was a cut in food selling of 0,7%6 as families decided to decrease the quantity and the quality of alimentary products purchase7.
In Italy we produce 7382 kg per person of CO2 but our PM10 level is still one of the worst ones (26.7 gm3). Data from La misurazione del benessere delle persone: il BCFN Index, Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, p. 33 2 http://www.anci.it/Contenuti/Allegati/Paper_2Cerasoli.pdf. 3 This difference is mainly due to the tendency of buildings and roads to absorb and, afterwards, to release heat. For further information see M. Ottelé, The green building envelop: vertical greening, Thesis in Civil Ingenieur, Technische Universiteit DELFT, 2011, p. 40. 4 http://www.anci.it/Contenuti/Allegati/Paper_2Cerasoli.pdf. For a deeper treatment see also J. Rykwert, La seduzione del luogo. Storia e futuro della città, Einaudi, Torino 2003, chapter 5, pp. 165- 198. 5 www.uniconsum.it 6 To be hit by the spending cut is also fruit, beyond meat, fish, milk and wine . www.coldiretti.it 7 Data from http://www.istat.it/it/. For further explanations see also http://www.universofood.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=589%3Aspesa-alimentare-i-primidati-istat-per-il-2012&Itemid=50. 1
IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE CONDOMINIUM GARDEN INTRODUCTION HEALTH IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD QUALITY As people cultivates themselves those products they are going to eat, they can be sure that they are really biological ones and don’t contain toxic substances8 ORTOGYM : Taking care of the garden is a very good physical exercise because hide the two fundamental characteristics that each activity must have to be practiced by all people, both old and young: it can be done at different intensity, by each one’s capacity and continuity as time goes by9. ENVIROMENTAL BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT OF AIR QUALITY As plants play a great part in CO2 and PM10absorption, increasing their number with a systematic introduction of condominium gardens, the quantity of toxic substances in the air can be reduced10. Furthermore, urban gardens are part of the solution of urban heat islands11. COMPOSTING With a proper collection of organic waste, it is possible to obtain a good bio-fertilizer. This will reduce the use of chemical ones. But we will also produce less rubbish and so decrease pollution coming from waste transportation and disposal12. BIODIVERSITY AND FORGOTTEN SPECIES The direct cultivation and the immediate consumation of products can make rediscover some products that have been rejected by the market and that are usually more tasty and rich in micronutrients.13 SOCIAL BENEFITS BETTER QUALITY OF RELATIONSHIP As the condominium garden is a common one, it can have the same function of those meeting places, whose loss in modern cities increased loneliness and
8
In addition if in a kitchen garden are grown citrus, people can enjoy a fundamental protein and iron contribution to their diet. http://www.uniconsum.it/notizie-utili/9456.html?task=view. 9 For theoretical and practical in-depth examination see http://www.informazioneambiente.it/it/art/cilento_ortogum_ambiente.html. 10 Indeed, thanks to the irregular structure of their surface, a green area can absorb more particulate matters, as the irregularity of the surface is direct ratio to the absorption capability (M. Ottelé, The green building envelop, op. cit., p. 25). 11 M. Ottelé, The green building envelop, op. cit., pp. 28-40. It is demonstrated that they can lower temperatures up to 6°C. Indeed, they will enlarge the urban green area, which is the only part of the city able to repel heat. Moreover, plants produce moistness, which plays a great part in air cooling. 12 http://www.comuneziano.tn.it/Ambiente/Rifiuti/compostaggio.htm 13 G. Ferretti, Alla scoperta dei piccoli frutti dimenticati, Distilleria EcoEditoria, Forlì 2001, pag 38.
disorientation14. It may become a space of exchangement of different ideas and experiences between people of different ages and cultures. This may lead to a better intergenerational and intercultural integration. FILL UP FREE TIME AND SMALL JOB The installation of condominium gardens can be a good way to fill up free time and reduce the risk of loneliness for old people and the risk of juvenile crime for young, widespread especially in the suburbs. ECONOMIC BENEFITS LOWER FOOD COST As people will eat they own products, this will lead to a saving for their food expenditur. The maximum production of fruit and vegetable for urban garden can be evaluated € 91215. This amount rises up to € 2.500- 3.000 if we talk about family saving16. TARSU SAVING If the condominium garden is connected to composting it is usually possible to have a reduction in the rubbish local taxes (TARSU)17. Moreover, as it is commensurate to the room taken up and not to the quantity of waste produced, it could be reduced if the subject declare which will be the use of the surface: garden. ENERGY SAVING The green coverage through vertical cultivations and in particular the horizontal one (ground floor, terrace and balcony), of plants can allow an energy reduction between 5% and 15% for winter heating and between 5% and 50% for the summer cooling, due to the decrease of the thermal power18.
14
J. Rykwert, La seduzione del luogo, op. cit., p. 165. C. Barberis, L’autoconsumo nel Lazio, Quaderni di informazione socio-economica, n. 12, p. 33. 16 This rising is mainly due to two causes. First all, the final cost of fruit and vegetable is different from their value, as the final price also includes other costs, namely transportation and manufacturing ones. Secondly, those data don’t include only fruits and vegetables, but also eggs and farmyard animals’ meat (C. Barberis, L’autoconsumo nel Lazio, op. cit., pp. 33- 34). 17 http://www.lavoroefinanza.it/come-pagare-meno-tarsu-preparando-il-compost-con-i-rifiuti-di-cucina-50827.html. 18 Thermal power =(q (Watt) = (/d)At). So, as designing building with a roof garden will mean to have a quite huge soil stratum over the roof, this would lead at, at least, two consequences: an increase in the dividing gauge (d) and, at the same time, a reduction of the difference of temperature from the internal and the external parts of the roof (t). At those things, it has to be added that the soil should not have a great value of thermal conductivity (), as raw soil has 0.14 W/mK. (Y. A. Cengel, Termodinamica e trasmissione del calore, McGraw- Hill, Milano 2009, pag 494.) 15
FEASIBILITY’S EVALUATION 1. NEW BUILDINGS With regards to new buildings there are no problem in feasibility. It’s just a matter of providing, by local administration, a more adequate urban planning19. Moreover, as the space available, probably would not be enough for all the flat owners, new buildings can be designed in order to be able of housing a garden in their roof20. 2. OLD BUILDINGS Their green conversion is more problematic. Indeed, we cannot put soil on top of the roof, as the floors were not designed for that. Moreover, the spaces between the flats are often cemented and the process of elimination of this material is complex and never gives back soon to the ground its original fertility. However, plants can grow up in pots, which can be more easily put in every roof or balcony, without any particular structural adjustment of the building21. Moreover, if roof and balcony are not exploitable or they have not enough space to supply vegetable for all families, it can resort to vertical garden, simply fixing the pots in vertical surfaces, such as wall22. 3. RULES AND REGULATION This part is very important in order to avoid an increase in quarrels among flat’s owners. What we suggest is, thus, to consider the condominium like a sharecropping family23. This means that, every member of the condominium should decide in advance, depending on his own dispositions and free time, what role he/she would have in the process of taking care of the garden, in order to have a clear and shared roles’ division24. Words: 996
19
The high feasibility of that kind of urban plans can be attested by the Great London plan of 1944. For further details see also http://xoomer.virgilio.it/fabrizio.bottini/testi/glp_web/index.html. 20 Those are known as roof garden. In their case, the only thing that have to be taken into account is floor’s resistance to soil’s weight and floor’s impermeability. 21 This method is very common in USA, especially in New York. See M. Calabresi, Gli orti anti-crisi sui tetti di New York, La Repubblica, 8 luglio 2008. (http://canali.kataweb.it/kataweb-consumi/2008/07/08/gli-orti-anti-crisi-sui-tetti-dinew-york/). 22 For other details about the feasibility of roof and vertical garden see also http://www.architetturaecosostenibile.it/design/arredamento/orto-verticale-fai-da-te-soluzione-anti-crisi-natura512.html. 23 Sharecropping typical family, indeed, was not a nuclear but a multi – nuclear one, where everyone, from children to old people, had his own task, depending on especially physical dispositions. This role’s division was a sort of nonwritten rule every member of the family has to be subjected to in order to reach family’s food goal. For further information see http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/mezzadria_%28Dizionario-di-Storia%29/. 24 An example can be provided by the following case. If some flat owners cannot take part in the care of the common garden they can delegate their job to a young or a retired person, who lives in the flat, giving him a small payment. This can be a way to earn a small salary for young, who have, especially in the suburbs more and more difficulties in finding jobs.
Webliography http://www.anci.it http://www.architetturaecosostenibile.it. http://canali.kataweb.it/kataweb-consumi/2008/07/08/gli-orti-anti-crisi-sui-tetti-di-new-york/ http://www.informazioneambiente.it. http://www.istat.it. http://www.lavoroefinanza.it. http://www.treccani.it/. http://www.uniconsum.it/. http://www.universofood.net. http://xoomer.virgilio.it/fabrizio.bottini/testi/. .
Bibliography La misurazione del benessere delle persone: il BCFN Index, Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition C. Barberis, L’autoconsumo nel Lazio, Quaderni di informazione socio-economica, n. 12, pp. 4-118 Y. A. Cengel, Termodinamica e trasmissione del calore, McGraw- Hill, Milano 2009 G. Ferretti, Alla scoperta dei piccoli frutti dimenticati, Distilleria EcoEditoria, Forlì 2001 M. Ottelé, The green building envelop: vertical greening, Thesis in Civil Ingenieur, Technische Universiteit DELFT, 2011 J. Rykwert, La seduzione del luogo, Einaudi, Torino 2003