A self-sufficient park p

A self-suffi cient park Circular economy applied to Buenavista, Madrid

water storage tanks

by Verbrugge Capucine Marie

water storage tanks

permaculture park

water storage tanks

water storage tanks

rainwater collection system

(harvesting rainwater and storing it in tanks to be later used for irrigation)

(food waste converted to compost to be used as organic fertilizer)

composting system

(production of local, organic and sustainable vegetables)

food production greenhouses

(green spaces fi tted with greenhouses effi ciently placed so that they have maximum solar radiation)

(productive landscape using the principles of permaculture for sustainable farming)

permaculture

(honeybee hives encouraged to increase pollination)

bee hives

The Buenavista neighborhood is located in the south of Madrid city. It is a small neighborhood principally constituted of apartments buildings and in the middle of it is a small park. Therefore, my circular economy proposal is based around free sustainable and organic food production for the inhabitants to cultivate. The park would be rehabilitated into a kitchen garden. Indeed, it would be constituted of multiple greenhouses and everybody is welcomed to cultivate or consume the fruits and vegetables.

The park would be equipped of a system of rainwater harvesting. This system is working to collect rain water and then store it in big tanks. The water will then be used for multiple things but mostly for watering the plants. Therefore, there will be an endless supply of water for the kitchen garden. In order to maximize the harvest of the water, every greenhouse will be equipped with drainpipes who will directly drain the water into the tanks. The tanks are located underground to limit visual pollution. The inhabitants will have access to the water through a pipe system at every corner of the park. Moreover, all the greenhouses will be located in strategic positions all over the park in order to get the more sunlight all over the day.

To make this kitchen garden thrive, all the people who wish to cultivate need to be familiar with the concept of permaculture. Permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self- suffi cient. Indeed, it is the science of making plants grow next to other plants that can be benefi cial for them. An example of permaculture would be the Regenerative Kitchen Garden and Food Forest, they successfully managed to make burnt trees alive again.

However, in order to make the plants thrive, you need bees. So, the park will host multiple bee hives, notably for the pollination which is essential to a plant but also to produce honey. Different kind of fl owers will be planted all across the park going from acacias to orange blossoms, etc.

Thus, this Kitchen Garden will provide enough fruits and vegetables for the neighbourhood. All the food will be organic due a composting process where all the inhabitants throw their food waste into a big compartment.

The compost will then be used as a fertilizer to make the plants grow again.All the food will grow according to the seasons and is free for anyone who wants them.