cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/28179218

Despite federal roadblocks, an ambitious agroforestry program is feeding people, cleaning the air, and helping offset climate change.

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At just 200 m^2 tiny forests in urban areas are planted in heavily-amended soils all at once (multiple levels of canopy and groundcover). The result is forests that are mature in 10 years instead of 100.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/22050883

As Spain takes a breath after yet another brutal summer heatwave, with temperatures above 40C in many parts of the country, the residents of the sherry-making town of Jerez de la Frontera have come up with a novel way to keep the streets cool.

Green canopies of grapevines festoon the town, reducing street-level temperatures by as much as 8C. “We’re planting vines in the old city because we hope that in two or three years we’ll be able to brag that this has put an end to stifling temperatures,” said Jesús Rodríguez, president of Los Emparrados, a group of residents who aim to beautify and green the city’s streets.

For decades the local sherry producers have kept their wineries cool with emparrados (vine arbours) but now the practice has been extended to a cluster of streets in the old town.

Not only are vines part of the essence of Jerez, they also have several advantages over trees. They need to be watered only in the first two years and they are deciduous, letting in the winter sun between November and March. Within three years of planting they will form a complete canopy over a narrow street.

Just a single vine stem growing up the side of a house can offer a lot of shade. In the sherry houses, where this has been the practice for more than 60 years, the leaves from a single vine form a canopy of 60 sq metres.

The variety chosen is Vitis riparia, cultivated to produce few grapes, avoiding streets made sticky by fallen fruit.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/34920468

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/50353146

https://mastodon.social/@JasonThorne/115083776485545892

The only thing better than a protected bike lane, is a protected bike lane with artworks by local artists! The new Lansdowne Avenue cycle track murals are looking good.

Shoutout to Street Art Toronto, Cycle Toronto and the City of Toronto Cycling and Pedestrian Projects Unit #BikeTooter

Walk outside into 100-degree heat wearing a black shirt, and you’ll feel a whole lot hotter than if you were wearing white. Now think about your roof: If it’s also dark, it’s soaking up more of the sun’s energy and radiating that heat indoors. If it were a lighter color, it’d be like your home was wearing a giant white shirt all the time.

This is the idea behind the “cool roof.” Last month, Atlanta joined a growing number of American cities requiring that new roofs be more reflective. That significantly reduces temperatures not just in a building, but in the surrounding urban environment. “I really wanted to be able to approach climate change in the city of Atlanta with a diversity of tactics,” said City Council member Liliana Bakhtiari, who authored the bill, “because it’s far easier to change a local climate than it is a global one.”

Hundreds of monkeys can now safely cross roads in Alta Floresta, a city in the southern Brazilian Amazon. Seven canopy bridges have reconnected rainforest fragments that were separated by urban roads.

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In our new study, we compare children's use of such spaces in Auckland, New Zealand, and Venice, Italy. Our findings present a paradox: playgrounds built for safety can stifle creativity and mobility, while self-organizing open spaces offer rich opportunities to explore and belong.

Head to the link to see the pictures of this literally green building

Doesn't sound like much, but waiting for a bus on a bench can make a huge difference.

Guerrilla urbanism is awesome!