Growing Food + Community: Youth Urban Agriculture as Resilience

growing food + community: youth urban agriculture as resilience

IURBAN TEEN GARDEN VISIONS | AUTUMN 2024

This UWLA 404 studio addressed design of urban agriculture that centers youth learning and agency to advance food justice and resilience in a changing climate . Landscape Architecture undergraduate and graduate students worked with two nonprofits that engage BIPOC youth in growing food and learning in community —Clean Greens, with their youth garden at Amy Yee Tennis Center; and iUrban Teen, with their youth garden at Rainier Community Center—both of which hold potentials to expand their gardens. The Landscape Architecture students’ diverse visions serve as catalysts for community conversations towards what may be next steps in the iUrban Teen Garden.

This document contains the students’ proposals for iUrban Teen Garden at Rainier Community Center. iUrban Teen’s interest in expanding their current garden at this site framed the studio design focus imagining alternative futures broadly and bold y as well as more immediate, incremental changes that groups can undertake themselves

The studio’s iterative process included: visiting the sites and meeting with Youth Garden and UFS leaders; exploring local precedent gardens with leaders of those gardens; design charrette; design workshop with garden leaders and others; mid-review presentations with faculty, design professionals, and site leaders ; and December 4 open house/final presentations at Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands Classroom Building that engaged design professionals, gardeners, and youth with the students’ ideas.

Our December 4 project presentations afforded us the opportunity to share design ideas with and learn from youth from the Rainier Beach High School Garden Club and children from Emerald City Commons. Youth Garden leaders, RBUFW and Bradner Gardens Park leaders, and design professionals also joined in conversations and feedback. This exuberant, energized afternoon with children, youth, and others provided diverse insights on the ideas shown on the students’ posters and videos, and how design can engage all in the possibilities of more just and resilient futures.

We appreciate all who shared insights and feedback in our iUrban Teen Garden design process, including:

Melanie Ocasio, iUrban Teen

Paris Yates, Seattle Parks & Recreation Urban Food Systems (UFS) Manager

Montez McGee, Seattle Parks & Recreation Urban Food Systems (UFS) staff

Craig Chatburn, Seattle Parks & Recreation Senior Planning and Development Specialist

rich desanto, Haddad|Drugan and UW Landscape Architecture affiliate faculty

Kove Janeski, UW MLA alum, UW Farm staff

Joyce Moty, Bradner Gardens Park

Aaron Parker, HBB Landscape Architecture

Maggie Rickman, Tilth Alliance

Yona Sipos, UW Food Systems, Nutrition & Health Associate Teaching

These UW Landscape Architecture LARCH 404 studio garden visions are shared to serve as a catalyst for continued community conversations towards what may be next steps in the iUrban Teen Garden.

If you have questions, please email Julie Johnson at jmjsama@uw.edu

If portions are reproduced outside this document, please include attribution of:

Student name(s)

University of Washington Department of Landscape Architecture

LARCH 404 studio | faculty: Associate Professor Julie Johnson Autumn Quarter 2024

Thank you!

EXPAND GARDEN + ADD MORE FEATURES TO HELP IT FUNCTION WELL

BUILD UP THE SOIL ON THE SITE TO REDUCE RISK OF COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE OLD LANDFILL BELOW

INCREASE NUMBER OF PLANTS THAT OFFER HABITAT AND FOOD TO POLLINATORS

RE-USE RAINWATER IN CREATIVE WAYS

PERSONALIZE THE GARDEN THROUGH DO-IT-YOURSELF ART PROJECTS

ADD FEATURES THAT APPEAL TO ALL FIVE SENSES (SIGHT, SOUND, SMELL, TASTE, + TOUCH)

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SEATING

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ART + SIGNAGE

RAIN GARDEN

SHRUBS + BOULDERS + LOGS

POLLINATOR PLANTING MIX

GARDENING AREA

GARDEN TOOLS + UTILITIES

W H O U S E S T H E G A R D E N ?

HUMANS (PRIMARILY IURBAN TEEN)

MORE-THAN-HUMANS (POLLINATORS, ETC.)

ONLY IURBAN TEEN WILL BE USING

POLLINATOR PLANTS (BY SEED) TO BEGIN PREPARING SOIL FOR MORE GARDENING AS IT EXPANDS OVER TIME

POLLINATOR MEADOW PROVIDES FOOD AND SHELTER FOR POLLINATORS WHILE ALSO BUILDING UP SOIL FOR FUTURE GARDEN DEVELOPMENT

URBAN WILDLIFE MAY FIND REFUGE IN THIS NEW HABITAT PATCH

OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND CONNECT WITH NATURE IN A HEALING WAY.

OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS

IURBAN TEEN GARDENS

See

video here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7TL-

i5O0cLC1fVQegvyCeypCaAtuVnt/view?usp=drive_link

ABIGRA Abiesgrandis/GrandFir 2

ACECIR Acercircinatum/VineMaple 3

ACEMAC AcermacrophyllumBigLeafMaple 3

ALNRUB AlnusrubraRedAlder 6

FRALAT Fraxinuslatifolia/OregonAsh 2

PICSIT PiceasitchensisSitkaSpruce 2

PINCO5 PinuscontortacontortaShorePine 2

PINMNT PinusmonticolaWesternWhitePine 2

POPTRI PopulustrichocarpaBlackCottonwood 2

PSEDOU Pseudotsugamenziesii/DouglasFir 2

QUEGAR Quercusgarryana/OregonWhiteOak 3

SALSIT Salixsitchensis/SitkaWillow 11

THUPLI Thujaplicata/WesternRedCedar 2

TSUHET Tsugaheterophylla/WesternHemlock 2

SHRUBS

BLESPI Blechnumspicant/DeerFern 3

CEAVEL CeanothusvelutinusSnowbrush 17

ERYGUT ErythrantheguttataYellowMonkeyflower 5

LONCIL LoniceraciliosaOrangeHoneysuckle 2

OEMCER OemleriacerasiformisOsoberry 18

PHIWI2 PhiladelphuslewisiiWildMockOrange 16

PHYCAP PhysocarpuscapitatusPacificNinebark 5

POLMUN Polystichummunitum/WesternSwordFern 3

RHOOCC RhododendronoccidentaleWesternAzalea 5

ROSGYM Rosagymnocarpa/WoodRose 16

SALHOO Salixhookeriana/DuneWillow 2

SHRUBAREAS

ACHMIL Achilleamillefolium/CommonYarrow 50

CAMROT CampanularotundifoliaHarebell 28

GILCAP Giliacapitata/BlueThimbleFlower 8

LUPLAT Lupinuslatifolius/BroadleafLupine 26

SYMCHI SymphyotrichumchilensePacificAster 17

SYMBOLCODE BOTANICALCOMMONNAME REMARKS GROUNDCOVERS

ARCUVA Arctostaphylosuva-ursi/Kinnikinnick

ASTSUB Astersubspicatus/DouglasAster

PENSIR PenstemonserrulatusCoastPenstemon

SEDORE SedumoreganumOregonSedum

TREES

ABIGRA AbiesgrandisGrandFir

ACECIR AcercircinatumVineMaple

ACEMAC AcermacrophyllumBigLeafMaple

ALNRUB AlnusrubraRedAlder

FRALAT FraxinuslatifoliaOregonAsh

PICSIT PiceasitchensisSitkaSpruce

PINCO5 PinuscontortacontortaShorePine

PINMNT PinusmonticolaWesternWhitePine

POPTRI PopulustrichocarpaBlackCottonwood

PSEDOU PseudotsugamenziesiiDouglasFir

QUEGAR QuercusgarryanaOregonWhiteOak

SALSIT SalixsitchensisSitkaWillow

THUPLI ThujaplicataWesternRedCedar

TSUHET TsugaheterophyllaWesternHemlock

SHRUBS

BLESPI BlechnumspicantDeerFern

CEAVEL CeanothusvelutinusSnowbrush

ERYGUT ErythrantheguttataYellowMonkeyflower

LONCIL LoniceraciliosaOrangeHoneysuckle

OEMCER OemleriacerasiformisOsoberry

PHIWI2 PhiladelphuslewisiiWildMockOrange

PHYCAP PhysocarpuscapitatusPacificNinebark

POLMUN PolystichummunitumWesternSwordFern

RHOOCC RhododendronoccidentaleWesternAzalea

ROSGYM RosagymnocarpaWoodRose

SALHOO SalixhookerianaDuneWillow

SHRUBAREAS

ACHMIL AchilleamillefoliumCommonYarrow

CAMROT CampanularotundifoliaHarebell

GILCAP GiliacapitataBlueThimbleFlower

LUPLAT LupinuslatifoliusBroadleafLupine

SYMCHI SymphyotrichumchilensePacificAster

GROUNDCOVERS

ARCUVA Arctostaphylosuva-ursiKinnikinnick

ASTSUB AstersubspicatusDouglasAster

PENSIR PenstemonserrulatusCoastPenstemon

SEDORE SedumoreganumOregonSedum

(2)SALHOO

(5)PHYCAP

(5)RHOOCC

(8)SALSIT

(18)OEMCER

(16)PHIWI2

(28)CAMROT

(26)LUPLAT

(17)SYMCHI

(17)CEAVEL

(16)ROSGYM (2)LONCIL

(5)ERYGUT (50)ACHMIL (8)GILCAP

PETALS AND PLACE: VISIONS FOR EXPANDING IURBAN TEEN GARDEN @ RAINIER COMMUNITY CENTER

DESIGN GOALS

WHAT’S ON SITE NOW?

POLLINATOR HOTEL

A pollinator hotel is a specially designed structure that provides safe nesting and resting habitats for pollinators! These hotels mimic natural environments, such as hollow stems, tree bark, and soil.

These mini ecosystems boosts biodiversity, enhances pollination, promotes sustainability, and provides educational opportunities!

RAINGARDEN

A raingarden is a shallow, planted depression designed to manage stormwater runoff. It is filled with water-loving plants, and helps with improving, water quality, supporting biodiversity, and reducing flooding.

The raingarden on this site includes a rocky pathway that also catches excess rainwater from the pavilion. Reference the “Bradner Gardens Park” photo below to see what it might look like!

PAVILION WITH RAINWATER CATCHMENT

This pavilion serves a multitude of purposes, including rainwater storage and filteration, washing sink, and gathering space! Rainwater would be stored in the upper compartment of the structure, which is then filtered to be able to wash produce grown in the garden. Access runoff will flow into the raingarden.

HUGELKULTUR BEDS + VERMICOMPOSTING

Hugelkultur beds are raised garden beds built with layers of organic materials such as logs, branches, leaves, and soil. Not only is this practice beneficial for the plants, but can also serve as a gardening method that is accessible to people of different heights, ages, and physical capabilities.

Vermicomposting uses worms to break down food scraps into nutrient rich, healthy soil. Straining this soil creates a liquid called “vermicomposting tea,” which can then be used to feed your plants!

SOLAR PANEL LIGHTING

Solar panel lights can provide lighting without relying on electricity, storing sunlight during the day and powering up after dark. Not only does this method ecofriendly, it also helps extend the time you can spend on the garden by keeping the space bright for longer!

DECIDUOUS TREES

CONIFEROUS TREES

ROOTS & HORIZONS: BRIDGING COMMUNITY, LAND, + LIFE SKILLS