RS2: The Orang-orang and the Hutan
Shiqi Ma
For 2020, the outbreak of covid-19 is a great event that attracts people's attention and deserves people's reflection. It's a warning that our ecosystem is broken. By exploring the root causes of this global virus pandemic, we can find that the occurrence of the virus increase is closely related to food production and the profits of multinational companies. Highly capitalised food production depends on practices that endanger all humanity.
For Shiqi, she has been thinking about the relationship between environment and architecture during her MA. Political economy redefines land as resources and capital, buildings become real estate, and forests that supplement the earth's atmosphere are regarded as obstacles to agriculture. This has led to a crisis of ecological and social justice. Therefore, Shiqi thinks that to let the city return to the biosphere and redefine the city and the agriculture, human beings should not expect a high-tech metropolis, but a beautiful and sustainable home. At the same time, Shiqi believes that in order to avoid the outbreak of the new virus, food production must be fundamentally changed. Humanity must heal the cracks that separate our ecology from our economy. Her IRP project is a beautiful vision of a sustainable urban environment in the future, maintaining a balanced relationship between people and the environment, the city and agriculture.
The relationship between virus epidemiology and agriculture — The process of agricultural commercialisation and industrialisation may transmit the virus into the human food chain.
1.The continuous expansion of the land has released the virus
In fact, 60% of the new infectious diseases (including HIV and Ebola) originate from wild animals. There are two main ways of transmission. The first is that the land competition between agriculture and forests has always existed. The increase in human’s demand for food makes humans continue to invade forests, greatly increasing the contact with pathogens.
2. Decreased immune system
The second is the commercialisation and industrialisation of agriculture, which accelerate the simplification of edible animals and plants’ genes. Also, high-density farming reduces the effectiveness of responses of the immune system. Those two conditions form the greenhouse for viruses and bring viruses into the human food chain.
3. The commercialisation of agricultural products accelerates the spread of virusDue to the commercialisation of agricultural products, rural urbanisation processes and population flow, the virus is brought from the countryside to the city, it is spread out all over the world through advanced techniques and flow of global capital, such as transportation, global trade, and finally causes a global pandemic.
When we encounter the pandemic, we usually quarantine the infected people. However, we ignore the process of agricultural commercialisation and industrialisation, which may transmit the virus into the human food chain. Thus, if we can re-consider the relationship between agriculture and urban cities, it might be helpful to prevent or stop the next pandemic.
In fact, 60% of the new infectious diseases (including HIV and Ebola) originate from wild animals. There are two main ways of transmission. The first is that the land competition between agriculture and forests has always existed. The increase in human’s demand for food makes humans continue to invade forests, greatly increasing the contact with pathogens.
2. Decreased immune system
The second is the commercialisation and industrialisation of agriculture, which accelerate the simplification of edible animals and plants’ genes. Also, high-density farming reduces the effectiveness of responses of the immune system. Those two conditions form the greenhouse for viruses and bring viruses into the human food chain.
3. The commercialisation of agricultural products accelerates the spread of virusDue to the commercialisation of agricultural products, rural urbanisation processes and population flow, the virus is brought from the countryside to the city, it is spread out all over the world through advanced techniques and flow of global capital, such as transportation, global trade, and finally causes a global pandemic.
When we encounter the pandemic, we usually quarantine the infected people. However, we ignore the process of agricultural commercialisation and industrialisation, which may transmit the virus into the human food chain. Thus, if we can re-consider the relationship between agriculture and urban cities, it might be helpful to prevent or stop the next pandemic.
Medium:
Research Diagram
The spread of covid-19 in Wuhan
Wuhan's new city identity
The expansion of Wuhan's central city has affected the boundaries and scope of industry, agriculture, and forests. The food supply chain of Wuhan is also from peripheral agriculture to the central area of the city. Therefore, this long-distance supply system model is most vulnerable to virus invasion.
Initially, several cases were detected in the seafood market. Since the market was very close to the train, the virus spread quickly. It showed a trend of circular spread from the center to the outside in the consideration of space.
We found out that the reason for the rapid spread of the virus is the seafood market. is part Since the seafood market is one part of the food supply chain, many people purchase food necessities there. Furthermore, since it is located in the central city area with a high population density and it is close to public transportation. It is easy for virus to accelerate the spread with public transportation; thus, the virus outbreak was related to Wuhan's agricultural product supply chain.
Isolation during epidemics has changed the way people work and behavior patterns in public places. When the prevalence of coronavirus may last for one to two years, coexistence with the virus, social isolation and social distance may become a policy affecting future urban life. In addition to the identity of industrial development, Wuhan is the first city of the virus outbreak and the first city to implement social isolation. Therefore, Wuhan may also have the identity and characteristics of social isolation city in the future. The early urban design of Wuhan was oriented by industrial development. Therefore, when Wuhan has the special identity characteristics of isolation, the urban design of Wuhan may take isolation as the design orientation in the future.
Initially, several cases were detected in the seafood market. Since the market was very close to the train, the virus spread quickly. It showed a trend of circular spread from the center to the outside in the consideration of space.
We found out that the reason for the rapid spread of the virus is the seafood market. is part Since the seafood market is one part of the food supply chain, many people purchase food necessities there. Furthermore, since it is located in the central city area with a high population density and it is close to public transportation. It is easy for virus to accelerate the spread with public transportation; thus, the virus outbreak was related to Wuhan's agricultural product supply chain.
Isolation during epidemics has changed the way people work and behavior patterns in public places. When the prevalence of coronavirus may last for one to two years, coexistence with the virus, social isolation and social distance may become a policy affecting future urban life. In addition to the identity of industrial development, Wuhan is the first city of the virus outbreak and the first city to implement social isolation. Therefore, Wuhan may also have the identity and characteristics of social isolation city in the future. The early urban design of Wuhan was oriented by industrial development. Therefore, when Wuhan has the special identity characteristics of isolation, the urban design of Wuhan may take isolation as the design orientation in the future.
Transfer agricultural land to cities — The agriculture in the rural area of Wuhan was implanted into the city, and the large agricultural land was dispersed in the city.
The purpose of this project is to enable Wuhan to have the capability to handle the next potential pandemic and resolve the problems of industrialised agriculture, relocating agriculture into the central area of the city. If we can limit the growing space of crops to urban areas, the supply chain and the packaging chain can be reduced accordingly. Establishing a new urban agricultural system, making full use of some small and medium-sized spaces in the city, instead of transforming the urban land into forests, urban planners can utilise those agricultural lands to guarantee the food supply of the city and enable the self-recovery of urban ecology.
The design strategy is to solve the situation that the production field and the circulation field were originally separated. The agriculture in the rural area of Wuhan was implanted into the city, and the large agricultural land was dispersed in the city. The concept of local community food supply was established, and the agricultural products and consumers were directly connected to build the local food supply chain. At the same time, it can also ensure the food safety and food supply guarantee when the virus is isolated again in the future.
The design strategy is to solve the situation that the production field and the circulation field were originally separated. The agriculture in the rural area of Wuhan was implanted into the city, and the large agricultural land was dispersed in the city. The concept of local community food supply was established, and the agricultural products and consumers were directly connected to build the local food supply chain. At the same time, it can also ensure the food safety and food supply guarantee when the virus is isolated again in the future.
Medium:
Mapping![[untitled]](https://res.cloudinary.com/rca2020/image/upload/w_1920,f_auto,q_auto/v1607622683/gatsby-cloudinary/5fd25f72620777544e2ee565-557637-resize-1920-2560)
In order to increase production efficiency, it is necessary to reconsider the city landscape, to introduce food productivity into the city, to layer and assimilate agricultural plans into the city. This project utilised and transformed some small spaces, public areas and private spaces in the city to integrate the food production into city structure. From this project, we hope that a new urban agricultural-ecological model could be created to fill the vacancy in the modern urban agricultural structure, including small and medium-sized urban agricultural spaces.
By combining six basic urban planting areas and six agricultural models, a flexible model design base was created. No matter the size of the space, corresponding solutions can be found. This base brings agricultural production into urban life.
In the new agricultural system, the green landscape of parks is transformed into farmland for growing food crops. The ecological forest is transformed into a base where livestock can be raised. In the lake area, fish and aquatic vegetables are grown at the same time. The street landscape in the city is transformed into an area for growing vegetables and fruits. The roof of buildings was developed into roof agriculture, growing vegetables and fruits, and breeding livestock. In addition to the public areas, private balconies can also be used to grow private agriculture.
By combining six basic urban planting areas and six agricultural models, a flexible model design base was created. No matter the size of the space, corresponding solutions can be found. This base brings agricultural production into urban life.
In the new agricultural system, the green landscape of parks is transformed into farmland for growing food crops. The ecological forest is transformed into a base where livestock can be raised. In the lake area, fish and aquatic vegetables are grown at the same time. The street landscape in the city is transformed into an area for growing vegetables and fruits. The roof of buildings was developed into roof agriculture, growing vegetables and fruits, and breeding livestock. In addition to the public areas, private balconies can also be used to grow private agriculture.
Medium:
Mapping, Diagram
Overlapping agriculture strategy — Through the design of overlapping agriculture, multiple agricultural activities can be carried out in the same area at the same time.
Through the design of overlapping agriculture, multiple agricultural activities can be carried out in the same area at the same time. For example, in the lake area at the same time vegetable planting and aquaculture; in the roof at the same time poultry farming and vegetable planting; forest cultivation, meat and poultry breeding, fruit tree planting, mushroom planting and so on.
Overlapping agriculture can double agricultural productivity. According to the concept of overlapping agriculture, the total amount of food that can be produced each year can be calculated. At the same time, according to the concept of overlapping agriculture, the maximum agricultural land area per capita in Wuchang District can be calculated.
Overlapping agriculture can double agricultural productivity. According to the concept of overlapping agriculture, the total amount of food that can be produced each year can be calculated. At the same time, according to the concept of overlapping agriculture, the maximum agricultural land area per capita in Wuchang District can be calculated.
Aquaponics — The lakeside community is combined with the pond. The infrastructure of fish and vegetable symbiosis intersperses the community space.
The lakeside community is combined with the pond. The infrastructure of fish and vegetable symbiosis intersperses the community space. The fish vegetable symbiosis cultivation method uses the lake ecological environment to solve the biggest problem in aquaculture fish excreta management.
In order to realize the reasonable collocation and large-scale cultivation of fish and vegetables, the international mainstream practice is to separate the fishpond from the planting area. The vegetables suitable for water planting include celery, sweet corn, lettuce, chrysanthemum, etc.
Direct floating method: using foam board and other floating bodies to directly fix vegetable seedlings on a floating planting plate for hydroponics, this method is the most simple.
In order to grow vegetables on water, it is necessary to build floating shelves on the water, usually with foam below, then fixed with plastic or wood. On the foam, dig some round holes with a diameter of 5 centimeters, put the vegetable seedlings in the hole, and let the roots contact the water.
At the same time, fish and shrimp in the water may cause damage to the root system of vegetables, so fences should be set around the roots.
In order to realize the reasonable collocation and large-scale cultivation of fish and vegetables, the international mainstream practice is to separate the fishpond from the planting area. The vegetables suitable for water planting include celery, sweet corn, lettuce, chrysanthemum, etc.
Direct floating method: using foam board and other floating bodies to directly fix vegetable seedlings on a floating planting plate for hydroponics, this method is the most simple.
In order to grow vegetables on water, it is necessary to build floating shelves on the water, usually with foam below, then fixed with plastic or wood. On the foam, dig some round holes with a diameter of 5 centimeters, put the vegetable seedlings in the hole, and let the roots contact the water.
At the same time, fish and shrimp in the water may cause damage to the root system of vegetables, so fences should be set around the roots.
Medium:
Drawing, Diagram
Growing street — Roads accompany the planting area. Food production and non-traffic uses occupy the street space, while ensuring smooth traffic.
Planting vegetables and fruits in the green belt on both sides of the street may be polluted by automobile exhaust and dust. Eating contaminated fruits and vegetables can cause harm to the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to block the two sides of the dustproof plate. Some moss can be planted on the dustproof plate, which plays a great role in absorbing automobile exhaust. At the same time, combined with the road landscape trees. Plane trees can also absorb the automobile exhaust, which has two layers of protection for vegetables and fruits. There are footpaths on both sides of the vegetable and fruit planting area, which can facilitate the workers to irrigate and pick, and has no impact on the traffic.
Medium:
Drawing, Diagram
Rooftop farm — Use modular containers to grow fruits and vegetables to meet different sizes and shapes of roofs.
Poultry farming on the roof will produce certain environmental pollution:
a. Smell
To clean up chicken manure regularly and collect it in containers, plant ash can be added into the container to remove the odor of chicken manure.
b. Feces
On the one hand, planting vegetables and raising chickens on the roof can make full use of the limited space to realize self-sufficiency of vegetables; on the other hand, you can also eat assured chicken or even eggs, and chicken manure can be added to the vegetable field as organic fertilizerEspecially in summer, it will not only emit odor, but also cause mosquitoes, flies and maggots, which will pollute the surrounding environment. So we should clean the henhouse regularly and collect chicken manure.
c. Noise
For urban residents, chicken calls can also become noise, so sound-absorbing boards can be installed on the roof to reduce the noise.
Use modular containers to grow fruits and vegetables to meet different sizes and shapes of roofs. At the same time, in order to solve the potential pollution problem of poultry breeding, we should prevent planting utensils in the periphery of the poultry breeding area to stop the smell emission and part of the noise pollution. At the same time, chicken manure is regularly removed and collected in containers when organic fertilizer is added to the vegetable field.
a. Smell
To clean up chicken manure regularly and collect it in containers, plant ash can be added into the container to remove the odor of chicken manure.
b. Feces
On the one hand, planting vegetables and raising chickens on the roof can make full use of the limited space to realize self-sufficiency of vegetables; on the other hand, you can also eat assured chicken or even eggs, and chicken manure can be added to the vegetable field as organic fertilizerEspecially in summer, it will not only emit odor, but also cause mosquitoes, flies and maggots, which will pollute the surrounding environment. So we should clean the henhouse regularly and collect chicken manure.
c. Noise
For urban residents, chicken calls can also become noise, so sound-absorbing boards can be installed on the roof to reduce the noise.
Use modular containers to grow fruits and vegetables to meet different sizes and shapes of roofs. At the same time, in order to solve the potential pollution problem of poultry breeding, we should prevent planting utensils in the periphery of the poultry breeding area to stop the smell emission and part of the noise pollution. At the same time, chicken manure is regularly removed and collected in containers when organic fertilizer is added to the vegetable field.
Medium:
Drawing, Diagram
Forest farm — According to the concept of overlapping agriculture, forest cultivation, meat and poultry breeding, fruit tree planting, mushroom planting, etc.
According to the concept of overlapping agriculture, forest cultivation, meat and poultry breeding, fruit tree planting, mushroom planting, etc. Follow the principle of silvopasture to maximize the use of limited area. At the same time, forest ranches can give consideration to agricultural production, agricultural science education, pasture tourism, and increase economic benefits.
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Drawing, Diagram
Planting park — Citizens can participate in daily production, management and harvest activities.
Because the scale of public green space is relatively large, it can be used to produce food crops and poultry, so that citizens can participate in daily production, management and harvest activities.
Medium:
Drawing, Diagram
Agricultural products processing and storage strategy — Short Description Establishing a district food pivot closing to several jurisdictions of Wuhan can simultaneously guarantee the processing and storage of agricultural products.
Community pilot - Wuchang District — The project will zoom in to Wuchang District, the central city of Wuhan. The total area of Wuchang district is 107.76 square kilometers, including 60.96 square kilometers of land area, 10.7 square kilometers of Yangtze River water area, 32.8 square kilometers of East Lake water surface, and 3.3 square kilometers of Sand Lake water area. By the end of 2020, the permanent population of Wuchang District was 1.2637 million.
For food processing and storage, according to several districts in Wuhan, the food hub of the district is established; every district has its own food hub. also established in the areas with developed transportation, such as riverside. In the case, when the food supply is insufficient, several districts can supply each other.
Establishing a district food pivot closing to several jurisdictions of Wuhan can simultaneously guarantee the processing and storage of agricultural products. If the pivot is built in areas with well-developed transportation, such as riversides, those jurisdictions can supply each other. The re-positioning of the urban food system can reduce the processing industry into small and medium-sized agriculture. Establishing a food pivot will integrate food processing, preparation, packaging, distribution and sales facilities.
Establishing a district food pivot closing to several jurisdictions of Wuhan can simultaneously guarantee the processing and storage of agricultural products. If the pivot is built in areas with well-developed transportation, such as riversides, those jurisdictions can supply each other. The re-positioning of the urban food system can reduce the processing industry into small and medium-sized agriculture. Establishing a food pivot will integrate food processing, preparation, packaging, distribution and sales facilities.