Transition Cities
Transition Towns or Transition Cities are an urban local self-management social movement initiated in England. The term "transition city" was coined by Louise Rooney and Catherine Dunn as part of a student research. The first city to develop the concept was Totnes in England in 2006. British permaculture designer Rob Hopkins organized the Transition Network as a British charity program. The official Cities of Transition are recognized in England, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Chile. Transition initiatives can be implemented in villages (Kinsale), urban districts (Portobello, Edinburgh), metropolitan areas (Brixton).
The main goal of the project is to raise awareness of sustainable living and help building communities on the principles of environmental sustainability. Practice links isolated experiments of ecovillages into models for transforming urban and intercity spaces. An active participant in the movement is the Lesnye Sady farm. It is a farm in the Tula region, designed as an anthropoagrobiocenosis and involving urban consumers in the production and participation process. According to the landowner Georgy Afanasyev, the city transformation has to go from a monolithic space into a "creative territory". This should generate the resources for personal needs, and intercity spaces should be like manageable, productive and sustainable biocenoses organized according to the model of Lesnye Sady farm.
The main goal of the project is to raise awareness of sustainable living and help building communities on the principles of environmental sustainability. Practice links isolated experiments of ecovillages into models for transforming urban and intercity spaces. An active participant in the movement is the Lesnye Sady farm. It is a farm in the Tula region, designed as an anthropoagrobiocenosis and involving urban consumers in the production and participation process. According to the landowner Georgy Afanasyev, the city transformation has to go from a monolithic space into a "creative territory". This should generate the resources for personal needs, and intercity spaces should be like manageable, productive and sustainable biocenoses organized according to the model of Lesnye Sady farm.
Lesnye Sady
Universal Problem
Cities emit tons of CO2 and stimulate climate change. Human physical and mental health suffer within urban life.
Solution
- Farms should be designed as a living system where humans, plants and animals are parts of anthropoagrobiocenosis.
- Intercity areas should be designed as creative areas that generate the resources and are created on the principle of a united production and consumption cycle.
Target Image
In the future, cities will be developed as creative territories. They will reproduce resources like living natural systems.
Experiment Framework
- Experiment is based in the Tula region on 150 hectares. The territory includes a reservoir, open spaces for fruit and vegetable gardens and forest.
- Experiment investigates the possibilities of agrobiocenosis. It adapts to individual nutritional habits of consumers.
- Community of investors is being created. Business model for the development is based on the financial / human resources of the consumer. At the same time, specialists and volunteers are involved in new experiments of the Lesnye Sady farm.
- Farm experience broadcasts in schools and labs.
- Union of farmers provides city dwellers with baskets of food.
Tools and Technologies
- Agrobiocenoses' designing (sustainable coexisting of plants and other living organisms).
- Anthropoagrobiocenosis' designing (sustainable coexisting of humans and other living organisms).
- Restoration of biochemical cycles based on the chain "production - consumption - recycling"
Scaling Plans
- Anthropobiocenoses' designs for cities.
- Small energy resources studying
- Gene selection studying.
- Creation of agricultural machinery suitable for the permacultural farms.
- Community of agro kruzhoks.
Standards and Values
- The main human goal is a reflection about evolution. Humans have to select genes and create living systems around yourselves.
- The supporting environment, which creates new resources and personal meanings.
- Living systems economy. Everything is important in the system. The success of system means its conservation and development, not profit.
- AIl has to help households and to be a basis of a new collegiality.
- Responsible food personalization.
- The farm is like an open space of attraction.
- Understanding the historical co-evolution of human and nature processes for the future design of cities.
Communities and Leaders
- Georgy Afanasyev, founder and owner of the Lesnye Sady farm.
- Specialists from the Botanical Garden, YasnoPole Ecopark, farmers, consumers.
Allies
- Permaculture founders: Sepp Holzer, Bill Mollison.
- Sechenov University Botanical Garden assists in the design and cares of new experimental plants.
- Family estate "Milenki", Kaluga region. It is a partner in the tea business, They hold seminars, volunteer programs, experience exchange meetings.
- Kruzhok Movement
What you can do to join the practice of transition cities now:
- Learn about the movement of the Transition City, the ideas of Georgy Afanasyev in the "Megapolis and the Village" blog.
- Take part in schools or volunteer programs at the "Lesnye Sady" farm.
- Suggest projects to the Lesnye Sady farm.
- Start designing a creative territory in your area.
