Permaculture in the modern world: How can we apply the integration of new technology with permaculture practices in suburban neighborhoods to reduce waste and increase sustainability?

Abstract

Permaculture is defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary as the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self sufficient. Bill Mollison and David Holmgren introduced the philosophy of permaculture in Australia during the 1970s. During his studies as a wildlife biologist, Bill Mollison witnessed first hand the destruction humans were causing in natural systems. With the realization of this destruction, he also observed how the natural ecosystems worked to keep and restore balance. In his book, Introduction to Permaculture, Bill Mollison writes “The aim is to create systems that are ecologically sound and economically viable, which provide for their own needs, do not exploit or pollute, and are therefore sustainable in the long term.” Basically, permaculture is humans designing a system for a farm, garden, or even something as simple as a planted container that is modeled on nature. The main question that I want to answer in my research is how can we integrate modern technology into this system. In order to find an answer to this question I will develop a design to encompass all of these practices through various features. This design will be set in a suburban neighborhood, on a 1-acre lot in Southampton, New York.