“This place is famous. People loving coming by here because at any time of year you can get something to eat.” Architect Mark Lakeman, co-founder of the City Repair project, gives a tour of the corner sidewalk outside his Portland office building, where a food forest is bursting with life. A diagram shows where over 80 plants are located in six or seven vertical layers. Tall fruit trees, flowers, a grape arbor, herbs, berries, small vegetables, and ground cover are abundant. This demonstration project is a haven for insects, and a provider of shade on hot days and the sun’s warmth in winter, which keeps utility bills down and the carbon footprint small. In addition to demonstrating permaculture principles, Mark notes that in this lush garden “what we’re doing here is letting the earth burst forth with self-evident meaning and wonder, so people can just stand here and be appreciative.” Episode 333. [communitecture.net, cityrepair.org]
