Geography
Geography is the first component we need to
consider as the base for our design. Geography is used here as
concern with physical, cultural and economic conditions of our
surroundings. A permaculture designer needs to have a sense of
the overall structure of his/her region. Design on the land implies
an empathetic connection with the land as a starting point.
Physical Geography
The geological origins of our region, its formation and evolution,
will tell us much that we need to know to fit our design to place.
The landscape forms we see around us are classified into physiographic
regions or provinces, a first clue to our bioregional setting.
The landforms we see are the result of an interaction between
materials and processes. Understanding landforms, we can go backwards
to better understand regional processes and materials we will
be using in our design work. Other "big picture" subjects
we would investigate are wild energy sources, climate and weather
patterns, soils, water availability and vegetation distribution.
Placed together, these basic physical geography patterns will
give us a good understanding of the area's ecology and habitat
into which we are fitting our design.
Cultural Geography
An investigation of patterns of settlement that have taken place
historically will give us a better understanding of our area.
We would like to know about the prehistoric people who settled
the land and how they used it. Artifacts and sites of early settlement
are apparent to those who are looking for them in most areas.
Preindustrial era patterns of settlement, use of land, and adaptions
to climate may give us clues to sustainable practices and life
styles. Looking to the places of origin of settlers will provide
a picture of traditions that may have been transplanted from one
area of the world to another. Recent immigration is rapidly influencing
culture and landscape form in many areas of the world. Cultural
practices go hand-in-hand with natural processes in shaping the
landscape and
frequently appear to be dominant.
Economic Geography
Economy is embedded in the larger framework of ecology; as Wackernagel
and Rees put it in Our Ecological Footprint, pg. 8, the 'humansphere'
is embedded in the 'ecosphere.' Economic geography looks at how
people "make their living" in the regions in which they
live and what they need from other regions to survive. It attempts
to understand the economic base of areas in relationship to their
environmental settings. In regions of agriculture, intensive forestry
and mining the connection is very easy to visualize. In urban
areas the connections are less apparent. But, from subsistence
farming to global trade, the connections between economy and ecology
can be established.
 |
| The illustration from Our Ecological Footprint
shows very clearly that the "humansphere" of our
existence is clearly embedded in the context of the "ecosphere"
and that we do not escape the issues of use of natural resources
from, and discard of our wastes into, our basic support system. |
Know Your Place
The admonition behind the geographical component is "know
your place." Have a good general understanding of all of
the pieces of your environment beyond the site being designed.
Specific sites are, in reality, very small pieces of the earth's
surface. We can only appreciate them and use them wisely within
the bigger context of their "place" on earth.
