LANDSHARE: A growing idea in Australia

Landshare Australia is a new kid on the sustainability block and it brings together people who have a passion for home-grown food, connecting those who have land to share with those who need land for cultivating food.

It is an idea that has its roots in the UK, launched through the River Cottage television program in 2009. The concept has since landed here in Australia. As yet there are less than a 1000 Aussies who have embraced the idea but it is early days. As they say, it began with the tiny seed of an idea – and it's growing and growing.

To quote the website "Landshare is for people who:
* Want to grow vegetables but don't have anywhere to do it
* Have a spare bit of land they're prepared to share
* Can help in some way – from sharing knowledge and lending tools to helping
out on the plot itself
* Support the idea of freeing up more land for growing
* Are already growing and want to join in the community"

In the end the concept has a lot to do with food security and reducing the food miles our food travels from where it is grown and onto our plate.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE LANDSHARE WEBSITE:

• The UK site
• The Australian site
  

CoHousing – A New AFFORDABLE Australian Dream?

Living Cooperatively: Affordable Housing – Sustainable Development - a Swedish model – has aroused quite a bit of interest, and there were similar ideas on display at Melbourne’s Sustainable Living Festival. What’s happening in your state or territory?

Sustainable Living In Intentional Communities (SLIC) is a group auspiced by the Sustainable Living Foundation (SLF) as it works towards a society that includes:

* Cohousing, where residents own their own home, but regularly share in community activities including common meals, centred around a community house. Cohousing communities are designed to address and encourage social interaction and ... click here to go to the full story

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Food-sensitive planning and urban design

The Heart Foundation Victorian division has recently released Food-sensitive planning and urban design – a conceptual framework for achieving a sustainable and healthy food system.

Food-sensitive planning and urban design (FSPUD) recognises that access to healthy, sustainable and equitable food is an essential part of achieving liveable communities.

It is an approach to planning and urban design that addresses the critical intersect between public health, planning and urban design, and environmental sustainability. It presents the case for prioritising food in the planning and design of our cities.

FSPUD provides tools, suggestion and case studies to enable the practical reconciliation of food considerations with planning and urban design objectives. The document can be found here – These resources are for planners, architects, urban designers, engineers, policymakers, community members and elected representatives involved in urban land use and development. It provides tools, suggestions and case studies to help reconcile food considerations with planning and urban design objectives.

ANOTHER LINK: Click Here