Thesis Abstract:

I imagine a world in which people have more alternatives that make them feel empowered. The process of growing, cultivating, and harvesting crops in urban environments has gained importance as scarcity and sprawl increase in the world. There is an opportunity to reconnect urbanity with some of the processes of food production in micro-level interventions. The availability of new materials, sensors, and hydroponic/areoponic equipment serve to facilitate this trend.I believe that more connections need to be made between people and food production as an alternative to those who would embrace urban farming and cultivation as a means to exercise a sense of self-sustainability and independence. I aim to design systems for urban dwellers: People who are almost entirely separated from the processes of their own food production. I hope to incorporate aspects of design in addressing issues of space and landscape as well as conservation and resource management.

The exploration of {Human (Human*Artifact)} relationships;
Addressing present day dilemmas in the realm of:
Permaculture, conservation, urbanity, independent systems, resource management,
entrepreneurialship, and community.

If people in cities and suburbs are given the opportunity to grow a percentage of their own food, then a culture of self-reliance can begin to be developed. Urban food production and self-sustainability is a large endeavor therefore: I aim to address aspects of methodology in micro-level models that can be potentially expanded upon. I desire a deeper understanding of the intersection between urbanity, design and alternative production systems.