permaculture as a systems design science

Hello Permies !

I wrote in earlier posts about my views on Permaculture as a design method. Essentially I was arguing that permaculture is not something you “do” (like you “do” organic or biointensive or biodynamic etc.), but rather a design principle that one uses in planning one's life and living environment - house, yard, garden, food production system, energy system, water supply system, income / livelihood, etc. (ideally all of these).

Since I joined a few years ago, I have been reading posts on Permies.com and have enjoyed and benefitted greatly from the knowledge and experience shared on these forums. That said, I do feel that the current division of the forums into themes – even though very useful in its own way – may give the outsider a rather fragmented view of permaculture. It might convey an impression that permaculture is the sum of all these things – from rocket stoves to herb spirals to spoon carving – which in fact it isn’t.

I think we're missing a section that concerns itself with the Big Picture, i.e., Permaculture as a method for designing systems (or ecosystems, if you like).

In other words: a section / forum / thread where the focus is not the minute detail in the design of a single element (“how do I make a Huegel bed?” or “what can I plant under my apple tree?”), but rather the “system” – the interlinking of all the elements of a design into an efficient organism that works towards achieving a specific goal.

Such a forum could share and discuss projects that are already up-and-running, projects that are still at the implementation phase, as well as systems at the design stage (i.e., which only exist on paper). Specific cases. What works and what doesn’t. Successes, failures and mixes of the two.

Thoughts?

Levente, I think the most appropriate subforum, for the time being, that would fit your needs is the Permaculture subforum. At the moment, this subforum is kind of hodge-podgey.

The best way to make the change you're looking for is to be the change. I suggest starting threads in the Permaculture subforum and get conversations started.

Other good spots in the permies community that might fit your needs include the permaculture artisans sections of the forum: Masanobu-Fukuoka, Sepp-Holzer, Geoff-Lawton, Willie-Smits, and other permaculture artisans. These subforums would be good for discussing the methodology and techniques of different permaculture artisans and their unique takes on what permaculture is.

If all else fails, I advise making your suggestion known in the new forum thread which is designed for just that. The main hitch is that the forum needs to fill a community desire which is why it might be helpful to first try starting a thread for your discussion- to test the waters and see how many people are interested in carrying the kind of conversations you want on the forum.

I hope this was helpful!

I think this is the forum you're looking for - permaculture design

All it needs a few more appropriate discussions in it...