Living LandscapesDESIGN
Module 20 / 25
A plan for shared growing space also needs an account of who makes decisions, who carries out the work, and how people respond when circumstances change. These arrangements are the focus of invisible structures: the social systems supporting the physical design.
Begin with social relationships and values, then examine how groups organize work and communication. The regulation readings add the rules affecting what a project can do. Use these resources to examine decisions, responsibilities, information sharing, and disagreement in your own design or the community project chosen for the discussion.
What you’ll learn
Use your own copy, buy the book, or borrow it through a library when possible. If you are local to me, contact me about borrowing a copy. You can also contact me for information about digital or other access to assigned readings.
If your edition uses different page numbers, contact me and we can match the correct section.
For articles, excerpts, videos, and other resources, use the links in the lesson. If a video player does not load, try its source link. If you cannot access a reading or media resource, or it has no link, contact me with the module number and resource title.
Ask about books, readings or media access ↗Read
ic.org
Starhawk applies permaculture thinking to human relationships and group process. Follow her discussion of communication and cooperation as preparation for the resources on values and organizational patterns.
Open resourceWatch
YouTube
As you watch, consider how differing values could affect the decisions and disagreements you will discuss in this module.
If the player does not load, use the source link.
Read
permaculture.org.uk
This article uses patterns in nature to examine organization and communication. Compare those ideas with the group-process questions in Social Permaculture, then use Communication as Flow Parts 1 and 2 to examine how information moves between the people making decisions and doing the work.
Open resourceRead
permaculturenews.org
Read both parts together, relating the movement of information to the people making decisions and carrying out work.
Open resourceRead
permaculturenews.org
Open resourceCommunication becomes part of a working design through decisions, responsibilities, and agreements. These readings connect the preceding ideas about social organization with the arrangements you will examine in the discussion.
Read
permaculturenews.org
Check current local rules for your own site.
Open resourceRead
healthyfoodpolicyproject.org
Reading 1 discusses constraints the author identifies in zoning and building rules. This U.S.-focused guide presents examples of provisions for urban agriculture and processes for changing zoning codes. Compare the concerns, proposed provisions, and decision processes in the two readings. Their examples are not a statement of the current rules for your site; check the relevant local authority.
Open resourceBook reading
Jessi Bloom and Dave Boehnlein
Pages 296 to 298: group communication, decision-making, and local regulatory work; shared with Module 23
Pages 302 to 303: group communication, decision-making, and local regulatory work; shared with Module 23
These readings also support Module 23; read them once.
Book access & editionsRead
In this course
Open resourceUse your design or a community project you can learn about through its published information for this discussion. Identify who makes decisions, who does the work, how information is shared, and how disagreements or changes are handled.
Save written notes as a document or PDF. For paper maps or handwritten notes, use a clear photo or scan. You can combine related work in one file.
Attach your decision-making and responsibilities notes.
Email the address listed under “Get In Touch” on my contact page. Do not use the contact form. Include the Permaculture Design Course, Module 20, and “Decision-making and responsibilities” in your subject or message.
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