Teaching Urban Permaculture to German Students

Urban Permaculture for Architecture and Environmental Science students

Challenge

The RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Germany was interested in introducing the topic of Urban Permaculture to their Architecture and Environmental Science students, allowing new city developers, architects, and environmental engineers to include knowledge on nature-based solutions, urban heat islands, and urban greening/gardening in their future work.

What we did

For two semesters we offered lectures on Urban Permaculture to architecture, civil engineering, and environmental science students. The lecture provided an understanding of the fundamentals of regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and urban agriculture. Practical lessons were included in the lecture, where students learned about observation, landscape, and contour line mapping and were introduced to the design principles. For the final exam, the students had to choose any urban area and design it according to Permaculture design principles. A final presentation concluded the lecture.

Impact

In addition to the increased theoretical knowledge of regenerative and urban agriculture, their significant impact on regional and global climate, and their potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation, the students were sensitized to the importance of observation, rural and urban landscapes, landscape design, and available nature-based solutions to address current rural and urban challenges. They will translate the gained knowledge into their future work as city developers and environmental engineers.