Design Council and Dott 07
Every day time and money is wasted transporting food around the country, and undoubtedly this has a negative impact on the environment. Think of all the carbon emissions billowing out of those goods vehicles just to get the produce from A to B and finally onto our plates. By designing our own systems of producing and consuming food, much of this waste can be avoided, the impact on the environment can be reduced and, crucially, we can control what we eat to make for a healthier, happier lifestyle.
We are partners of Dott 07 (Designs of the Time) – a series of projects, events and exhibitions held throughout the North East during 2007, aimed at highlighting issues of sustainability.
A number of projects address issues of food transportation, production and consumption. Their aim? To bring food production back into the communities and reduce food miles.
Urban farming
Working in partnership with Middlesbrough Council, Groundwork South Tees and Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust and using local horticulturalists, allotment growers and farmers as mentors, the Dott 07 team (including David Barrie, Debra Solomon, and service design consultancy Zest Innovation) led a mass growing of fruit and vegetables in a series of containers - known as grow zones - throughout the town. This involved mapping the locations where food was grown already and pinpointing new ‘edible landscapes’ where food could be grown. The produce was used to feed thousands of hungry diners at a celebratory Dott banquet in Middlesbrough’s main square in September 2007. Read more in our press release.
Kitchen Playgrounds
As part of the Urban Farming scheme, the ‘Kitchen Playground’ concept was established to show local school kids how to prepare healthy meals using their home-grown produce. The Playgrounds are inspired by Meal Assembly Centres (or MACS) in the US where raw dinners are laid out – ready prepared for cooking.
Food Information Systems
In collaboration with Dott 07, the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) set Food Information Systems as the topic for its Design Directions Competition. Heavy goods vehicles are monitored by a tachometer which logs their movements – why not apply a similar monitoring system to fruit and vegetables, for example? The competition called for innovative approaches to reducing food miles. These could take the form of a device, a product service, a system or anything else! The winners won scholarships to the Doors of Perception conference, Doors: Juice 9, held in March 2007 in New Delhi.
You can read more about Dott 07’s food projects on its website where the food blog will keep you up to date with activities.
The Middlesbrough Town Meal marked the end of what has been a hugely successful project. Over 1,000 people cultivated and harvested crops in preparation for the feast. Middlesbrough Council has been so impressed by the response from the public that it is now planning to create a lasting legacy and a role for urban farming in the ongoing regeneration of the town.
We think that food production is an important issue for designers and want to hear your views. You can add your comments – and read others’ views – on our Perspectives page.
