For project 2.0 I’ve chosen to investigate a design for an automated community garden that uses recycled water from constructed wetland cells. The system will be monitored and controlled using arduino hardware and software along with the pachube platform.
Harvested rainwater and wetland cell treated Mississippi river water feeds the community garden. Water is pumped through constructed wetland cells that line the levee and river walk. Sensors will monitor water that is filtered through the system. When the filtered water reaches sufficient levels of purity, it is pumped back to above or below ground water cisterns that will feed the community plot. Water is pumped from the river by energy that is produced by a wind turbine, or water turbines that are in the river. Energy not used by the water pumps can be used for the neighborhood garden or to run infrastructural elements on the newly designed river walk. The wetland cells will be part of the new urban fabric that weaves together the functions of aesthetics, ecology, and conservation. The wetland cells will act as landscape beds, wildlife habitat, and water purifiers. The constructed wetland cells and the community garden will be controlled using arduino hardware and software. Sensors will detect temperature, soil moisture, light intensity, water levels and possibly water current. The system can be set to run automatically or gardeners can monitor and control their plot using the pachbe platform. This will allow people to adjust their watering schedules as needed. This project will also allow participants to reduce their carbon footprint. Food grown, purchased and consumed locally yields a smaller carbon footprint compared to goods that were produced and shipped from outside the locale. Gardeners and participants can tally the amount of produce grown and upload that information to the system where carbon savings can be calculated.
The plot will be leased to neighborhood residents. The gardeners can pay the full lease, or pay a smaller fee with partial payment as a donation of produce to the local farmer’s market. Some of the funds generated at the farmers go back into the community. Other possible sources of payment could include carbon credit that is earned by producing food on the community plot. There are several proposed sites for the community garden. Location A – the block at N. St. Peters, between Mandeville St. and Spain St. approximately 73,600 sq. ft. Location B – the block at Chartres, between Montegut St. and Clouet St. – approximately 134, 820 sq. ft. Location C – the property south of Chartres St., between Piety St. and Independence St. – approximately 81, 822 sq. ft. Location D – Industrial Canal green space – approximately 195,000 sq. ft. Location E – Elysian Fields neutral ground? – approximately 98,595 sq. ft. Wetland filter strips could run along the river anywhere between Mandeville Street and Pauline St. and along the industrial canal green space area. Below is a rough draft diagram of the wetland cells with a water turbine.

A diagram outlining potential sites

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