Urban biosystems
From the Club of Rome Foundation we work on projects with systemic approaches in informal settlements in the City of Buenos Aires, developing in the last 5 years 3 Urban Biosystems in Villa 15,
Villa 20, and 21-24.
WHAT IS AN URBAN BIOYSTEM?
An Urban Biosystem aims to emulate the circular functioning of natural ecosystems for the design, development and operation of urban centers. Urban centers are characterized by linear functioning and the generation of waste that is not reintroduced to the biological cycle. On the contrary, a Biosystem seeks to integrate biological subsystems so that the waste generated in one of them is used by the next. That is, it converts waste into an input for the generation of a new product with greater added value.
The Biosystems project contemplated the comprehensive transition to sustainability of 3 community kitchens, addressing waste treatment from an innovative, comprehensive and ecosystem perspective. Emphasizing the importance of a socio-environmental approach, the incorporation of technologies was accompanied by community awareness activities and training to (1) promote new habits and the appropriation of new technological, cultural and symbolic capital; (2) create new professional capabilities and skills and; (3) generate, through open activities, a bridge of integration between the formal and informal city.
Each biosystem included the installation of a solar collector; the incorporation of a biodigester and a composter; the development of an urban community garden in boxes; the production of edible mushrooms from cellulosic waste; the equipment of a hydroponic garden; the incorporation of a rainwater harvesting system, the use of a photovoltaic solar system, the incorporation of a collection point for recyclables and used vegetable oils; the replacement of lighting with LED technology and the use of sustainable furniture, thus strengthening community capacities for food, energy and water autonomy - including on-site management and treatment of organic waste - from a circular logic.
Furthermore, during the development of the project, the active participation of women, mainly young mothers and/or migrants, was prioritized through scholarships and the offer of activities for children.
BIOSYSTEM | Comedor En-Haccore (Villa 15)