Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture course highlights 'green street' projects to reduce pollution, beautify cities
by Global Good News staff writer

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1 September 2012

A course in Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture has many practical applications. In addition to providing innovative methods for the farmer, home gardener, and rancher, the course also shines light onto how to improve city planning.

The goal is to make cities more livable, which, in the context of the course, means more sustainable and less toxic.

The course's creator and professor, Dr Peter Swan, mentioned that even in crowded cities there are methods to increase green spaces, reduce pollution, and beautify the city.

He uses a project from Portland State University in Oregon, USA, as an example in the course, which has been taught all over the world. The project filters stormwater through landscape planters in the sidewalk, thus taking street water runoff and watering the plants next to them automatically. This provides a good use of space and beautifies the commercial area.

In addition, the planters help filter out pollutants.

According to Portland State University, 'When it rains, street runoff that isn't properly managed carries dirt, oil, chemicals, and other pollutants into rivers and streams.'

But the planters use soil and vegetation to slow stormwater, filter pollutants, and let water soak into the ground, helping to beautify the area and create a 'green street'.

'Green streets provide facilities for stormwater management as well as safe and pleasant routes to encourage people to walk and bike whenever possible,' says the university's website. 'The site is graded so that water flows into the landscaped planters to be filtered and managed. The vegetation and trees provide a respite from the hard surrounding pavement.'

The system provides habitat, slowly releases storm flow, filters pollutants, recharges groundwater, and reduces erosion.

A similar project in Seattle, in neighbouring Washington state—the Street Edge Alternatives Project—found dramatic results, Dr Swan said.

The project was able to reduce runoff by 98%, reduce downstream flooding, eliminate irrigation, improve stormwater quality, reduce the heat island effect, create wildlife habitat, and also beautify the neighbourhood.

See related articles:
∙ Popular course on Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture offered around the world
∙ Vedic garden cities combine Vastu architecture with sustainable practices

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