Small Urban/Suburban Sustainable Farm Plan

MA Design Management Final Project [Savannah College of Art & Design]

Value Proposition

We propose the development of a Small Urban/Suburban Farm Plan for the island of Puerto Rico. This plan will benefit non-profit and profit organizations in Puerto Rico whose intent is to switch towards a sustainable economy and society. The Small Urban/Suburban Farm Plan will enable subjects with low income to be independent from government economical benefits, be self sufficient and build self-esteem. Additionally, the plan will enable interested parties to better understand socio-cultural perceptions, expose local barriers to projects, assess benefits, uncover local solutions, build connections, and open networks to propose new ones.

The Small Urban/Suburban Farm plan will be accomplished through the creation of a cross-disciplinary group composed of existing organizations that have developed research and plans to switch toward sustainable practices. However, the proposed plan will focus on a human-centered approach through the identification, connection, and extension of existing positive deviances that help develop local economies based on agriculture.

Unlike social engineering projects which try to imitate other cultural contexts, and big campaigns, which are not meaningful to the users, our Small Urban Agriculture plan will offer solutions that are relevant to the unique socio-cultural context of Puerto Rico and establish a platform for successful sustainable agricultural practices in the island.