Image credit above: Brooklyn Grange, http://brooklyngrangefarm.com/
Increasing interest and activity in urban agriculture is exciting for human urban development and the greening, literally and metaphorically, of our cities. But more often than not animals, in almost every capacity, are left out of the conversation. When we speak about urban gardens we forget to mention the insects that pollinate them, the birds that might fertilize them (in exchange for eating the crops!) and the other animal species that otherwise participate in a healthy (or unhealthy, if mismanaged) urban-agrarian life. This is not the case with urban apiaries.
Though not specifically “agricultural” (they are insects after-all) urban apiaries are obviously closely aligned with urban farming and one can easily see the cross-benefits of instituting both together (e.g. the Brooklyn Grange project above). Check out the following links below for a range of ideas about possible bee habitats in urban environments.
We welcome more projects and suggestions for urban apiaries from our readers. Please write to info@animalarchitecture.org
New York Times Article on Urban Apiaries. Image Demetrius Freeman/The New York Times
Hive City Project. University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning, the Department of Architecture’s Ecological Practices Research Group, and Rigidized Metals.
Beehive High Rise, Julie Schell
Pruitt Igoe Bee Sanctuary.
Beyond the Hive Competition
Urban Apiaries; Trey Flemming working on the roof of Milk and Honey Markety – Evan Robinson
