Urbanization destroys ecologically productive land, devastates local ecosystems, and fails to provide
quality food for all city residents. By 2030, urban land cover will be three times larger than it was in2000, and by 2035, 62.5% of the global population will live in cities We need solutions to prevent
biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and lack of access to green space in urban areas.

1. Biodiversity is essential for
supporting life on Earth byproviding us with ecologicalservices and supporting
ecosystems.
2. Cities are suffering from urban
environmental issues like runoff
and the heat island effect.
3. Access to nutritious, quality foodis a basic human right.
4. Green space restores mental andphysical health and promotes
community interaction.

… is a structure that covers parking lots and can hold native plants and food gardens, in addition
to including seating for recreational purposes! Parking Lot Permaculture (PLP) is designed as
one module that can be replicated to cover entire lots.

Increased Biodiversity
Gardens throughout cities contribute to urban habitat, where small spaces become interconnected and enlarge the collective
habitable landscape. One study found that plantings with 5+ native species had 198 pollinator visits, while plots with 2 natives had
only 4. Another showed that when native vegetation increased from 10% to 30%, the occupancy of bats, birds, beetles, and bugs
increased from 30% to 120%. Natural habitat also replaces pest insects (which can thrive in fragmented urban landscape) with
beneficial insects.

Food Security
Communal gardens can lessen food insecurity, since they provide affordable and accessible food, improve dietary intake, as fresh
produce has high nutritional content, and strengthen relationships among families and community members through garden
involvement. A study that implemented a personal gardening program reduced the number of respondents facing food insecurity from
31% to 3%, and another showed that vegetable consumption is three- or four-times greater in children and adults, respectively.

Combats Urban Environmental Issues
Parking lots contribute to the heat island effect and increase city temperatures by up to 22°F, so swapping this for plant material could
greatly reduce urban temperatures and lessen the need for cooling systems. Replacing concrete, an impermeable surface, withgreen space, which retains water, alleviates runoff - a common issue in cities. Plants also remove air and water pollutants.

Health and Education
Conclusive research shows nature reduces stress, anxiety, and depression and promotes physical activity. In one study, greener
neighborhoods had the lowest risk mental health concerns and lessened risk of cardiovascular disease. Parking Lot Permaculture
can be used to educate the public about the importance of green space and even used in school curriculum.

•••••

PLP is highly versatile; the number of units, variation in layout, and plant selection can be customized based on preferences.
Sustainable materials must be prioritized in construction, like recycled steel and invasive wood from conservation sites.
A realistic cost estimate is >$45,000, when considering recycled steel, concrete, plants, soil, and labor.
For funding, UIUC has groups like iCAP (Illinois Climate Action Plan), iSEE (Institute for Sustainability, Energy, andEnvironment), and SSC (Student Sustainability Committee), that offer monetary resources.
Underutilized parking lots are prevalent across America. Universities and other locations would look to implement this green
parking structure and improve their sustainability ratings, particularly those in highly developed areas.

We have also created a realistic landscape design to show how one half of the structure could be designed with nativeplant species to best support pollinators and human preferences:

1. Crocus Vernus | 2. Spotted Geranium | 3. Creeping Phlox | 4. Prairie Smoke | 5. False Indigo | 6. Bee Balm | 7. Beardtongue | 8.
Butterfly Weed | 9. Ornamental Onion | 10. Purple Coneflower | 11. Yarrow | 12. Big Bluestem | 13. Joe Pye Weed | 14. Switchgrass |15. Little Bluestem | 16. Blazing Star | 17. Helen’s Flower

Maintenance: This structure demands an ongoing commitment to care and involvement. Gardeners, volunteers, community
members, and environmental leaders (such as the many environmental clubs at UIUC!) are vital to the maintenance and importance ofthe structure. Finding lasting leaders and members to involve in this could prove a challenge.
Ensuring sustainable practice: Despite careful consideration of materials used and selection of sustainable facets of thestructure, there are still some concerns regarding the carbon footprint of the structure. A proper Life Cycle Analysis should becompleted prior to project implementation.

References
Specialist: John Abelson: Engineering University of Illinois - Professor, Dept. MatSE (8/00-present) (abelson@illinois.edu)
Specialist: Kimberly Smith: Southern Appalachian Community Conservation Specialist at The Wilderness Society (kimberly_smith@tws.org)
Gregory, M. M., Leslie, T. W., & Drinkwater, L. E. (2015, December 8). Agroecological and social characteristics of New York City community
gardens: Contributions to urban food security, Ecosystem Services, and Environmental Education - urban ecosystems. SpringerLink.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11252-015-0505-1
Cotrone, V. (2022, August 11). Green parking lots: Mitigating climate change and the urban heat island. Penn State Extension.
https://extension.psu.edu/green-parking-lots-mitigating-climate-change-and-the-urban-heat-island
Carney, P. A., Hamada, J. L., Rdesinski, R., Sprager, L., Nichols, K. R., Liu, B. Y., Pelayo, J., Sanchez, M. A., & Shannon, J. (2012, August). Impactof a community gardening project on vegetable intake, food security and family relationships: A community-based participatory research study.
Journal of community health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661291/
Belaire, J. A., Bass, H., Venhaus, H., Barfield, K., Pannkuk, T., Lieberknecht, K., & Jha, S. (2023, August 29). High-performance landscapes: Rethinking design and management choices to enhance ecological benefits in urban environments. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2073445X/12/9/1689
Threlfall, C., Mata, L., Mackie, J., Hahs, A., Stork, N., Williams , N., & Livesley, S. (2017, January 30). Increasing biodiversity
in urban green spaces through ... - besjournals. Increasing biodiversity in urban green spaces through simple vegetationinterventions. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.12876