Rainwater collection is an ancient practice, and still a good idea! Whether you live in a place that experiences frequent droughts or one that floods, it makes sense to conserve water that can be used for growing plants and other purposes later on. In some places like New York City, where I live, there is the unfortunate phenomenon of combined sewer overflow (CSO), in which heavy rainfalls overwhelm the sewer systems, creating large amounts of pollution in the city's waterways. Simply put, if more people were able to responsibly harvest rainwater through well-designed catchment systems, then less water would be flooding the streets and sewers. I also believe urban planners and politicians should be working on legislation to create clear guidelines and incentives for implementing effective rainwater catchment systems. A good guide about rainwater harvesting is on the GrowNYC website.
About me: I am an urban planner in Brooklyn who has been painting a lot in the last few months. You can see some of my paintings on instagram @ smodigliani. Right now I like painting strange shoes! I want to create children's books, and will have a website up soon.
It would be fantastic to connect with people about urban planning, design, and development, as well as mapmaking, civic technology, public health, and gardening. I will soon be working as a project manager for an art and design consultancy that works with international artists, so if you would also like to talk about art making or collaborating on projects, that would be exciting!
Some artists I appreciate are Hundertwasser, Dallas Clayton, Henriette Picker, and Jihan Zencirli (Geronimo Balloons).
Thanks for reading!
Sam
[email protected]
Brooklyn, NY