Bomb tha hood

By Dagmar Hoogland

Spring is that time of the year when there is a certain excitement in the air.

Nature is waking up and you can almost feel the burst of energy of things that are about to pop open. You may not always be so in tune with the rhythm of our planet, being busy with everyday life, but there is always that moment waiting for a bus or picking up a paper in the morning that you notice something good is about to happen. Now, groups of people have picked up on an idea to become part of the thrill of Spring by creating something called seed bombs.

The idea isn’t new. In 1973 Liz Christy created seed grenades when she started the “Green Guerrillas”. The first seed grenades were made from condoms filled with local wildflower seeds, water and fertilizer. They were tossed over fences onto empty lots in New York City in order to make the neighborhoods look better. In the last couple of years, seed bombs have become an increasingly popular means of combating the many forgotten grey spaces we encounter everyday, from sidewalk cracks to vacant lots and parking medians.

As well as organising routes around town which you can “bomb” together, Vanessa Harden has some fantastic methods of bombing.

There are several tutorial videos spread around on how to make one yourself. But if you don’t like to get your hands dirty, seed bombs are for sale. They come in all sorts and shapes; as balls, balloons, pills and at Kabloom Seed Bombs you can buy seed bombs in the shape of hand grenades in a colorful packet of 6.  And you can follow them on Facebook.

At the common studio, Daniel Philips and Kim Karlsrud even came up with  a seed bomb vending machine  called The Greenaid Dispensary, creating a free-standing, coin-operated device to purchase your own bomb.

Seed bombs are easy to make (or buy), fun to plant and will make you go that extra block around the neighborhood to watch your bomb explode into a colourful patch. So, go and throw your bit of spring!

why vivacity

This is the century of the city.

Over half the world’s population now live in cities. This is projected to rise to three-quarters of all people in 2050. With population increases, this means 6.75 billion of us will be city dwellers, an increase of 3.75 billion from today. As the future success or failure of mankind lies in cities, new ways of using them are needed.

The city represents an incredible paradox. We have never been closer together physically, but we have never been further away from each other emotionally. At vivacity we celebrate city movements around the world that change and re-define the way we interact with and use cities. Whilst cities cannot cope with the numbers now and the resultant strain on the world’s natural resources and eco-systems are already painfully evident, we believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome, as it has done before.

vivacity promotes city movements that are connecting people & creating new types of communities. They are typically low impact, highly sociable, enabled by technology, using public and private spaces in new ways and empowering people to act locally.

vivacity promotes new ways of feeling alive, new ways of being invigorated, and new things to be a part of. We call it grassroots stuff in the city. We hope you get involved and share your experiences with us.

who we are

Andy Marks vivacity founder and editor

Social entrepreneur, lecturer, writer and curator, Andy Marks is an agent of positive social change practicing at the intersection or fault-line of business, society and culture. Andy is the founder of research and consultancy network Salad Worldwide, an advisor to some of the world’s leading companies on Corporate Responsibility and an advisor to a number of non-profit organizations. Andy is an expert on grass roots city movements, and a founding partner of an upcycling enterprise launching in 2010.

Julian Broadhead contributor

With a background in advertising, branding and corporate responsibility, Julian works with blue-chip companies from a wide range of industries and sectors, advising on strategy and new ways of connecting with people. He is currently developing a number of new opportunities in the environmental sector, with a particular emphasis on making environmental action more accessible.

Shane Solanki – contributor/distributor/carburettor/carbon-ara

Artist, writer, performer, producer and director, Shane’s first short film was commissioned by the BBC and directed by Peter Cattaneo. His first record was produced by Mercury Prize Winner Talvin Singh. He worked for years to forge the unique identity of independent record label Ninja Tune. We at Vivacity like to think of him as a grass roots detective, covertly operating under the pseudonym of the Last Mango in Paris; imagine him skulking around the world in a beige macintosh, recording and documenting our shift into a society where social responsibility and public creativity are norms.

contribute

become a vivacity scout

As more and more of us live in urban areas, individuals and communities can feel overwhelmed and isolated by the sheer intense-city of it all.

However we at vivacity believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome as it has done so many times before. That is why we are celebrating movements around the world that are changing and re-defining the way we interact with the city. We would like to hear from you about grassroots movements or activities that bring people together face to face and use cities in new ways. The more original and imaginative the better.

Please email us describing a movement you would like to see on vivacity using a maximum of 300 words. info@vivacity.me