Some time back, a photo claiming to show rows and rows of backyard gardens growing tightly packed food appeared on the internet. The cynic in me instantly saw it as a hoax…. I’ve seen so many photoshopped pictures on the internet (and as an old photographer, let me tell you I know how photographs can lie, especially now in the digital age) that, as much as I really wanted to believe change like this was actually happening, I could not believe this was real…… the picture in question is this one…:
Not even the colours look real…….. but maybe, they were altered with photoshop, very easy to do. The point is, I was howled down on FB for being wrong, and people who knew where this was convinced me I was wrong, and even gave me the global co ordinates of these backyard farms. And you won’t believe where they are…..
This, believe it or not, is 2.8km from the heart of Geneva, Switzerland, the largest city in the country (but not its capital…) The neatness of it all is possibly explained by the fact it’s Switzerland, the Swiss are like that! But just look at how narrow their streets are compared to those standard ones just a block away?
This is the way of the future of course. Low level housing, no lawns, no cars, low energy, high community…. and if they can do this in Switzerland, Tasmania’s future looks brighter. I haven’t had a chance to fully investigate it yet, but I’ve just had a heads up from a new friend who is also planning a move from Queensland to Geeveston, that the Tasmanian government website “Land Information System Tasmania” known as “the List” has a new Climate Change layer which shows that Geeveston is projected, for both the short and long term, to have an increase in rainfall, the lowest level of temperature increase and the lowest level of evaporation increase, which of course, does not mean there will be no issues of extremes……. she has already bought several acres with her partner, so we may even become ‘neighbours’ soon.
As I frantically prepare to fly to Hobart tomorrow for a couple of weeks, I have to warn you all my levels of maintaining this site will be low as I will only be able to check on what’s going on when I find free WiFi on the run…. this is a full blown reconnaissance trip, and I can’t wait to go window shopping for real estate.
Damn the Matrix 
Mike,
Good luck with the shopping, although I think Queensland more than most states needs more people with their feet on the ground rather than their heads in the clouds.
I wonder if these are complete homes. I think this is probably an allotment area, with the buildings serving as small bed-sits and toolsheds for those working their allotments.
You are right – that’s what they are. They are called Schrebergärten in German. I grew up in Zurich, Switzerland and used to visit friends who had one of those plots. And the buildings ARE sheds where they keep the tools. People also spend weekend days there, barbecuing and hanging out – but you can’t and aren’t allowed to live in those little houses.
All the best with you visit to Tasmania. Free Internet access available at Huonville Public Library and others.
Thanks Graham……. good to know!! Would you like a visitor?
Enjoy the trip and good hunting…
I hope you manage to sell your Qld property soon Mike and join the former mainlanders, like myself, who have never regretted the move to Tassie.
Would you like a visitor…?
Nathan’s correct, these are all communal garden plots, each containing a garden shed. Compare the size of these sheds to the houses on the edge of the community garden area. Community gardens like this are quite common in Europe.
Not the same place in the two photos. Check out the roof lines, they are opposite each other. But good try.
Good spotting……. so where on Earth is that first photo from… and is it fake after all..?
I have to agree with the people saying these are allotments and sheds rather than houses and yards. Allotments are still good though.
Thanks deeply for exposing the obvious photoshop MEME … Lame meme = leme those that follow? Lemmings?
I caught the false meme because , having traveled the world, I called “bullsh*t” on this. It is a great idea but the meme is a lie. Why not
find a real image of backyard garden? why not PS a photo and then say ” I PSed this image , but I WISH it were true. wouldn’t this VISION be great? here is why….”
why lies?
Damned the Matrix , indeed. I went to do the research to debunk this meme and found your work.
I also notice you are concerned with evaporation rate. THAT is where global warming gets scary… increased evaporation rate. Few people have been smart enough to comprehend of at least be aware of that in USA.. of course in USA there are climate deniers 😦
thanks anyway Richard@trombly.com
Well, you were right on track, then you went off course. This is not a photoshopped picture. However, that is not a “neighborhood”. Those are garden allotments! Those “houses” are garden sheds. No one lives there.
And Geneva is not the largest city in the country. Zurich is.
Fair enough……. so you know where it is?
I found it! Just across Av. Du Pailly from the allotments in your Google Earth picture.
https://www.google.com/maps/@46.214512,6.1128971,549m/data=!3m1!1e3
Yes, they are garden sheds and not homes.
Excellent…! Thank you………..