Elements should perform on multiple levels. When practicing permaculture design principles, you want to avoid things that have only one function. Ideally, elements should have at least three uses.

If you build an arbor think about the different purposes of the arbor - you can grow grapes on the arbor which will create shade and provide food for you as well as for a few animals. This creates a new entertainment space as well as provides aesthetic appeal. If you live in a dense city environment this greenery can also be seen as therapy and stress management (nature heals).

Redundancy is necessary to ensure that your systems do not break down leaving you stranded. Most of us are not off the grid, but we have experienced power outages. So while you are connected to the city energy supply, you can also have a solar generator as a back up. Rain water collection systems provide additional water - or if you mostly use rainwater collection then having the city or well water connection is important if we are in drought situations.

Most people would be in a pickle if the supermarket ran out of food. To Americans this sounds preposterous, but some of us have experienced the frustration of this when encountering an unexpected natural disaster. Back when I was in college we faced the threat of a hurricane. Those of us silly enough to “wait it out” ran to fill our tanks up with gas and our pantries with food. We were on the tail end of the “survivalists” and ended up with onion rolls and random processed foods. Anyone who has endured a natural disaster knows that disruption of the food supply is serious and something we mostly take for granted. Growing your own food is a great way to add redundancy for your food supply. Canning and pickling your own produce is not only smart, but super fun and can be a great learning experience for children.