Programs & Projects

Indigenous Ark Urban Technologies currently focuses on the following programs and projects.

  • Awareness of the Planet’s Condition & the role of Indigenous Peoples
    • Interdisciplinary Fora: IAUT assembles expert panels focused on the common understanding that indigenous stewardship values are necessary to the well-being of our planet. The interrelatedness of all that defines indigeneity, extends to the disciplines that define human interaction with all other living beings. Housing, nutrition, water management, mental health, urban planning, materials science, and the equitability of policy-making all interact to yield a net impact on our biosphere. IAUT hosts, participates in, and facilitates these expert panel discussions.
  • Community Building
    • Arts
    • Backyard Crop Exchange
    • Event Carpooling
  • Policy Analysis: To reach for a better future requires an understanding of the present condition. IAUT helps to promote equitable engagement in policy formulation by analyzing the current regulatory state.
  • Indigenous Essential Needs & Climate Migration
    • Food Justice: Innovate urban agricultural structures that eliminate food apartheid, universalize food access, and close disparities in nourishment. Currently our organization is working with an agrotechnology start-up to develop a residentially integrated, vertical aquaponics system that can be scaled at the community and municipal level in low-resource communities.
    • Housing Justice: Guarantee environmentally regenerative and sustainable housing as a human right to prepare for urbanization as a result of climate displacement through education regarding construction design technologies and their codification.
  • Indigenous Urban Planning: Indigenous Ark Urban Technologies currently serves on the Los Angeles City’s Westside Community Plans Advisory Group.
    • Urban Nature Connection: establishing urban access to connecting with nature as a human right by providing intercultural and cross-disciplinary forums to facilitate the integration of building, institutional, and community design.
    • Urban Indigenous Cultural Districts: Community Identity-based Visibility for Resilience and Equity
      • Indigenous-Principles-Based Specific Plans: Specific Solutions for Specific Needs
      • Essential-Needs-Based Placemaking
  • Local Microcosm: If you spend time in the Sawtelle, West Los Angeles or Eastern Santa Monica area, below are some ways to get involved.
    • Backyard Crop Exchange
      • The area of Sawtelle, West Los Angeles was originally an agricultural epicenter. World-class landscape architects call Sawtelle home and many of the original orchard trees, still bloom throughout the homes here.
      • Indigenous Ark mobilizes neighbors in exchanging surplus home crops. If you would like to add yourself to our roster, email admin@urbanarktech.org.
      • Currently, the following crops are available: avocados, persimmons, oranges, lemons, aloe, and limes.