Delta Urbanism and the Delta Garden Project
The Mississippi delta
It’s fitting that I just learned of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $2M Delta Study Grant while I’m down here in New Orleans for the American Planning Association’s Delta Urbanism Symposium, a project I’ve been coordinating for about a year now that kicks off this morning.
Throughout the world, millions of people are moving to urbanized deltas – some of the most vibrant, yet fragile ecosystems known to man. This year the symposium is in New Orleans, and fittingly, we’re looking at issues of safety, climate change, sea-level rise, and associated topics. But, admittedly, one topic will not be discussed in depth at this year’s symposium. How will we feed everyone?
The Associated Press just ran an article highlighting the Delta Garden Study: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded more than $2 million for the Delta Garden Study, which eventually will be expanded to schools in the Mississippi Delta of eastern Arkansas. Mabelvale will serve as the pilot school for the 2010-2011 school year; nine more schools will be added later.”
We had a proposal from the Netherlands based on vertical farming in delta regions, but we were unfortunately unable to fit it into the themes explored in this symposium. As I begin planning for the 2011 symposium in Boston, I would like to try to have a session on food issues in delta regions. Anyone have a contact for the Delta Garden Study at the USDA?
[...] know that one of my big research interests over the past two years has been the emerging field of Delta Urbanism. While I have been particularly fascinated by the issues of safety and water management in delta [...]
[...] 2011 | Food For Thought, Grown in the City, International While I was in Paris speaking about Delta Urbanism at the Sustainable Cities Today: Inventing a New Urbanity Tomorrow conference (click here for a [...]