Posts Tagged ‘revitalization’

A sad story from Ariella Cohen of thelensnola.org – Growing Home,  ”a $250,000-a-year initiative that helps New Orleans homeowners buy vacant lots from the [redevelopment] agency and transform them into gardens” is in danger of collapsing due to funding troubles – the program is funded by the federal government, and so the funding requests must go from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to Washington.  Abby Feldman, a landscape architect and the program director, is unable to pay herself, or her staff of three, as the payments are over six months late. The Growing Home program seems to be an interesting model – neighborhood residents purchase blighted properties nearby and get free consultancy on how to turn the blighted property into a garden.  Although thelensnola commenter Constance argues: “Greening Home is anything but “green” and “forward-looking.” It is a program that funds decreasing density in neighborhoods, making them look more like sprawl America.

Courtesy of Treehugger, check out this beautiful vertical garden in Getafe, Spain.  When I was in graduate school, we explored the possibility of using vertical gardens or “living walls” to spruce up alleyways and shade parking garages (for both natural cooling on the inside and beauty for those looking at the garage from the outside), but we really couldn’t find very many good case studies to sell our idea.  So, it’s good to see that this “ugly cooling tower” will host “2,500 types of ferns, herbs and perennials will supply enough oxygen for 128 people in a year.” Granted, they faced many design challenges, as we would have in Philadelphia.  The article discusses how they overcame many of them: “One of the most important factors when selecting the different specimens of species to use, was one hand the orientation of each side as the sun shines differently on each of

This photo of Greensgrow farms comes from Flickr user David Barrie. I heard much about this farm in graduate school, but I didn’t get the opportunity to visit. I hope to check it out on my next trip to Philly. David writes: Experimental urban farm in Kensington, Philadelphia: intended to be a prototype of urban agriculture that can be replicated by others. A combination of straight urban farming and community-supported agriculture (CSA). Check out David’s photostream for more great photos.

This came across my email box – it looks like a fantastic panel. What: “Food Access Solutions: Urban Agriculture, Local Food & Community Development” When: Friday April 16, 2010 from 10 am to 2 – pm;  Post-panel reception begins at 1:15, appetizers will be served! Where: THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20020 How: Registration required – Click to register. Issues to be discussed: Food access in low-income DC neighborhoods, acknowledging work being done under the radar, the dire health consequences of failing to act, community food security trends nationally, the difficulties in bridging cultures, and the possible creation of a DC food policy council. Event Description: An umbrella group of urban gardening activists (Rooting DC and DC’s Field to Fork Network) will be convening a community food security panel discussion East of the River in Washington, DC on April 16th from 10 to 2.  This location was chosen

Like many cities have been recently doing, Detroit is looking to urban agriculture in it’s toolbox of revitalization and economic development strategies.  Nancy Kaffer of Crain’s Business Journal does an excellent job of boiling down the issues and opportunities for the post-industrial city. “Detroit doesn’t have agricultural zoning, and so far urban agriculture projects have operated under the radar, according to an Urban Agriculture Working Group draft report delivered to the Detroit City Council last week by the City Planning Commission. Policy measures in the working group’s draft report include the creation of an agricultural zoning designation and a reduced tax rate for urban farms or gardens.” How will the plan be actually implemented?  As mentioned in APA’s Zoning Practice, there are various intensities of urban agriculture.  Planners in Detroit are savvy enough to recognize the need for a multi-pronged approach.  Kathryn Lynch Underwood of the planning commission is quoted