The Massachusetts Avenue Project in Buffalo's West Side is an urban fish farm designed to be a completely self-sustaining ecosystem, with food for the fish grown on the premises.
The farm includes six greenhouses growing a wide variety of herbs, plants and vegetables, as well as tilapia and perch. On top of that, there are five beehives, three houses with hens and ducks, and several outdoor pens with goats, rabbits and turkeys. The farm marks a shift in land use in Buffalo as vacant land is being transformed to serve community needs and create new business opportunities.
Jesse Meeder, owner of the farm, says the reason they opened on the West Side was to be nearer to low-income community members who had little access to healthy food.
"We're definitely here because of those issues," Meeder said of the crime and poverty around him. "It's a great neighborhood - there are 30 different languages spoken here - and we want to invest in it and make it better."
VIDEO at The Buffalo News.
Thanks to Nate Neuman
FULL STORY: Working to change the food system: Project aims to educate, feed a neighborhood in need

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie