Community agriculture this is not. Large scale, urban agriculture is the vision of wealthy businessman and 20-year Detroit resident John Hantz that would transform blighted, East Side's vacant and city-owned properties into a profit-making tree farm.
Matthew Dolan writes of John Hantz' ambitious proposal that counts many backers, including Mayor . Since his initial proposal, Hantz has downsized to "200 acres to start". It's gaining supporters, including Mayor Dave Bing.
While other Rust Belt cities have vacant properties, none are in the scale of Detroit.
From Interactive Graphic - Motor City Vacancy: "After losing more than 1 million residents since 1950, Detroit has a greater share of vacant land - by some estimates 40 square miles, or more than a quarter of the city's 139 square miles - than almost any other U.S. city. Dozens of groups are using some of these empty lots to grow crops. Select icons (in graphic) to see proposed and existing projects."
"Detroit has more than 200,000 vacant parcels-almost half of them residential plots-that generate no significant tax revenue and would cost more to maintain than the city can afford. Finding new uses for this land has become one of the most pressing challenges for a city that lost a quarter of its population in the past decade."
Hantz proposes to purchase "about 2,300 parcels and planting oak trees, then maybe fruit orchards and hydroponic vegetables. The hardwoods could be harvested and sold within a decade to customers looking for young trees, according to Hantz Farms."
Among the urban agriculture community, Hantz Farms is a mixed-bag.
A small-scale organic farmer quoted in the article states that "the value of Detroit's land lies not in its profit potential, but in 'community-building (and) green spaces"
Watch Matthew Dolan's Video: "A Tree Grows In Detroit" on Hantz Farms proposal.
Note: WSJ links may be time-limited without subscription.
FULL STORY: New Detroit Farm Plan Taking Root

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie