Rebecca Solnit poses that yes, inserting food gardens into the urban landscape results in more local fruits and vegetables, but the more important crops are things like hope, justice, and community.
Solnit writes that urban gardens are more than just a row of organic tomatoes:
"Thought of just as means of producing food, the achievements of urban agriculture may be modest, but as means of producing understanding, community, social transformation, and catalytic action, they may be the opposite. When they're at their best, urban farms and gardens are a way to change the world. Even if they only produced food-it's food. And even keeping the model and knowledge of agriculture alive may become crucial to our survival at some later point."
Solnit profiles several San Francisco Bay Area urban farms, including Berkeley's Edible Schoolyard Project.
Read the full story: Revolutionary Plots
A Microfarm Grows in an L.A. Front Yard
The founder of Asante Microfarm hopes his farm will serve as a model for bringing fresh produce to underserved communities.
September Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
EV drivers can no longer use carpool lanes alone, Bay Area transit is saved — for now — by a $750 million loan, and a Florida commuter rail line loses its state subsidy, jeopardizing its future.
Denver, Colorado Bursts with Dozens of 'Food Forests'
Denver Urban Gardens is building green spaces that clean the air and offer free, fresh fruit to neighbors.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority