Several case studies from edible city innovators are offered in a new ASLA video that shows how you can transform your backyard, corner lot or rooftop into an urban farm, reports Jude Stewart.
Incongruently, as obesity continues to be among the nation's top public health challenges, millions of Americans consistently live without food security, writes Stewart. "Enter the urban farm: a fast, smart, cheap way to bring healthy food closer to those who need it, transform ugly vacant spaces into lush gardens, and promote a healthier, greener, more connected urban community."
A recent video from the American Society of Landscape Architects features lessons from cities like Cleveland and Detroit, who have successfully integrated urban farms into urban landscapes, and offers helpful tips on how you can do the same.
Ideas include planting gardens in backyards or leasing the space to other farmers, encouraging restaurants to harness their roofs to grow ingredients for their own meals, and selling produce in food trucks rather than resorting to once-weekly farmers markets.
FULL STORY: 4 Tips For Starting A Farm In Your City
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Planning for Universal Design
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research