[michigan83]

I thought this was a really interesting article in today's Detroit Free Press:

http://www.freep.com/article/20090402/BUSINESS04/904020370/Vacant+Detroit+land+eyed+as+urban+farming+hot+spot

[MICoastieMom]

Looks good on paper. I think the way to make this really desirable is to offer organic produce. So much of the vacant land is currently in brown zones potentially making produce grown in them not safe for human consumption. Certainly those areas could possibly be used for growing Christmas trees and for wind turbines, but I would hesitate before I bought produce from. The land would have to be certified as not being contaminated before it would be a big draw. I hear there is progress being made in the technology of using microbes for cleaning up industrial spills. Sounds like Detroit might be a potential proving ground.

[Cliffie]

Heck yes! Not only would it create a positive use for those "blighted areas" mentioned in the article, but it would create jobs, including the sort of jobs where people traditionally live and work on the same spot.

[nom]

I used to live in Detroit. I love it but it makes me sad to see it's continual decline. For years I have been predicting it will only come back when 90% of it reverts completely back to wilderness. Looks like it will finally happen! Detroit beat most big cities to bankruptcy, now it can lead the way out of the rust belt and into the future!