Above: The party’s not over in Vegas.

Some urban thinkers thought one silver lining of the economic crisis could be a slowdown in unsustainable sprawl, particularly in overbuilt areas of the southwest, like Las Vegas.
But that appears not to be the case at all, according to this New York Times story.
Despite home prices having declined 60 percent in four years, and despite the fact that there are nearly 10,000 empty homes with 5,600 more expected on the market soon, the Times reports, “builders here are putting up 1,100 homes, and they …

Next American City is carrying a very interesting story about Cleveland’s battle to return vacant land to productive use.

A collection of foundations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private citizens are collaborating to return agriculture to the city. What’s unique about Cleveland’s efforts, however, is the level or coordination and the overarching vision for a greener, more cohesive neighborhoods, according to the article.

The process has been dubbed, Reimagining a More Sustainable Cleveland and it has the support of the mayor, the state government and a handfull of well endowed foundations.

The Toledo Blade reports the number of community gardens in Lucas and Wood counties is increasing significantly - from 30 to 81 in the last eight years.
A number of the gardens were showcased on a recent public tour. The Blade reported some gardens even raise chickens and turkeys, and feature art to add vibrancy to the neighborhood.
The article goes on to add,”Raising thousands of pounds of food, these gardens are located at churches, schools, and in empty lots. Typically grown in improved soils without pesticides or chemicals, the vegetables feed …

Urban gardening has become pretty trendy in Rust Belt cities and elsewhere as of late and like many trends, it turns out we’re only coming full circle.
As The Cleveland Memory Project demonstrates, there’s a long tradition of urban agriculture in the city.
Some of earliest traditions can be traced back to The Depression.
Relief gardens were begun to help feel hungry families during the nation’s darkest economic times. Urban gardens were supported by all levels of government and society as a way for the unemployed to provide for their families.
In 1933, Cleveland’s …

All you members of GLUE - Great Lakes Urban Exchange- may remember hearing (and seeing!) Will Allen and learning about his amazing urban farm, Growing Power, in Milwaukee.
In fact, we at Rust Wire featured some photos from Growing Power back in March.
Now, The New York Times has noticed Allen and the work he is doing.
For those of you not familiar with the project, Growing Power is  “14 greenhouses crammed onto two acres in a working-class neighborhood on Milwaukee’s northwest side, less than half a mile from the city’s largest public-housing …

Volunteers went to work this weekend maintaining an urban farm on vacant lands in Detroit, The Detroit News reports.
Earthworks, part of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, comprises three parcels totaling 1 1/2 acres that yield lettuce, carrots, peas, beets, cabbage and other small-scale crops.

I’ve been meaning to post several Detroit-related items this week:
First, earlier this week, the Detroit papers reported that the city’s public schools are in serious trouble - even more serious trouble than usual.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090401/NEWS01/90401134
“After months of financial projections, independent audits and declarations of financial emergency, the state-appointed financial manager for Detroit Public Schools submitted a report to the state today that paints a historically dire problem,” the Free Press reported.
It gets worse - “DPS will have to cut thousands of jobs and close as many as 50 schools over the next …

Note: This post contains information about Growing Power, a commercial urban agriculture site based in Milwaukee. Growing Power’s Milwaukee headquarters contains six greenhouses, a worm depository, an apiary with five beehouses, three poultry houses and outdoor pens for livestock. It’s been operating since 1999. The center operates a community food center and a small retail store as well.
 Growing Power has multiple farms in Wisconsin and Illinois, including urban farms in Chicago.
Thanks to Scott Walter, a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee for the photos and content! Scott was one of more than …