Richard Green is a professor in the Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. This blog will feature commentary on the current state of housing, commercial real estate, mortgage finance, and urban development around the world. It may also at times have ruminations about graduate business education.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Silliness
I keep running across pieces saying that urban farming can "save" Detroit. Agriculture makes up 1.3 percent of GDP for the United States, and there is a reason why it doesn't take place in cities--it is a low intensity land use. If Detroit really reverts to farming, it will only show that its economy really is gone forever.
Depends upon what you mean by "save". Save economically, obviously not.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, save aesthetically, maybe. Vast stretches of vacant lots, trash, collapsing buildings, and ailanthus are a lot less appealing than stretches of fruit trees and vegetables. I don't think there is much doubt that there are large parts of Detroit that would be much improved by some agricultural use, as otherwise they have no use.