Urban Horticulture as an Adaptive Development Strategy A Strategy For The Revitalization of The Holden Heights Neighborhood in Downtown Orlando, Florida
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
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Nawari Nawari Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE Chair Frank M. Bosworth Ph.D., AIA Co-Chair Bender, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Advisor
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A special thanks to the friends and family for the endless support.
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Table of Contents 1 Introduction
1 Abstract
3 Background 3 5 7 11
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Statement of Purpose Humans and Nature Orlando's Development Orlando's Identity
Literature Review 23 Introduction to Research 25 Nature in Urban Environments 27 Urban Horticulture 30 Greener Cities 31 Green Works Orlando
35 Method
35 Introduction 37 Synthesis of Orlando 41 Synthesis of Precedents 45 Community Development Plan 59 The Vessel
63 Conclusion
63 Introduction 65 Recommendations
85 References
85 References 90 Appendix 114 Annotated Bibliography
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List of Figures 5
Figure 1
Nature Vs. City
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Figure 2
Downtown Orlando
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Figure 3
I4 Development
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Figure 4
Orlando Passenger Depot
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Figure 5
Orlando Amtrak Station
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Figure 6
Church Street Station
8 9 9 10 11 11
Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12
Train Infrastructure Interstate 4 Segregation Highway 408 Segregation Figure Ground of Orlando Central Business District Historic Downtown Orlando
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://webneel.com/daily/sites/default/files/images/daily/07-2013/30-nature-forest-vs-urban-town-people-photo-manipulation.jpg. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.acstraffic.net/ap/sites/default/files/ inspirob/slide/downtown-orlando.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/ mpiparo/orlando-1964.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.floridamemory.com/fpc/reference/ rc18768.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.flickr.com/photos/palmateer/14386017342/in/photostream/ Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8361/8412103253_ 713d2d03de_b.jpg
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://orlandofl-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/orl-centralfloridahistory1pic.jpg
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12
Figure 13
Church Street Station
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Figure 14
Downtown Orlando at Night
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Figure 15
Lake Eola Park
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Figure 16
Winne Palmer Hospital
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Figure 17 Figure 19
South Downtown SODO
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Figure 18
South Downtown Vision
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Figure 21
Wells' Built Museum
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Figure 20 Figure 22
Creative Village Creative Village Development
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://orlandoretro.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/acl-train-station-postcard.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/476 /19108038600_6544b2aa60_b.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://cse.stfx.ca/~picom2017/ images/2.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://static.designmag.it/ designmag/fotogallery/1200X0/200629/ospedale-ad-orlando-in-florida. jpg
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://r1.forconstructionpros. com/files/base/acbm/fcp/image/2016/07/640w/screen_ shot_2016_06_22_at_10.30.42_am.5790fc12ecc61.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmfTkuAp7M/VbUc6pvYGzI/AAAAAAAAq14/US1-ehGQoN0/s1600/ Screen%2BShot%2B2015-07-26%2Bat%2B1.45.15%2BPM.png Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://wellsbuiltmuseumofafricanamericanhistoryandculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ museum2.jpg
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://heretohelporlando.com/ wp-content/uploads/2016/10/creative-village-land-use-planxx.png
18 Figure 23 Holden Heights 21 Figure 24 Holden Heights Diagrams
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Figure 25
Downtown Orlando Photo
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://m1.22slides.com/fotovoodoo/orlandopano-1478128-thumb.jpg
26 Figure 26 Aerial of the High Line
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.fieldoperations.net/fileadmin/fo_uploads/projects/01_HighLine/Highline_03.jpg
28 Figure 27 Community Involvement
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://alive2green.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/school-farming-1-658x388.png
28 Figure 28 Compost
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://foreversabah.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/compost-trial1-574x305.jpeg
29 Figure 29 Benefits of Horticulture 30 Figure 30 Sustainable Cities
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://media.istockphoto.com/vectors/eco-andpolluted-city-vector-id184368226?k=6&m=184368226&s=170667a&w=0&h=qhXXD aez8ph4qkq9rRHzTA1ED3ni5ovam6PZ7MRo3q0=
31 32
Figure 31 Figure 32
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Figure 33
37 38 39 41
Figure 34 Figure 35 Figure 36 Figure 37
Watercolor Ideogram Ideograms Problems & Assets Edible Schoolyard
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Figure 38
Educational Topics Chart
Estimated Population Change Green Works Categories
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://ecopreserve.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/energy-300x277.jpg
Local Food Systems
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.cityoforlando.net/greenworks/wpcontent/uploads/sites/9/2014/10/FocusAreasSliders2016_2-1.png
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.davidbouley.com/bouley-restaurant/ wp-content/uploads/2015/09/alice-waters-edible-schoolyard-1280.jpg
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Figure 39
Ron Finley
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Figure 40
MUFI Resource Center
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Figure 41
Prinzessinnengarten Planters
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Figure 42
Prinzessinnengarten Container
46 47 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61
Figure 43 Figure 44 Figure 45 Figure 46 Figure 47 Figure 48 Figure 49 Figure 50 Figure 51 Figure 52 Figure 53 Figure 54 Figure 55 Figure 56 Figure 57
Community Networks Diagram Community Networks Map Types of Vessels Vessel Generator Diagram Vessel Diagram 2 Neighborhood Assets Vessel Diagram 2 Community Growth Plan 1 Vessel Diagram 3 Community Growth Plan 2 Vessel Diagram 4 Community Growth Plan 3 Vessel Idea Vessel Layout Vessel Sketches
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://wesh.uk/wp-content/ uploads/cdni.wired_.co_.uk1280x1920a_c624505-5fa0b0fdf2f601f7002 5088d3875d81f93dc457a.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/michigan/files/styles/x_large/public/201611/20161130_131002.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://vivisostenibile.net/wpcontent/uploads/2013/08/orto.jpg Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://young-germany.jp/wp/ wp-content/uploads/2014/06/prinzessinengarten_yg5.jpg
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65 65 67 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 76 78 81 83 92
Figure 58 Figure 59 Figure 60 Figure 61 Figure 62 Figure 63 Figure 64 Figure 65 Figure 66 Figure 67 Figure 68 Figure 69 Figure 70 Figure 71 Figure 72 Figure 73
HHCDC Committee Meeting Container Delivery Meeting at Kaley Square Holden Heights Site Visit Brainstorming - Horticulture Brainstorming - Bicycle Bicycle Vessel Construction Horticulture Vessel Construction Bicycle Vessel Construction Horticulture Vessel Construction Bicycle Vessel Construction Horticulture Vessel Construction Vessel Progress Presentation Horticulture Vessel Viewing Bicycle Vessel Viewing Photo of Protester
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Figure 74
Holden Heights district
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://affinitymagazine.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/gentrification2.jpg
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94 Figure 75 Holden Heights Neighborhood
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.cityoforlando.net/ gis/
96 Figure 76 Food Access Map
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/dataproducts/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
97 Figure 77 Grand Market 98 Figure 78 Food Desert -Low Access
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/dataproducts/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
98 Figure 79 Food Desert - Low Income
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/dataproducts/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
99 Figure 80 Food Desert - Low Vehicle Access
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/dataproducts/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
100 Figure 81 Transportable Planters
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://vivisostenibile.net/wpcontent/uploads/2013/08/orto.jpg
100 Figure 82 Prinzessinnengarten Aerial
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://celinepele.fr/WordPress3/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/prinzessinengaerten1.jpg
102 Figure 83 Garden Cafe
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://placemanagementandbranding.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/prinzessinnengarten-cafe.png
103 Figure 84 Prinzessinnengarten Market
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.thenatureofcities.
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com/TNOC/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Langer-Tag-der-Stadtnatur-Prinzessinnengarten-flohmarkt-min.jpg
103 Figure 85 Prinzessinnengarten Library
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/21/ 39/71/213971792c484f1c240d3972a73280cd.jpg
105 Figure 86 Proximity to Holden Heights 106 Figure 87 Church Farmlette
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.thaicityfarm.com/autopagev4/ spaw2/uploads/images/case%20study/fleet%20farm/6.jpg
106 Figure 88 Bicycle-powered
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://ogrodwcentrum.pl/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/fleet-farming-warzywa-nie-trawnik.jpg
107 Figure 89 Front Lawn Farmlette
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://fleetfarming.files.wordpress.com/2015/11 /12107069_832664683516826_5841770960524166993_n.jpg
108 Figure 90 Ron Finley
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017.http://payload449.cargocollective. com/1/17/572751/11297525/lucyhewett_microsoft-007_1350.jpg
109 Figure 91 Curbside Gardening
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d4/10/8e/d4108e10243b7d69874ee154bba253bf.jpg
111 Figure 92 MUFI Greenhouse Vision
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://s3.amazonaws.com/patronicity/ project%2F1054%2Fbody%2FMUFI2.jpg
111 Figure 93 MUFI Site Development Layout
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd3e63_1bbc 62317fe6487aaf9679a6ac4e4bea.png/v1/fill/w_324,h_230,al_c,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/bd 3e63_1bbc62317fe6487aaf9679a6ac4e4bea.png
112 Figure 94 MUFI Community Center
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/
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uploads/1st-us-urban-agrihood-detroit.jpg
112 Figure 95 MUFI Farm
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://i.ytimg.com/ vi/9ZeKXInnt1U/maxresdefault.jpg
113 Figure 96 MUFI Sign
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://civileats.com/wp-content/ uploads/2017/01/170130-agrihoods-top.jpg
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
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Introduction Abstract
This research proposes an urban community development plan for the Holden Heights neighborhood in Orlando, Florida. It is based on an evaluation of urban horticulture as an adaptive strategy for grassroots neighborhood revitalization. The urban community development plan explores different criteria in which the horticulture strategy can be implemented into an urban environment. Orlando has become a dense urban environment, but some of the surrounding neighborhoods have been lacking the same amount of growth. When the interstate was implemented in the 1960’s, the city’s urban fabric had become fragmented. The neighborhoods closest to the interstate were severely altered which has pushed them onto a path of steady decay. This is apparent in Holden Heights where the amount of vacancy is high, the people are mostly lowincome, and access to fresh food is low. This lack of development has caused many socioeconomic issues within the community and urban horticulture is a way in which these issues can begin to be resolved. This research project develops criteria for implementing adaptive urban horticulture into a decaying neighborhood. Urban horticulture is the art of producing gardens that create healthy, beautiful, and productive spaces within urban environments. These criteria will act as a catalyst of neighborhood revitalization by creating a territory for positive community collaboration. This territory will create a public commons space that invokes a sense of pride in their community, gives them a place to gather and collaborate, and a place for them to learn about horticulture. This community development plan will revitalize the neighborhood by generating a space that employs growth and collaboration.
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"We worry. Are we going to be uprooted and moved out? Everyone wants something better, but not everyone wants out."
-Vencina Cannady, Lifelong Parramore Resident (Hudak, 2015)
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Background Statement of Purpose The purpose of this Master's Research Project is to use horticulture as an adaptive strategy to generate the revitalization process in the under-developed neighborhood of Holden Heights in Orlando, Florida.
Research Questions: 1. Can urban horticulture be used to revitalize an underdeveloped community? 2. How can gentrification be avoided in revitalization of urban green spaces? 3. How can a strategy be formed that adapts to its climate, environment, or residents needs?
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Humans and Nature Over time, humans have slowly adapted to the natural environments they live in. Not until recently have humans been adjusting and learning how to live in urban environments. This new adaptation is causing people’s physical and psychological health to decline. According to Ulmer, there is a continuously increasing database of research on nature in urban environments and how it can benefit public health. (Ulmer, 2016) Nature provides humans with material, psychological, spiritual, and emotional needs. These needs are required to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but isolation from the outdoors and over indulgence of the “artificial stimulation” of the built environment can cause deterioration of public health. (Maller, 2015) How can the quality of health in an urban environment be measured and improved? Providing access to healthy food, improving air and water quality, and strengthening social fabrics are some of the ways in which public health can improve. (About Healthy Places)
Figure 1 Nature Vs. City Image of Man Made vs. Nature
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://webneel.com/daily/sites/default/files/images/daily/07-2013/30-nature-forest-vs-urban-town-people-photo-manipulation.jpg.
A solution for improving public health is to revitalize urban communities by creating more connections to nature. Green spaces in urban environments are very appealing places to escape from daily stress. People of various cultures and ages gather in the green spaces to relax, exercise, or to gather. Essentially, these spaces provide “respite” from the hustle and bustle of the urban environment. (Wolf, 2013) They also increase community health by making neighborhoods safer, less stressful, and more productive. (Ulmer, 2016) Parks and green spaces can be very beneficial to urban communities, but a more productive way to incorporate nature into the urban fabric is through urban horticulture. Incorporating horticulture into an urban fabric can be productive by improving a community with green spaces, stronger social connections, and providing healthy produce to market or consume. (Reeve, 2015 & Lutaladio, 2010) These spaces are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they become a working community space. In an urban environment that lacks growth, economy, and development, there is always a need for spaces that are productive in order to produce jobs, collaboration, and a more resilient community.
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Orlando's Development Orlando is a city located in Central Florida. It's growth relied on the citrus crops that once flourished around the the lakes, and afterwards it was the rail line (Figures 4-6) that brought the people into the city. During the winter months, northerners would take refuge from the cold weather by staying at the resort hotels.
Figure 2 Downtown Orlando (Page 24) An image of Downtown Orlando prior to the Interstate development.
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.acstraffic.net/ap/sites/default/files/inspirob/slide/downtown-orlando.jpg
Figure 3 I4 Development A historic photo of Interstate 4 being constructed. At the top of the photo is the main Downtown area. The empty space in the middle is the block that was removed in order to implement the project.
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/mpiparo/orlando-1964.jpg
As cars became a prominent element in everyday life, people began to move out of the city and into suburbs. This required the development of Interstate 4 (Figure 2) which demolished a whole city block in the Downtown area. The amount of area that the interstate demolished over is overwhelming (Figure 3). Unfortunately, it poorly impacted the Downtown community due to the distinct segregation of the main Downtown from the Parramore neighborhood. There became a very distinct line between east and west downtown (Figure 8). In 1973, there was an addition to the highway system called State Road 408, or the EastWest Expressway(Figure 9). It developed in order to alleviate traffic on State Road 50 which ran in the east and west direction. (Central Florida Exressway Authority) Although it solved traffic problems, it caused an even bigger issue of division within the city. Now there was a large highway running north-south and another highway running east-west directly through the core of the city.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 4 Orlando Passenger Depot (Top left) Historic photo taken around the year of 1889 of a passenger depot in Downtown Orlando. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.floridamemory.com/fpc/reference/rc18768.jpg
Figure 5 Orlando Amtrak Station (Center) An historic photo from the 1940's of the Amtrak Station located south of Downtown Orlando. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.flickr.com/photos/palmateer/14386017342/in/photostream/
Figure 6 Church Street Station (Bottom left) Photo from the 1970's of the Church Street Station in Downtown Orlando.
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8361/8412103253_713d2d03de_b.jpg
Figure 7 Train Infrastructure Diagrammatic map to explain the development of Orlando which stemmed from the rail line that ran through the city. Several historic buildings and the most density occurs around this area.
The highway system that has been developed within the city of Downtown Orlando has disrupted growth in certain areas. The area most affected by this infrastructure is parallel to it. The noise and massiveness of the infrastructure has created a distinct edge that blocks views, paths, and activity from occurring. The buildings nearby were left vacant after businesses were closed down which shifted the urban activity outwards towards other areas of the city. The highways divided the city into four distinct quadrants which have all developed differently. Figure 10 is a figure ground of the area of the city closest to the Interstate 4 and High-
9 Figure 8 Interstate 4 Segregation Infrastructure running North-South
Figure 9 Highway 408 Segregation Infrastructure running East-West.
way 408 intersection. The large void created by the highway is distinctive, as well as the four separate quadrants that formed because of it. These quadrants have all developed differently over time due to their unique features which has informed various identities for each of them. Northwest - Parramore, Creative Arts Village Northeast - Downtown, Central Business District Southwest - Holden Heights Southeast - South Downtown, Orlando Health
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Figure 10 Figure Ground of Orlando This figure ground shows where the areas of large scale development have occurred. It also shows how the interstate and highway systems have divided the city into four sections.
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Orlando's Identity The highway infrastructure has divided part of the City into four sections which have formed individual identities. Each of these sections has developed in unique ways. While one area blossomed, other areas remained untouched. Much of the urban development has been focused on the northeast quadrant(Figure 11) which is where Downtown Orlando is located. This area is also known as the Central Business District. It's identity has been strong since the city's inception and has developed into a destination for businesses, tourists, and families. The rail line has been an important element in the growth of this area. The historic passenger station, Church Street Station(Figure 13), allowed for people outside of the city to travel into Figure 11 Central Business District This is the general region of the Central Business District. Popular destinations in this area are: Church Street, Wall Street, Lake Eola, Thornton Park, North Quarter, and the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.
Figure 12 Historic Downtown Orlando Image of Downtown
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://orlandofl-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/orl-centralfloridahistory1pic.jpg
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 13 Church Street Station This is a photo of Church Street Station in 1908 on the top and the renovation of it in 2013.
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://orlandoretro.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/acl-train-station-postcard.jpg
13 Figure 14 Downtown Orlando at Night This is a photo of Downtown Orlando taken in the evening. Office and high density apartment buildings reach towards the sky. The city comes alive at night with the many bars, restaurants, and clubs. Also shown in the photo is Interstate 4 in the foreground. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/476/19108038600_6544b2aa60_b.jpg
the city for shopping, vacation, or business. Now it is an historic landmark and the station has been renovated. Now a commuter station, people can once again travel quickly to and from nearby towns and into the city. Another great feature of Downtown Orlando is the Lake Eola Park (Figure 15). It creates a great public commons that brings people together for special events, like the Lake Eola Farmer's Market. It's a very active green space within the heart of the city. Figure 15 Lake Eola Park Lake Eola Park is located east of the Central Business District. The park hosts farmers markets and other public events throughout the year.
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://cse.stfx.ca/~picom2017/images/2.jpg
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 16 Winne Palmer Hospital This is the Winnie Palmer Center for Women and Babies. It is a unique, high-rise building within this area. There are several other medical offices and an Emergency Hospital located nearby. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://static.designmag.it/designmag/fotogallery/1200X0/200629/ospedale-ad-orlando-in-florida.jpg
Downtown Orlando is diverse with several historic landmarks (Figure 12), a beautiful park, and a dense business core. Figure 14 shows Downtown Orlando's many high-rise office buildings and condominiums glowing at night and creating a beautiful skyline. The interstate only impacted this area by deteriorating the businesses that were in close proximity to it. The rest of the city is thriving, expanding, and improving. Directly south of the Central Business District is an area that has had similar luck with development. The Southeast quadrant is called South Downtown (or SODO) where the Orlando Health medical campus is located. There is an industrial zone that is situated along the railroad tracks which is the same rail line that runs through the Central Business District. There is an historic passenger train station located along this rail line as well (Figure 18). This commuter station creates a better opportunity for people to travel to the businesses in the area.
Figure 17 South Downtown Diagram of the area Southeast of the interstate and highway intersection.
15 Figure 19 SODO This is an image of the South Downtown (SODO) mixed-use development.
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://r1.forconstructionpros.com/files/base/acbm/fcp/image/2016/07/640w/screen_shot_2016_06_22_at_10.30.42_am.5790fc12ecc61.jpg
Figure 18 South Downtown Vision This is an illustration of the vision plan for South Downtown. This image shows a before and after of the commuter rail station becoming a thriving, active area with residential and retail developments. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-mfTkuAp7M/VbUc6pvYGzI/AAAAAAAAq14/US1-ehGQoN0/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-0726%2Bat%2B1.45.15%2BPM.png
The Orlando Health campus has a strong influence on the way this area develops. Several of the new developments in this area have been hospitals and a cancer center (Figure 16). Other new additions have been businesses that support the hospital, such as medical offices and restaurants. The City of Orlando has created a vision plan for the improvements and expansion of the South Downtown area. The focus of this plan is to make the area more pedestrian friendly by enhancing the street-scape and to transform the industrial areas into a "residential urban core". (The Daily City, 2015) South Downtown has the opportunity to improve because of the growth and success of this Orlando Health campus.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 21 Wells' Built Museum A photograph of the Wells' Built Museum in Orlando, Florida. It serves to protect the heritage of the community in the Parramore Neighborhood. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://wellsbuiltmuseumofafricanamericanhistoryandculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/museum2.jpg
The Central Business District and South Downtown have their own distinct identities and growth patterns. These districts have one thing in common - the rail line that runs through them. The commuter rail stations serve as a pathway to and from these two areas, and from other suburban areas outside the city. The become pivotal points in the development plans for the city. The implementation of Interstate 4 created many physical boundaries, but it also created racial segregation within the city. The west side became the black neighborhood which is now called Parramore. The Wells'Built Museum of African American History (Figure 21) is an historic building in this area which used to be a hotel for black visitors of Orlando. This place has become a place in the community that acts as an anchor to preserve the heritage. (Dickinson, 2005) Although the community puts forth the effort to preserve their neighborhood, developers have managed to overtake some of it. Two large-scale sports facilities have already taken over portions of the neighborhood causing residents to be displaced and local businesses to close. The struggle to preserve Parramore is increasingly difficult.
Figure 20 Creative Village This area is going through a lot of changes at the moment. Originally home to many residents of the Historic Parramore Neighborhood, it is now transforming into the University of Central Florida's Creative Village Campus.
17 Figure 22 Creative Village Development This is the schematic development plan for development including the new University of Central Florida downtown campus. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://heretohelporlando.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/creative-village-land-use-planxx.png
A new development, Creative Arts Village, is an extension of a university campus that plans on taking up about sixty eight acres of land in Parramore. This poses a new threat to the neighborhood. An article in the Orlando Sentinel discuses how the developers intend for this campus to provide jobs and educational opportunities to the residents in order to avoid some of the issues of gentrification, but others disagree. Some believe that the community struggles to be revitalized because the city does not listen to what the true needs are. In the article, a former County Commissioner mentions that instead of listening, they create "big-business items". (Shanklin & Weiner, 2016) The scale of this development is overwhelming when compared to the scale of the neighborhood (Figure 22). South of Parramore is the neighborhood of Holden Heights. It does not have the same type of historic establishment and presence as Parramore, nor does it have any significant devel-
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Figure 23 Holden Heights This diagram shows the southwest area which is Holden Heights.
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opment occurring within it. Figure 24 is a series of diagrams to explain why there is little development in their area and some of the issues this neighborhood faces. Many of the homes are abandoned and the amount of vacant properties is on the rise. Passing through this neighborhood feels like driving in a rural area. It is a like an urban wasteland with large vacant lots, piles of waste lining the streets, and unpaved roads. A wasteland trapped between the highway, the interstate, and a lake. With only a few points of access under the interstate, the community lacks phsyical connections to other parts of the city. Another sharp edge is formed between the city portion of the neighborhood and the county owned portion. When changes occur in the city, they stop at the county line and leave the rest of the neighborhood untouched. This edge is visible in the pavement, the street signs, and the sidewalks.
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Holden Heights - City vs. County Owned Zones County City
Holden Heights - Underpass Access Points
21 Figure 24 Holden Heights Diagrams This is a series of maps to show information about Holden Heights to explain the various problems within the community that need to be considered.
Holden Heights - Vacant Properties and Homes
Holden Heights - Risk of Gentrification
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"What we’ve tried to do is come to the community and let them identify their issues and concerns and then we will identify a way that we can resolve some of these things." -Thomas Alston Holden Heights Community Development Corporation (Stone, 2017)
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Literature Review Introduction to Research Nature provides us with the needs that are essential to our health and survival. Food, water, and wood are a few of the many things that nature provides for us. So, what is urban horticulture therapy? Horticulture therapy of an urban environment is the introduction of green spaces within the fabric of a neighborhood or city that bring people together to learn about, grow, and harvest fresh vegetables, herbs, and other plants. Urban farming is being utilized all over the world as a strategy to improve environments, community, and human health. Berlin, Los Angeles, and even Orlando are beginning to turn vacant lots, rooftops, and unused front yards into lush gardens. It is helping these cities create local food systems, increase community engagement, and develop healthier environments.
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Nature in Urban Environments Improving the health of urban environments by including more connections to nature promotes better public health. People are connected to nature because it provides them with spiritual, emotional, psychological, and material needs. According to Maller(2005) in Healthy Nature Healthy People, we insulate ourselves from the natural environment and therefore forget about our strong connection to it. There is a need to increase the opportunities to connect with nature in the urban environment in order for public health to improve. (Maller, 2005) Having a synergistic relationship with nature provides people with health benefits that aid in healing and therapy. Wolf(2013) suggests that more contact with nature can “supplement or augment medical treatment and therapy." (Wolf, 2013) Through multiple studies of people interacting with nature, Wolf concludes that contact with nature has health benefits by providing us with positive distractions. People that live in urban areas are often over-stimulated by the intense visuals, sounds, and constant movement and over time there is a negative impact on their health, but it also affects health on a larger scale. The constant stress and overwhelming feelings that urban environments frequently induce may create socioeconomic issues that impact public health within a community. For example: people begin to have issues with blood pressure, slower metabolism, increased adrenaline, and feelings of disconnection. (Flora, 2014 & Wolf, 2013) Figure 25 Downtown Orlando Photo Charles LeRette Photography
Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://m1.22slides.com/fotovoodoo/orlando-pano-1478128-thumb.jpg
People living in urban environments have a better chance of preventing negative health issues from occurring if there was are opportunities to be exposed to nature. “In today’s high tech, urbanized societies, stress is one of the most important factors contributing to ill health” which leads to more governmental spending on public health. Some of the illnesses that are caused by stress include diabetes, depression, and heart disease. According to the Center for Disease Control(CDC), many of these stress induced, chronic illnesses are preventable with a "dosage" of green spaces which can be defined by the following factors: quantity of nearby
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 26 Aerial of the High Line The High Line is an abandoned rail line that runs through New York City which was transformed into a park. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.fieldoperations.net/fileadmin/fo_uploads/projects/01_HighLine/Highline_03.jpg
nature, distance to nature, time spent in nature, and the quality of the space. (Flora, 2013 & Wolf, 2013) These are the ways in which green spaces can be measured within an urban environment in order to increase the health of a community.
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Urban Horticulture Urban environments benefit from green spaces in several different ways and at various scales. Although there are various types of green space that can be introduced into an urban environment, the focus of this research is on spaces for horticulture, gardening, and farming. These types of green spaces are active and productive,compared to typical passive park development. In the article Horticulture, Biodiversity, and Nutrition the author discusses the various benefits of horticulture within an urban area and focuses on social, environmental and health benefits (Figure 29). Below is a description of these topics: 1. Social benefits: Horticulture in urban environments improve the social fabric by creating a sense of pride. It can help by improving slums, clean up urban waste, and revitalize a vacant property to become active and more productive(Figure 27). Horticulture can also begin to create jobs for people in low-income neighborhoods through the growing, selling, and cooking of the fresh produce. 2. Environmental: When horticulture is introduced to the urban environment it also introduces people to recycling, compost, and local food systems. A city can utilize organic compost in order to create healthy soil that can be used in gardens(Figure 28). It can also look at ways of collecting rainwater or utilizing waste water properly. Improving the quality of the soil and the water infiltration into the ground are also really important features of these green spaces. Lastly, horticulture benefits urban environments by providing food to people at a local scale which reduces the need for packaging and transporting of produce. 3. Health: "There is a fundamental link between the earth as Mother and the fruits of the earth as the milk she has yielded in the form of nourishment". As inhabitants of the earth, we are able to benefit from nature in many ways, and the most important is the nourishment that we gain from it. Horticulture in urban settings benefit public health by providing nutritious produce.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 27 Community Involvement Community gardens are environments for people to learn how to garden, enjoy the natural environment, and collaborate with other members of the community. Horticulture becomes an educational tool as well. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://alive2green.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/school-farming-1-658x388.png
Figure 28 Compost Composting becomes a very important element in urban horticulture. It teaches people how to utilize organic waste to create rich, healthy soil that can be used for gardening. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://foreversabah.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/compost-trial1-574x305.jpeg
29 Figure 29 Benefits of Horticulture As discussed in 'Horticulture, Biodiversity, and Nutrition', Lutaladio (2010) mentions several of the social, environmental, and health benefits that horticulture provides urban environments.
Social Benefits
Environmental Benefits
Health Benefits
1. Empowers the poor -Contributes to the security of food supply -Beautifies the neighborhood 2. Improves slums -Management of urban waste -Improve quality of land/property 3. Job creation -Maintainence of gardens -Sales of produce -Other local business opportunities 1. Waste becomes resources -Recycling of organic waste(Compost) -Water collection for gardens 2. Reduces pollution -Reduced transport of goods(less gas emissions) -Less need to package foods 3. Soil and ground improvements -Enhances water infiltration -Cleaner, healthier soil
1. Connection with nature -Understanding of our link to nature -Nourishments (food, water, air, etc)
In addition to benefitting health, urban horticulture also develops strong, resilient communities. (Lutaladio, 2010) It creates a certain independence within neighborhoods where the residents become empowered by building a community that is more sustainable. The social benefits of urban horticulture increases opportunities for human interactions. These green spaces also enhance and strengthen social ties by providing space for gathering, relaxing, or exercise. (Wolf & Rozance, 2013) Spaces for horticulture within urban environments bring people together in a place that is safe, promotes health, and is welcoming. This in creases the chance of people forming social networks, businesses, and organizations which will benefits the entire community.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
Greener Cities As populations increase in urban environments, adjustments will need to be made in order to make these places healthy and liveable. Many cities around the world are beginning to understand the importance of becoming sustainable in order to mitigate the issues causing climate change. These dense, urban environments have the ability to transform and adapt to more sustainable ways of living, as opposed to the consumptive, wasteful places they have become (Figure 30). With little regard for constraints and limitations, cities consume so many resources and have a large footprint, especially American cities. Beatley discusses the way in which cities act as living organisms that absorb many resources and emit waste. They consume so many natural resources in order to create large infrastructure systems, buildings, and energy. These urban environments result in the depletion of natural landscapes, forests, and habitats. (Beatley, 2000) In his book Green Urbanism: Learning From European Cities, Timothy Beatley explains how he believes that "cities hold the greatest hope for achieving a more sustainable hope for our future". They need to become environments that represent "ecologically responsible forms of living" where the city, communities, and lifestyles are more sustainable. (Beatley, 2000) Cities are beginning to incorporate lifestyle changes where people are more conscious about what they consume, transportation methods, and caring about the environment.
Figure 30 Sustainable Cities This diagram shows two cities - the top being the future of sustainable cities and the bottom being the current situation most cities are in. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://media.istockphoto.com/vectors/eco-and-polluted-city-vector-id184368226?k=6&m=184368226&s=170667a&w=0&h=qhXXDaez8ph4qk q9rRHzTA1ED3ni5ovam6PZ7MRo3q0=
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Green Works Orlando With the population of the city constantly on the rise, the need for housing and public facilities will always be in need. Orange County heads 6.4% of Florida’s population with about 1,145,956 people, as reported in the 2010 U.S. Census. Figure 31 shows the estimated population increase over the next twenty years. (United States) With a need to expand and make room for all the new residents, the city needs to be aware of the ecological impact this will have on the environment. Increasing the number of housing and residential units downtown will be important for the city to accept more people. Also, there will be aneed for public spaces that are available to Figure 31 Estimated Population Change According to the 2010 Census, Orange County is expected to increase 9.9% between 20152020. Then it will be expected to increase about 10.2% between 2020-2025.
1551402
1407607
1288126
# OF PEOPLE
1145956
ESTI MATED POPU LATI ON I N CR EA SE
2010
2015
2020
YEAR
2025
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
and meet the needs of the low- to moderate-income families. Parks, community centers, and other types of gathering spaces are examples of some of the facilities that would meet these needs. (Housing and Community Development Division) This would also be an opportunity for an increase of the residents connection to nature through horticulture, gardening, and other types of green spaces. Local government has a strong influence on making sure urban communities are able to transition to more sustainable lifestyles. The City of Orlando has begun to set goals to become more sustainable in the next twenty years. The Green Works Orlando program aims to make the City of Orlando a greener city by 2040. Instead of the City making these changes and expecting people to go along with them, they are trying to encourage people to be aware of environmental issues by educating them about how to be more sustainable. They are focusing on specific categories (Figure 32) in order to reduce cost, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. The seven categories of focus are: 1. Energy and Green Building 2. Food Systems 3. Green Economies 4. Livability
5. Solid Waste 6. Transportation 7. Water
One sustainability goal they include is Food Systems (Figure 33). The City plans on increasing the amount of community gardens and farmers markets in order to increase local food production and accessibility. This means an increase in urban agriculture, community gardens, and kitchen gardens. In order to do this, they are working on changing local policies in order to make it all happen. (City of Orlando)
Figure 32 Green Works Categories The seven categories which the City of Orlando are working on in order to improve and encouragement more sustainability. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://ecopreserve.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/energy-300x277.jpg
33 Figure 33 Local Food Systems The category of local food systems aims at increasing food production, access, and foodrelated businesses. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.cityoforlando.net/greenworks/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2014/10/FocusAreasSliders2016_2-1.png
Making fresh, healthy food more accessible is the main priority, but food entrepreneurship is also supported by the Green Works Orlando program. (City of Orlando) This helps to alleviate economic issues by increasing business in the community. This is a great way of creating more sustainable, locally owned businesses that are focused around food systems. The Green Works plan is an excellent example of a large scale improvement project that the City of Orlando is working on. Improving the sustainability of the City will create more opportunities for the people to connect with nature whether they buy fresh food at a farmers market, compost their food scraps, or ride their bicycles to work. Making sure people can transition into a more sustainable lifestyle is critical to the future of Orlando.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
"Hopefully we can get the residents that moved away to come back then get some new residents to move in, especially when we get jobs and educational facilities here. So we’re excited." -Reverend James Watkins (Stone, 2017)
4
Method
Introduction
The approach for this project is to understand the benefits and qualities of urban horticulture. The next step was figuring out how a similar approach to neighborhood revitalization could be used for Holden Heights in Orlando, Florida. The infrastructure that was built right in the middle of the city has caused issues of segregation. This has caused division of people and separation of the city which has put focus on the main Downtown while other areas have been neglected. After recognizing the issues caused by the infrastructure, was clear that the neighborhood of Holden Heights is at risk for gentrification. To stop large-scale, market driven projects from taking over and washing the neighborhood out, the community needs a plan. The design of this project is a plan for adaptive community development. Through a network of activity centers, also known as vessels, the neighborhood forms nodes where revitalization occurs. The more vessels the network has, the stronger the community. The community development plan works together with housing initiatives to ensure growth in the neighborhood.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
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Synthesis of Orlando The highway infrastructure that has carved its way through Downtown Orlando caused the city to develop in an interesting way. The highway intersects and creates a void within the city. This void has segregated the urban networks that normally help a city thrive. The highway system also forms an edge that blocks physical access to either side in some areas. These areas have become disassociated with Downtown Orlando. The ideograms in Figure 34-35 depict the concept of reconnecting the city through nodes of activity. These nodes form a network of activity that runs through the neighborhood and reaches out to the rest of the community. After analyzing how development occurred within Downtown Orlando, it was clear that the neighborhood of Holden Heights was at risk for gentrification. The highway infrastructure has left the city divided and separated. The areas to the west of Interstate 4 have struggled to improve and develop. The northwest segment, Parramore, has had development over the last decade with a basketball arena, soccer stadium, and mixed-use apartments. Although these large-scale, market driven developments are economically beneficial to the city, it negatively impacts the lower-income residents who live in this area.
Figure 34 Watercolor Ideogram Watercolor study
When property values are low, it weakens the strength of the community because it becomes a favorable climate for outside investors to purchase several properties. These properties often sit vacant until property values go up, then they sell to make a profit. Eventually they sell the property to developers who will buy them at higher prices. That is when the large-scale, market driven developments are built and the neighborhood gets washed away. When the residents can no longer afford to live in their own neighborhood or are bought out by investors, they are forced to relocate. So, where do these people relocate to? South of Parramore is the Holden Heights neighborhood where vacancy, crime, and health are key issues. Since it does not share an edge with the thriving urban core of Downtown
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 35 Ideograms Exploratory watercolor and ink drawings.
Orlando, it has become neglected. This puts a lot of pressure on the neighborhood because it creates an opportunity for the gentrification process to begin. To avoid this, the community needs to collaborate and figure out ways to revitalize the neighborhood in a positive, grassroots way. Figure 36 describes some of the problems and assets within the community that contribute to the community development. The strongest asset that the Holden Heights neighborhood has is the community support. There is an effort to make sure this neighborhood is revitalized and not gentrified. This collaborative effort is to ensure positive change and influence within this neighborhood.
39 Figure 36 Problems & Assets These are some of the key problems and assets within the Holden Heights community. These help focus the attention on elements that are more important to improve while the others will help guide and influence.
URBAN
PROBLEM ASSET
Culture, diversity, density
PROBLEM
Segregates, deteriorates
HIGHWAY
ASSET
Access, connectivity
FOOD DESERT
PROBLEM
Healthy food inaccessible, lack of awareness, cost
ASSET SKEPTICISM
PROBLEM ASSET
Lack of interest, un-engaged Curiosity, hope
VACANCY
PROBLEM ASSET
Negative street presence Opportunity for growth
COMMUNITY
PROBLEM ASSET LOW-INCOME
PROBLEM
Collaboration, creative solutions, inspiration, motivated High rental, low home-ownership, jobless, lack of education
ASSET SAFETY
PROBLEM ASSET
Low activity, drug and crime issues
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
41
Synthesis of Precedents The precedents used in this research have been closely examined to understand which elements are critical to creating simple gestures towards revitalization in a community. - Education - Mobility - Public Commons - Re-Purposing - Community Outreach Each of the precedents studied were in different locations around the world. Although they were all in different locations fixing the needs of people in their local community, they all shared one common element: teaching people about growing their own food. Education and encouraging people is a large part of how this type of strategy works (Figure 37). They are safe spaces for children to go and with the educational components, it becomes a great place for them to learn. Figure 38 is a list of the various topics that are taught within each of these spaces. Each one caters to the specific needs of the community and the specific location. Figure 37 Edible Schoolyard Photo of students walking around the educational garden. This school provides a unique educational experience for elementary students. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.davidbouley.com/bouley-restaurant/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/alice-waters-edible-schoolyard-1280.jpg
Each of these urban gardens provide tools for spreading knowledge about several activities related to sustainability and the environment. Encouraging and educating people about these topics increases the resiliency within a community. When the community begins to understand how they can help themselves, they become stronger. Knowing how to grow food is a powerful tool. Ron Finley (Figure 39) believes that "growing your own food is like printing your own money". This comes from a man who lives in an urban community that lacks healthy food accessibility as well as knowledge about it. He initiated change in his community by simply planting in abandoned curb sides and vacant lots. (The Ron Finley Project) By
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 38 Educational Topics Chart List of possible topics that could be taught in a community garden. The topics should be fitted to the specific location.
Educational Topics Fruits, vegetables, herbs
Germination, seeding, harvesting
Pollinators
Cooking
Seasons, local climate
Moon cycles
Native plants, shrubs, and trees
Water
Recycling, compost
Heath, nutrition, exercise
doing this, he has provided his community with accessibility to healthy food and knowledge about how to do it themselves. Another common element present in each of these precedents is public commons. These spaces create welcoming environments for the community to gather and collaborate. Being a garden, it creates a space for people to connect with nature. It also can serve as a space to host community events like farmers markets, neighborhood planning, or educational workshops. For example, the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative has taken a "distressed property" and have given it life by turning it into a Resource Center (Figure 40) where the first floor is used for this type of community activity. It becomes a more economical way for organizations and community groups to have a place to collaborate and share information. (About MUFI, 2013) Another element that is important to understand is the adaptability of these sites. They have all transformed from vacant wastelands into successful community centers. One of the precedents prove that the gardens, and their programmatic elements that support them, do not have to be permanent. Ron Finley simply plants seeds in unused curbs and lets the plants take over, while Prinzessinnengarten uses transportable objects to store everything. The
Figure 39 Ron Finley Photo of Ron Finley standing next to a garden he started in a curb side in his neighborhood. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://wesh.uk/wp-content/uploads/cdni.wired_.co_.uk1280x1920a_c624505-5fa0b0fdf2f601f70025088d3875d81f93dc457a.jpg
43 Figure 40 MUFI Resource Center This is an image of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative's Community Resource Center. Ground floor is used as a community collaboration space. The building is painted with colorful murals which liven up the streets appearance. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/michigan/files/styles/x_large/public/201611/20161130_131002.jpg
Figure 41 Prinzessinnengarten Planters All of the plants grown at the Prinzessinnengarten are placed within containers, rice sacks, or moveable beds. This ensures their ability to move to a different location. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://vivisostenibile.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/orto.jpg
once empty urban corner in Berlin, Germany was transformed into a community garden, but instead of planting straight in the ground, they used objects that are transportable to hold the plants (Figure 41). Since they rent the property, they have made it possible to transport the garden, along with their supporting elements. They up-cycled shipping containers to house the kitchen, storage, and cafe spaces (Figure 42) which are essential to the physical and economic maintenance of the garden. (About Prinzessinnengarten. 2016) With the option to move, the Prinzessennengarten can relocate and create a new urban, community garden. They could even spread out to multiple sites instead of just one. This can create a network of gardens within the urban environment to spread more environmental awareness, teach people about gardening, and supply more people with healthy food. The success of these urban communities proves that they can thrive, grow, and be resilient with a community garden. The key elements of education, public space, and mobility all stem from these examples of powerful community garden movements. The benefits of gardening and growing food begin as a tool to initiate neighborhood activity, but it transforms into this collaborative effort to revitalize the urban community. Providing a space for people to gather and learn initiates the collaboration while the gardens produce food, jobs, and reinvigorate public health.
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45
Community Development Plan Revitalization of the Holden Heights community can be approached in many ways. This project is a solution to create positive change within this community and to avoid gentrification. It is an adaptive plan that creates nodes of activity throughout the neighborhood to generate community collaboration and education. Figure 43 is a diagram that explores how a network of activity throughout the neighborhood can reach out to other parts of the city to reinvigorate sense of community. The network starts with the idea of a generator, the vessel, to produce activity. As it becomes an asset to the community, other vessels appear and begin to form the neighborhood network.
Figure 42 Prinzessinnengarten Container The cafes, storage, and other programmatic elements that support the garden are all located within shipping containers. Shown here is a cafe/market space within a container. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://young-germany.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/prinzessinengarten_yg5.jpg
Figure 44 is the community development plan. The is a plan to regenerate connectivity throughout the segments of Downtown Orlando that have been separated by the interstate system. It shows nodes of activity that generate growth within a certain radius. Within these nodes of activity are vessels. These vessels are public commons that help create a safe, collaborative environment for the residents. Figures 54-59 show how the vessel generates activity and growth within the neighborhood, expanding over time as each one becomes a neighborhood asset. More assets within the community creates a more resilient neighborhood and more opportunities to grow. The vessels become assets to the community because they provide public commons, a safe place for children, resources, jobs, and an opportunity to learn. Having the vessels placed within the vacant properties helps to invigorate the street. As the Holden Heights neighborhood becomes more vacant, more crime ridden, and unhealthier the residents will soon disappear. This adaptive community development plan is a way to stop that from happening. By slowly inserting these vessels within the neighborhood, community collaboration will multiply. These public spaces will reinvigorate the residents sense of pride by becoming a new, iconic element within the neighborhood. The skepticism will slowly diminish as they witness the positive change in their neighborhood. They will
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
Figure 43 Community Networks Diagram Sketch of how the neighborhood can become an activated community with nodes that reach out to other parts o the city.
also have more incentive to be engaged with their community. The vessel can be a host to many types of programs (Figure 42) depending on the needs of the community, but the first one is centered around horticulture. The horticulture vessel is located on a site that is close to several of the existing community assets (Figure 48) and is at the heart of the neighborhood. This will ensure that the vessel becomes activated because people will walk by it after church, children at the park will want to discover it, and residents will notice it when they pass by. The vessel will serve as a platform for educational workshops, a gardening resource center, and public commons. The vacant home next door to the vessel will be renovated and given a new home-owner. New affordable housing will be produced in the vacant properties owned by Orange County which will create
47 Figure 44 Community Networks Map This map shows how the vessels create a network of activity throughout the neighborhood and extends to the larger community.
Figure 45 Types of Vessels This chart shows the various types of programmatic elements that the vessel can be used for. The needs of the community will determine which type of vessel should be designed.
Horticulture
Restaurant
Market/Business
Daycare
Water Management
Library
Healthcare
Bicycle/Transit
Arts
Music
1" = 800'-0"
48
Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
A
more home-ownership in the neighborhood instead of renters. This establishes revitalization and development within the community. The vessel is not required to have specific form, structure, or materiality. This ensures that there is flexibility to design based off of need, existing conditions, budget, and availability of resources. The vessel should be transportable and easy to build. This can be done by constructing a building as a kit-of-parts that is easy to assemble and disassemble, or by up-cycling a shipping container. Making it transportable is beneficial because it allows the vessel to be relocated around the neighborhood to bring activity to areas that need it. Once the vessel generates new housing and public activity, the block will become an asset to the community. When this happens, more vessels are placed nearby in other vacant properties. The following vessels can be programmed to suit other community needs as mentioned in Figure 45, or the horticulture vessel can be relocated to a new site. The property that the horticulture vessel once rested can now become another opportunity to develop affordable
B Figure 46 Vessel Generator Diagram Diagrams A-D depict how the vessel generates neighborhood connectivity by bringing people together to collaborate and by filling in the voids of the vacant lots.
49
C
D
housing. Once these vessels begin to appear throughout the neighborhood they coalesce into a network. Each vessel becomes a node within the network. The connection between each node becomes a pathway that the growth travels along. In tandem with the first vessel, the community is organizing street clean-ups, home repairs, and affordable housing options. They want to ensure that the community is given the opportunity keep its existing residents, gain new ones, and be more resilient. The first step is to repair the exterior of houses which not only benefits the home-owner, it benefits the image of the neighborhood. Removing waste, painting, fixing the mailbox, and landscaping can intensify the image of the home. Another priority for the community leaders is to establish more affordable housing. As each vessel is added, so should affordable housing. The new housing developments will occur along the paths which connect to each of the nodes. The vessels and the affordable housing transform Holden Heights into a thriving, urban community.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 47 Vessel Diagram 2 This is a diagram of how the horticulture vessel could be placed on the site, how it can be accessed, and possible programmatic layout. Shown are some of the assets (park, church, community center) that will aid in the activity of the vessel.
1
51 3
2
Figure 48 Neighborhood Assets At the heart of the neighborhood is the Kaley Square Park, a school, a church, and vacant properties that are owned by Orange County. Images 1-6 are images of these assets.
Vacant Home
Future Hope School of Promises 4
Orange County Vacant Properties
Kaley Square Park 5
Kaley Square Foundation
6
King's Way Baptist Church
52
Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 49 Vessel Diagram 2 Diagram of how the first vessel creates growth within the block and nearby areas.
53 Figure 50 Community Growth Plan 1 At the heart of the neighborhood is the Kaley Square Park, a school, a church, and vacant properties that are owned by Orange County. Images 1-6 are images of these assets.
1" = 80'-0"
54
Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 51 Vessel Diagram 3 Diagram of the community development plan. Focusing on areas of high vacancy, utilizing main roadways, and creating nodes nearby to existing assets.
55 Figure 52 Community Growth Plan 2 This is a plan to show how a network of vessels around the neighborhood can affect growth and development within the neighborhood.
1" = 200'-0"
56
Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 53 Vessel Diagram 4 Diagram of the community development plan. This diagram explores ways that the network can expand into areas outside of the neighborhood.
57 Figure 54 Community Growth Plan 3 This is a plan to show how a network of vessels around the neighborhood can affect growth and development within the neighborhood. This plan shows how the growth can begin to influence connections to other parts of the city.
1" = 400'-0"
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
Before
After
59
The Vessel Figure 55 Vessel Idea Before and after of the horticulture vessel idea. It creates a node of activity within the neihgborhood and the space is used to the neighborhoods benefit.
The vessel is a space that creates a welcoming environment for residents to engage with their communities. It encourages the people to learn and collaborate in order to inspire the changes they desire for their neighborhood. The vessel is flexible so they can adapt to the needs of the community. It is also transportable so if the community wants to increase activity in another area of the neighborhood it can be moved around. The vessel is not a specific object, it is the formation of a territory that induces collaborative activities. As previously mentioned, the vessel can contain a variety of programmatic elements depending on the community's needs. After researching the benefits of using food-production as a way to revitalize a community, it was clear that creating a vessel for urban horticulture would be the generator of the network. The neighborhood lacks understanding and access of fresh, healthy food options. Creating a place where the residents could gather, learn, and collaborate in an environment that encourages these things is the goal of the first vessel. The shipping container is a viable option for components of the vessel so Figure 55 is an exploration of how a container could be transformed into this space. The vessel provides a place for educational workshops, garden storage, and it could open up to create a small marketplace setting (Figure 56). The sketches in Figure 57 show how the vessel could be secured for public and private uses. Educational workshops could be inclusive to all, where the container is left open. If there is a private workshop or it's closed, the vessel can become closed off to the public. It is adaptable to make sure the needs of the residents are fulfilled, while maintaining a safe, productive environment.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 56 Vessel Layout Diagrams of how the horticulture vessel could be laid out in a 40' x 9' shipping container.
61 Figure 57 Vessel Sketches Sketches and diagrams of the horticulture vessel.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy
5
Conclusion Introduction
This project has been an exploration of a strategy that helps urban communities develop in a more adaptive, grassroots manner. The strategy uses horticulture to initiate community en-gagement and activity. It is a strategy that adapts to its environment and the community it serves. As it adapts, it becomes an asset to the community which creates a need for more growth. This is how the revitalization process begins This strategy is not meant to displace a community and replace it with large-scale development. It is meant to create spaces for people within the direct community to gather and collaborate to find ways to make their neighborhoods more resilient. Struggling to improve and develop, the neighborhood of Holden Heights is being supported by members of the Orlando community. This group of people is trying to establish ways to generate change without the help of big, market-driven companies. To avoid the issue of gentrification, it was necessary to get to know the people involved with finding these other solutions. Working with the Holden Heights Community Development Corporation(HHCDC) has been very suc-cessful in figuring out the needs of the residents. Through collaborative efforts, the HHCDC and other community organizations have lent a hand in the development of this revitalization strategy. After investigating other communities who have successfully created urban gardens as a strategy to revitalize neighborhoods, a list of successful qualities was established. The most critical was education. Each of these places made sure there was a place for people to learn about nature, growing food, or other topics related to sustainability. Other important elements are creating community space and making sure the vessels are transportable.
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65
Recommendations
Figure 58 HHCDC Committee Meeting Photo from one of the committee meetings I attended with the Holden Heights Community Development Corporation.
After proposing the project to the Holden Heights Community Development Corporation (HHCDC) and the UF CityLab Graduate Design class, the project came to fruition. The project has become a design-build experience for the graduate students as well as an opportunity for the community to test this method. In order for this to happen, I had to be engaged with the community (Figure 58), spend time researching similar communities, and find ways to develop a plan that catered specifically to Holden Heights. This plan is meant to be tested in Holden Heights, but the criteria formed from the research can be tested in other urban environments as well. Fortunately, my project was given an opportunity to come to life. Both the community and the UF CityLab professors have taken interest throughout the process.
Figure 59 Container Delivery Photo of the students and I after receiving one of the containers at the construction site.
The students were able to meet the members of the community(Figure 60), visit the site (Figure 61), and research the neighborhood which helped reinforce their understanding of the project. After several brainstorming sessions with the students and members of the community (Figures 62-63) the students narrowed down a design for the first two vessels. The professor, Stephen Bender, specializes in shipping container architecture. Therefore, it was clear that the vessels would be designed using containers (Figure 59). The students acquired materials from local companies who could donate them. This influenced the design tremendously because the students had access to a limited supply of materials and tools. Although their resources are limited, the students were able to transform the containers into simple, welcoming structures for the community. Progress has been made on the construction (Figure 64-72) and they are working diligently to complete them. While the students worked on the design of the vessel, community members have been working together to figure out how to implement affordable housing. Pairing the housing with the vessels is important because affordable housing is in high demand. To eliminate some of the skepticism from the residents, the HHCDC is going to do front porch therapy. That is where
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volunteers fix up the exterior of homes by painting, repairing, and landscaping the front facade. They are also working on applying for grants and figuring out ways to get affordable housing options in the neighborhood. In Orlando, there is already a strong backbone of support for sustainable solutions in community revitalization. When this project was presented to the community, it was welcomed with open arms. As more people learned about it, the more resources were obtained. Connections were made within the neighborhood, the county, and the city. There are now several groups collaborating on this project. Having all these connections and resources will push for the implementation of this project. In the summer of 2017, the first vessels should be completed and moved to a site in the Holden Heights neighborhood. The next steps will be focused on the business and organization of the vessels on the site. We will have to consider who will maintain the vessels, how does it get situated on a site, and what type of community programs will take place within them? The community and resources obtained during the process of this project will guide the rest of the plan into action.
Figure 60 Meeting at Kaley Square On a site visit, the students met the leader of the Kaley Square Foundation, Demetrius.
Figure 61 Holden Heights Site Visit During a site visit, Thomas Alston who leads the Holden Heights Community Development Corporation, led a discussion about the issues of the neighborhood.
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 62 Brainstorming - Horticulture This is the first brainstorming session involving many groups within the community. The students presented their research, ideas, and concepts to the group and received feedback which helped them design the vessel.
Below is a list of the many groups, individuals, and organizations that are workign together on this project: - UF CityLab Orlando
- Fleet Farming
- UF IFAS
- IdeasForUS
- Orange County
- Ric Stern, Horticulturist
- City of Orlando
- Alexis Dold, Bicycle Entrepreneur
- Holden Heights Community Development Corporation
- Good Food Central Florida
- Kaley Square Foundation
- Peter Martinez, Orlando Bike Share Founder
- OBT Next - Seed2Source
- Audubon Park Farmer's Market - DixiePly
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Figure 63 Brainstorming - Bicycle This is the first brainstorming session involving many groups within the community. The students presented their research, ideas, and concepts to the group and received feedback which helped them design the vessel.
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Figure 64 Bicycle Vessel Construction Photos of the 'bicycle' group working on the construction of the vessel. Cutting through the steel container was a challenge.
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Figure 65 Horticulture Vessel Construction Photos of the 'horticulture' group altering the exterior of the container and figuring out their roof ventillation system.
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Figure 66 Bicycle Vessel Construction Video of the students cutting an opening in the exterior.
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Figure 67 Horticulture Vessel Construction Video of the students cutting an opening in the exterior.
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Figure 68 Bicycle Vessel Construction Images of student observing the welding process.
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Figure 69 Horticulture Vessel Construction Image of students working on constructing the exterior facade.
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Figure 70 Vessel Progress Presentation Images of students presenting the progress of the vessel construction.
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Figure 71 Horticulture Vessel Viewing Images of students explaining the progress of the project with the collaborating parties.
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Figure 72 Bicycle Vessel Viewing Images of students explaining the progress of the project with the collaborating parties.
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References References
A Look Inside Food Deserts. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Features. September 24, 2012. Accessed December 01, 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/features/FoodDeserts/. About - Fleet Farming. Fleet Farming. IDEAS For Us. 2015. Accessed October 13, 2016. http://fleetfarming.com/about/ About Healthy Places. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014. Accessed September 28, 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/about.htm About MUFI. All About MUFI. 2013. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.miufi.org/about. About Prinzessinnengarten. 2016. http://prinzessinnengarten.net/about/ American Horticultural Therapy Association. Horticultural Therapy. Accessed September 29, 2016. 0http://ahta.org/horticultural-therapy. Beatley, Timothy. Green Urbanism Learning From European Cities. Washington DC: Island Press, 2012. City-data. 2016. Onboard Informatics. http://www.city-data.com/city/Orlando-Florida.html City of Orlando Receives Grant from USDA to Expand Local Food Access in West Orlando. Press Releases. October 17, 2016. City of Orlando. http://www.cityoforlando.net/ news/2016/10/city-of-orlando-receives-grant-from-usda-to-expand-local-food-access-inwest-orlando/
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Curran, Winifred & Trina Hamilton. Just green enough: contesting environmental gentrification in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 2012. Local Environment, 17:9, 1027-1042, DOI:10.1080/1354 9839.2012.729569 Day, Christopher. Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as a Healing Art. Oxford: Architectural Press, 2004. Dickinson, Joy Wallace. Exploring the path to Parramore's past. June 26, 2005. Accessed April 21, 2017. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2005-06-26/news/ORFLASH26_1_parramore-south-street-casino. Flora, Katrina, and Kathleen L. Wolf. Stress, Wellness, & Physiology – A Literature Review. In: Green Cities: Good Health. 2014. College of the Environment, University of Washington. Accessed April 23, 2017. www.greenhealth.washington.edu Food Deserts Explained. A Look Inside Food Deserts. September 24, 2012. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/features/FoodDeserts/ Gallagher, Mari. USDA Defines Food Deserts. Nutrition Digest. 2015. Accessed December 11, 2016. http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts. Green Works Orlando: 2013 Community Action Plan. City of Orlando. Accessed October 12, 2016. http://www.cityoforlando.net/greenworks/.
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Hudak, Stephen. Parramore plan seeks to improve city's poorest neighborhood. Orlando Sentinel. February 14, 2015. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/ orange/os-orlando-parramore-future-20150214-story.html. Leete, Laura, Neil Bania, and Andrea Sparks-Ibanga. Congruence and Coverage: Alternative Approaches to Identifying Urban Food Deserts and Food Hinterlands. 2012. Journal of Planning Education and Research. 32(2) 204-218. Lutaladio, Nebambi, Barbara Burlingame, and Judith Crews. "Horticulture, Biodiversity and Nutrition." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 23, no. 6 (2010): 481-85. Accessed September 26, 2016. Maller, C. Healthy Nature Healthy People: 'contact with Nature' as an Upstream Health Promotion Intervention for Populations. Health Promotion International 21, no. 1 (2005): 45-54. O'Connor, Brendan. West Orlando to benefit from $250,000 USDA grant for farming and market. October 17, 2016. Bungalower. http://bungalower.com/2016/10/17/west-orlandobenefit-250000-usda-grant-farming-market/ Central Florida Expressway Authority. Overview and History. Accessed April 16, 2017. https://www.cfxway.com/for-travelers/expressways/408/.
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Reeve, Angela Chenoweth, Cheryl Desha, Doug Hargreaves, and Karlson Hargroves. "Biophilic Urbanism: Contributions to Holistic Urban Greening for Urban Renewal." Smart and Sustainable Built Environment Smart and Sust Built Env 4, no. 2 (2015): 215-33 Shanklin, Mary, and Jeff Weiner. Developers await Creative Village opportunities. OrlandoSentinel.com. February 07, 2016. Accessed April 21, 2017. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ classified/realestate/os-creative-village-plans-20160207-story.html. South Downtown Orlando: Turning Industrial Tracts into a Residential Urban Core. The Daily City. July 26, 2015. Accessed April 18, 2017. http://www.thedailycity.com/2015/07/ downtown-south-vision-plan-turning.html. South Downtown Vision Plan. City of Orlando City Planning Division. Accessed April 18, 2017. http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-planning/plans-and-studies/south-downtown-visionplan/. Stone, Cheryn. Holden group working to change Parramore. News 13 - Orlando News, Central Florida Weather & Traffic. February 2, 2017. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www. mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2017/2/2/ holden_group_working.html. The Ron Finley Project. Ron Finley. Accessed September 28, 2016. http://ronfinley.com/theron-finley-project/.
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Ulmer, Jared M. Multiple health benefits of urban tree canopy: The mounting evidence for a green prescription. September 14, 2016. Health & Place. Elsevier, 2016. Wolch, J.R., J. Byrne, and J.P. Newell. Urban green space, public health, and environmental justice: The challenge of making cities ‘just green enough’. 1 September 2014. Landscape and Urban Planning, 125. Wolf, K.L., and M.A. Rozance. 2013. Social Strengths - A Literature Review. In: Green Cities: Good Health. College of the Environment, University of Washington. Accessed April 23, 2017. www.greenhealth.washington.edu Who We Are. Food Field. Peck Produce, LLC. Accessed October 12, 2016. http://www.foodfielddetroit.com/who-we-are.
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Appendix The appendix contains additional research and supporting materials. This includes information about how to avoid gentrification, food deserts, and the Holden Heights neighborhood. It also contains several of the case studies used to determine the criteria of the community plan and ideas about the horticulture vessel.
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Just Green Enough Horticultural green spaces are a strong ingredient in any urban environment and provide many benefits: beautify neighborhoods, create safer environments, increase public interest in gardening, educate the community about horticultural processes, create opportunities for people to collaborate, and have the potential to improve economic conditions and create jobs. (Lutaladio, 2010) These green spaces provide an opportunity for communities to develop and become more resilient through food production and neighborhood pride. Being a multi-cultural and diverse city, Orlando has many opportunities to strengthen its low-income neighborhoods that need improvements. When a community lacks the socioeconomic ability to be self-sufficient, the quality of life begins to diminish. Urban green spaces benefit these communities by providing healthier spaces, but can also lead to gentrification if not implemented properly. Considering the needs of the neighborhood residents and maintaining properly scaled developments are crucial to avoiding gentrification. Many revitalization projects are market driven and do not consider the current resident’s status, which are generally low-income and ethnic communities. These projects benefit neighborhoods by improving land quality, eliminating brown fields, and increasing public spaces. This often results in increasing property values and real estate prices. (Curran, 2012) By simultaneously making older and typically low-income and/or industrial areas of existing cities more livable and attractive, urban greening projects can set off rounds of gentrification, dramatically altering housing opportunities and the commercial/retail infrastructure that supports lower income communities. This paradoxical effect has been variously termed ecological gentrification.
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Developers create market-driven, low-income housing, but the retail spaces and businesses that start to develop are not affordable for the people of the low-income population. This increases pressure on these people and causes them to move further out into suburban areas with similar or worse conditions than where they previously were. (Curran, 2012) There needs to be less emphasis on the “upscale ‘sustainable’ LEED-certified residential developments” and more emphasis on creating spaces that are “just green enough”. This simply means that the community focuses on strategies that help cleanup neighborhoods and create green spaces that are aimed at the needs of the “working-class” residents (Figure 73). (Wolch) This allows the revitalization of green spaces to properly benefit the people’s health who already reside in a neighborhood.
Figure 73 Photo of Protester Many citizens recognize and disagree with the developments and structures that replace communities that are usually lower-class or minority residents. Here is an image of a man protesting the issue. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://affinitymagazine.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/gentrification2.jpg
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Holden Heights Just southwest of the main Downtown Orlando area is the diverse, multi-cultural neighborhood of Holden Heights. The northern part of the neighborhood (north of Interstate 4) has a population of about 2,924 people of which 2,017 are black. The area is also considered lowincome with a high unemployment rate of 18.7% compared to Orlando’s overall rate of 4.5%. Also, this section of the neighborhood has median household income is $22,270 per year. (City-data) With socioeconomic issues, this neighborhood lacks the ability to self-improve.
Downtown
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Holden Heights
Figure 74 Holden Heights district This map represents the Holden Heights neighborhood district within the context of Orange County. It shows the location of the major roadways that effect theneighborhood's connectivity to itself and other parts of the city.
The northern section of Holden Heights is very isolated from other parts of the city and even the rest of it's own neighborhood because it is bound by several busy roadways such as Orange Blossom Trail, Interstate 4, and the East-West Expressway(SR 408). In Figure 74, the neighborhood is represented in orange, showing its close proximity to Downtown Orlando(blue star) and major roadways. It shows how Interstate 4 acts as a belt running across the middle of the neighborhood. It creates a division within the neighborhood itself, removing connections through it. Orange Blossom Trail (State Road 441) runs along the northern part of the neighborhood. It also acts as another division within the neighborhood by creating a void. Largely dominated by automotive related businesses, this busy roadway causes safety issues as well as socioeconomic issues due to its lack of diversity. Another issue to consider is that this area is not included in the City of Orlando districts even though it is directly southwest of the city center. Figure 75, shows how this area is surrounded by the City of Orlando Districts, but it is completely excluded from it. The only park within this neighborhood is the Kaley Square Park which includes a church, community center, and park. Further north is the Grand Avenue Park which is owned by the City of Orlando. Not only does the area lack sufficient public green spaces, it also lacks the availability of
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Figure 75 Holden Heights Neighborhood This neighborhood is North of the Holden Heights Neighborhood and South of the Parramore Neighborhood. It is surrounded by Orlando’s busiest highways, interstates, and state roads. This area is not included in the City of Orlando Districts, but is completely encompassed by them. This area is a doughnut hole within the City. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.cityoforlando.net/gis/
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fresh, healthy produce. The only nearby markets are the "quickie marts" that sell unhealthy, processed foods that are full of fats and sugar. This area is considered a food desert which means that it is lacking the access to fresh produce and other healthy foods that are part of a healthy diet. Figure 76 indicates that this area is low income and low access to healthy food sources. There is only the availability of food that is contributing to the nations health issues such as obesity, which puts this area at high risk. This issue typically occurs in low-income communities like the area of Holden Heights. (Gallagher, 2015)
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 76 Food Access Map This area is noted as low-income and lowaccess to healthy, fresh food. This map shows that the residents live more than 1/2 a mile away from healthy, fresh food markets or grocery stores. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
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Food Deserts Another way for people to connect to nature is through food consumption. People who eat fresh, healthy food are healthier than those who lack access to it or the funds to purchase it. Many people all over the United States live in areas that are considered "food deserts".What qualifies a community to be a food desert? Food deserts are defined as impoverished areas that lack the availability of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole foods. These areas generally do not have fresh markets, grocery stores, or any type of healthy food providers. Instead, there is an emphasis on fast foods and “quickie marts� that focus on the sales of food that are highly processed and full of sugar. The lack of availability of fresh foods is causing these areas to have public health issues, like obesity. (Gallagher, 2015) Figure 77 Grand Market The Grand Market is located just outside the Holden Heights neighborhood district and is the typical quick-stop shop. The sign reads "Beer, Grocery, Fried Rice, Chicken, Fish, Beauty Aids".
When a community is considered a food desert it adversely affects public health of that area, but having low-access is not the only issue. People will always choose to purchase and consumer the foods that they desire. Having more access to healthy foods does not mean that people will purchase those foods because people will always make "unhealthy choices based on personal preference." (Food Deserts Explained) By providing a grocery store to an area that is considered a food desert helps improve access to fresh food, but it does not teach people about the importance of healthy eating and living. With urban horticulture, people can be more involved and educated about growing, cooking, and eating healthy foods. Understanding where food comes from, how to grow it, and how to cook it are all things that urban horticulture therapy can improve within a neighborhood. In the neighborhood of Holden Heights, there are several "quickie marts" like the one shown in Figure 77. When the only accessible food stores are focused on sales of "processed, sugar,
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 78 Food Desert -Low Access This is a map of Orlando, Florida and it shows the areas where there is low-access to healthy, fresh food sources (grocery stores, markets, etc). Yellow dot indicates the north Holden Heights neighborhood(area of research). Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
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Figure 79 Food Desert - Low Income This map of Orlando, Florida shows low-income areas. The Holden Heights neighborhood is located within this zone. Yellow dot indicates the north Holden Heights neighborhood(area of research). Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
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99 Figure 80 Food Desert - Low Vehicle Access This map of Orlando, Florida shows the areas that have low-access to vehicles. This makes it more difficult for residents to access healthy food from stores that are longer distances away from where they live. Yellow dot indicates the north Holden Heights neighborhood(area of research). Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/
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and fat laden foods" then the neighborhood's health conditions will decrease. (Gallagher, 2015) Holden Heights neighborhood is considered a food desert because it's residents are further than a mile away from a grocery store or fresh food market, as seen in Figure 78. It also means that it's resident's have low-incomes (Figure 79) as well as low-access to a vehicle (Figure 80). When people do not have the funds or the access to a vehicle, they will shop for food at places that are more easily accessible, like the quick-food stores that are in walking distance. Since food deserts tend to be in "relatively compact, densely populated areas" then they need to find solutions that are "place-based". It is important to consider that "grassroots efforts" like community gardens, markets, and culturally appropriate food help to improve access and selection of food. These are solutions that help create healthier environments and improve social equity. (Leete, 2012) Not only do people begin to have a physical connection to healthier foods, but they are able to afford them as well.
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Precedent 1: Prinzessinnengarten A great example of an urban area being reviatlized by horticulture is the Prinzessinnenegarten. In 2009, a group of community activists turned a vacant lot in the city of Berlin into a thriving green space(Figure 82). With the help of the people in the community, the lot was cleared, garbage was removed, and transportable planters were created(Figure 81). It has developed into an urban vegetable garden where locals can learn about healthy eating, organic food production, and sustainable urban living. (About Prinzessinnengarten, 2016) After decades of being abandoned, this lot in the middle of the city has gone from a forgotten place to a lush, urban green space for the community to benefit from. This community garden has now become a place that people from places beyond Berlin come to visit and learn. Not only has it become a healthy learning environment, but it has also been profitable by cooking the vegetables that are grown there and selling them at a "garden cafe" within the site(Figure 83). The organizers of Prinzessinnengarten knew that just selling the produce would not create enough profit, so they took it a step further by making healthy meals. The cafe and kitchen space, as well as storage and workshop, are all in converted shipping containers throughout the site. (About Prinzessinnengarten, 2016) The co-founder of Prinzessinnengarten, Robert Shaw, was very interested in the ideas behind sustainable urban environments and understood that "food is of universal appeal". Creating an urban farm is only one step, while selling and cooking the vegetables grown on-site becomes the means of which the urban farm can profit.(About Prinzessinnengarten, 2016) Urban gardening becomes an environment that sparks social interactions and learning. The outcome of the urban garden becomes more than just the produce. It teaches people about the environment, how to grow and cook their own foods, and how to be more conscious of sustainable practices.
Figure 81 Transportable Planters Some of the vegetables and herbs are grown in rice bags. This allows the plants to be easily moved around the garden or moved to another location off-site. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://vivisostenibile.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/orto.jpg
Figure 82 Prinzessinnengarten Aerial The garden is located in the center of a dense urban environment creating an oasis. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://celinepele.fr/WordPress3/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/prinzessinengaerten1.jpg
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 83 Garden Cafe Prinzessinnengarten makes a large amount of their profit off of the garden cafe which is located inside a recycled shipping container. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://placemanagementandbranding.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/prinzessinnengarten-cafe.png
It creates an educational, profitable, and healthy place for the locals to experience. It also promotes diverse activites like markets(Figure 84), reading spaces(Figure 85), and other group activites. The Prinzessinnengarten proves that a vacant, barren parcel of land within an urban community can be transformed into an active, productive environment.
103 Figure 84 Prinzessinnengarten Market Promoting active, diverse activites such as markets creates more social interactions amoungst the people of the community. It also improves the local economy. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://www.thenatureofcities.com/TNOC/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Langer-Tag-der-Stadtnatur-Prinzessinnen-garten-flohmarkt-min.jpg
Figure 85 Prinzessinnengarten Library Education is a key element of the Prinzessinengarten so having a library present creates a great learning environment, especially for children. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/21/39/71/213971792c484f1c240d3972a73280cd.jpg
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Precedent 2: Fleet Farming
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Parramore
Figure 86 Proximity to Holden Heights The Fleet Farming group has started in the Audubon Park Neighborhood, but after receiving a grant, they are branching out into the community. They will begin adding farmlettes into the Parramore Neighborhood next.
In Orlando's Audubon Park neighborhood (Figure 86), an organization called Fleet Farming developed a strategy to use horticulture as a means of sustainable food production within their community. One of their goals is to eliminate the use of vehicles by riding bicycles (Figure 88) to the locations where they harvest the fresh vegetables and produce. They then sell these herbs to local businesses and at farmer’s markets in the area. This group works alongside the East End Market also located in the same neighborhood. (About Fleet Farming) In addition to selling Fleet Farming produce, the market also serves as a meeting place, garden, and community center. (About East End Market) These urban farms, also known as farmlettes, are located at multiple locations throughout the neighborhood. One is in front of a church (Figure 87), another outside the East End Market, and several located on residents' front lawns (Figure 89). Fleet Farm volunteers convert unused front and rear lawns and turn them into healthy, food-producing gardens. (About Fleet Farming, 2015) Fleet Farming creates an atmosphere for people to work together with other people in their communities and to learn about the benefits of urban farming and local food production. The Fleet Farming team is building a healthier and cohesive community in the Audubon neighborhood and with all of its success, it plans to expand into other parts of downtown Orlando. In October of 2016, the City of Orlando announced that they were awarded a $250,000 grant that will help the city develop a new farmers market, several Fleet Farming farmlettes in people's yards, and educational programs for people in the community. The grant comes from the USDA's Farmer's Market Program that aims to increase access and consumption of healthy foods. (City of Orlando Receives Grant from USDA to Expand Local Food Access in West Orlando)
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 87 Church Farmlette According to the 2010 Census, Orange County is expected to increase 9.9% between 20152020. Then it will be expected to increase about 10.2% between 2020-2025. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://www.thaicityfarm.com/autopagev4/spaw2/uploads/images/case%20study/fleet%20farm/6.jpg
Figure 88 Bicycle-powered According to the 2010 Census, Orange County is expected to increase 9.9% between 20152020. Then it will be expected to increase about 10.2% between 2020-2025. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://ogrodwcentrum.pl/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/fleet-farming-warzywa-nie-trawnik.jpg
107 Figure 89 Front Lawn Farmlette According to the 2010 Census, Orange County is expected to increase 9.9% between 20152020. Then it will be expected to increase about 10.2% between 2020-2025. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://fleetfarming.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/12107069_832664683516826_5841770960524166993_n.jpg
The urban farming trend is beginning to plant its seeds within the Orlando community. With the $250,000 grant from the USDA, Fleet Farming will assist the city in developing a new market, farmlettes, and educational programs within West Orlando and the neighborhood of Parramore(north of Holden Heights, see Figure 18). The grant will create several jobs for people who live in the neighborhood and the market will sell and profit from the locally grown produce. (O'Connor, 2016) Fleet Farming is enhancing community activism and education about sustainablility into the Orlando community through their farmlettes and bicyclepowered movement.
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Precedent 3: Ron Finley Project When a community lacks a sufficient supply of fresh, healthy food, the public health of that area will not be of good quality. In the South Los Angeles neighborhood, one resident took it upon himself to transform his neighborhood from a food desert into a thriving, healthy community. It all began in 2010 when Ron Finley decided to begin this horticulture revolution in his hometown of South Los Angeles (Figure 90). He saw an opportunity to utilize urban horticulture to create a pockets of edible gardens for his community to harvest and eat. The goal to help transform the area into a more resilient, healthy environment created more than just a healthy food supply. Finley began his revolution by planting in under-utilized curbsides near his own home, which was considered "gardening without a permit" according to the local authorities(Figure 91). With determination to make a difference in his community, Finley fought back with petitions and support from the activists in his community. Eventually, he won the battle and there were changes in policy that allowed for his “guerilla gardening� to work. Since then he has been making big waves in this horticultural revolution. His dreams of creating jobs, harvesting fresh produce, and educating children are becoming a reality. Ron Finley saw an opportunity to make a positive change within his neighborhood. His initiative and community activism propelled a gardening revolution which transformed the neighborhood that is turning into a food forest instead of a food desert. (The Ron Finley Project)
Figure 90 Ron Finley Ron Finley was a clothing designer who decided to do more than just design clothes. He used his neighborhood as the fabric which he sewed delicate gardens into. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017.http://payload449.cargocollective.com/1/17/572751/11297525/lucyhewett_microsoft-007_1350.jpg
"Growing your own food is like printing your own money." - Ron Finley
109 Figure 91 Curbside Gardening Ron Finley turned curbsides into lush gardens which initiated policy changes in his community. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d4/10/8e/d4108e10243b7d69874ee154bba253bf.jpg
"Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do. Plus you get strawberries." Ron Finley
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Precedent 4: MUFI - Michigan Urban Farming Initiative The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is an organization in Detroit that is creating a collaborative environment and a more resilient community (Figure 94-96). The neighborhood has been struggling with various socioeconomic issues such as vacancy, public health, and lack of access to healthy foods. This neighborhood lacks access to food, but it also struggles with people being properly educated about what eating healthy is about. The goal of this organization is to utilize "agriculture as a platform to promote education, sustainability, and community". At the same time they aim to "reduce socioeconomic disparity" by bringing the community together. (About MUFI, 2013) In order to revitalize this community they acknowledge how empowering the community is what makes the process work. While working on empowering the community and reducing economic issues, the organization is trying to make this project a "model for redevelopment". They want to set an example for other urban communities that face similar issues. The MUFI has started small, but as they grow they plan on redeveloping a few blocks to make them an "epicenter of urban agriculture". (About MUFI, 2013) In their epicenter, they plan on expanding the gardens and creating sustainable housing options for the residents (Figure 93). They also want to make their resource center larger by adding a greenhouse to the side of it (Figure 92).
111 Figure 92 MUFI Greenhouse Vision Rendering of the future of the MUFI Community Resource Center. An extension of the existing structure that becomes a greenhouse. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://s3.amazonaws.com/patronicity/project%2F1054%2Fbody%2FMUFI2.jpg
Figure 93 MUFI Site Development Layout The focus of MUFI is located within two blocks with plans of what will come next, such as housing projects, an orchard, and an extension of the farm. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bd3e63_1bbc62317fe6487aaf9679a6ac4e4bea.png/v1/fill/w_324,h_230,al_c,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/bd3e63_1 bbc62317fe6487aaf9679a6ac4e4bea.png
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Urban Horticulture As An Adaptive Development Strategy Figure 94 MUFI Community Center This building hosts an array of activities for the community. It acts as the place for people to gather, host workshops, and create collaborative efforts to change their community. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/1st-us-urban-agrihood-detroit.jpg
Figure 95 MUFI Farm This is a photo of the original MUFI land that has been transformed into a lush, productive urban farm. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9ZeKXInnt1U/maxresdefault.jpg
113 Figure 96 MUFI Sign Photo of the MUFI farm. Digital image. Accessed April 23, 2017. http://civileats.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/170130-agrihoods-top.jpg
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Annotated Bibliography The research presented in the project is a combination of articles, books, government publications, and other organizations that have assisted in the investigation of horticulture as a treatment for devastated urban neighborhoods. There is a collection of surveys, research, and investigations about the inclusion of green spaces in different types of urban environments and their benefits on public health. This annotated bibliography is the process of analysing the reasearch. This includes notes, summaries, and quotations that I found critical to my understanding of the research topic.
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1. "About Healthy Places." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014. Accessed September 28, 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/about.htm. The Center for Disease Control created this webpage to inform people of what the term ‘health’ refers to. It defines what health means in regards to people, but also goes into details about health of the communities and environments people inhabit. They provide information about design decisions that will improve the health of communities. Design decisions must be made based off of the needs of people’s health. “As the environment deteriorates, so does the physical and mental health of the people within it.” 2. Wolf, K.L., S. Krueger, and K. Flora. 2014. Healing and Therapy - A Literature Review. In: Green Cities: Good Health (www.greenhealth.washington.edu). School of Environmental and Forest Resources, College of the Environment, University of Washington. Our connection to nature is vital to our health. This article explores research from several different institutions and sources that have studied these connections and how they help us heal. What is interesting is that the author mentions that hospitals originally provided areas for gardens and green spaces, but due to advances in technology there was a decrease in the “connection between nature and the healing process”. Perhaps now that we are beginning to understand the negative impact this has had on people’s health, hospitals are reconsidering the inclusion of nature in healing spaces. Providing gardens and natural elements within healing environments allow for people to become distracted from their pain or problems. This article also describes that green spaces allow for people and communities who have experienced natural disasters or crisis to “recover and rebuild”. The key words that the author uses to describe how nature can heal are “resistant and resilient”. People, communities, and cities need to use nature to their advantage to resist threats and be more preventative of their health instead of waiting for ailments to hit. Nature will also allow the urban environment to be more resilient and strong for when disaster does occur.
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3. Wolf, K.L., and M.A. Rozance. 2013. Social Strengths - A Literature Review. In: Green Cities: Good Health (www.greenhealth.washington.edu). College of the Environment, University of Washington. This article relates nature into an urban and community based context. Providing green spaces within an urban environment provides opportunity for healthier communities and social interactions. It explores research about green spaces giving a community the ability to bring people together so they can collaborate with and support each other. We need to find ways to get people of a community together and start to participate in social organizations in order to create strong communities. This article points out that social ties in a community are strengthened by creating places that require maintenance of vegetation and the natural environment. This article also talks about nature being important in times of disaster. Our innate connection and attraction to nature is expressed in memorial or restorative spaces. These begin to strengthen communities by bringing people together for one common interest. Whether it’s a place to relax, cope with pain and suffering, or to exercise, greenspaces in an urban environment play a vital role in the health of individuals and the community. 4. Flora, Katrina, and Kathleen L. Wolf. 2014. Stress, Wellness, & Physiology – A Literature Review. In: Green Cities: Good Health (www.greenhealth.washington.edu). College of the Environment, University of Washington. In urban environments, stress becomes a serious health issue that effects the individual citizens as well as the overall public. The author explains how people in urban areas are overstimulated by the intense visuals, sounds, and constant movement which has negative health impacts. Being constantly overwhelmed and stressed is extremely detrimental to a persons’ health. People begin to have issues with blood pressure, slower metabolism, increased adrenaline, and feelings of disconnection. “In today’s high tech, urbanized societies, stress is one of the most important factors contributing to ill health” which leads to more govern-
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mental spending on public health. Another thing issue the author points out is that most of these stress induced, chronic illnesses are preventable according to the CDC. Some of these preventable, chronic illnesses that are caused by stress include diabetes, depression, and heart disease. If a person living in an urban environment increases their dose of exposure to nature, they will decrease the negative health issues. Dosage of green spaces can be defined by the following: • Quantity of nearby nature • Distance to nature • Time spent in nature • Quality of green space 5. Lutaladio, Nebambi, Barbara Burlingame, and Judith Crews. "Horticulture, Biodiversity and Nutrition." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 23, no. 6 (2010): 481-85. Accessed September 26, 2016. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2010.08.001. In this article, the author discusses the importance of horticulture, biodiversity, and nutrition within urban and rural environments. She establishes the many benefits that stem from urban horticulture systems. This includes social, environmental, and physical health benefits for these communities. It helps improve the conditions of a community through slum improvement, greener environments, and job opportunities. This develops strong, resilient urban communities. Amongst the many ways that horticulture benefits the environment include recycling initiatives, creating less waste, and increasing the air quality. Most of these results benefit humans directly, but the most direct way is through the nutritional food source that horticulture provides and economic growth from sales of the fresh produce. Horticulture is proven to benefit the health of urban communities throughout the world. Nutrition="to yield milk" "There is a fundamental link between the Earth as Mother Nature and the fruits of the earth as
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the milk she has yielded in the form of nourishment" 6. Reeve, Angela Chenoweth, Cheryl Desha, Doug Hargreaves, and Karlson Hargroves. "Biophilic Urbanism: Contributions to Holistic Urban Greening for Urban Renewal." Smart and Sustainable Built Environment Smart and Sust Built Env 4, no. 2 (2015): 215-33. Ways that we can use nature to enhance our urban environments can be done in different scales. This journal describes how cities can "holistically integrate" nature into their environments. Biophilic urbanism can be designed to reduce storm water runoff, decrease the heat island effect, and increase biodiversity. It also aids in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. All of these things affect our health at some point and is really important to consider as we move forward. This article also mentions that there is an "importance of nature for holistic human health and well-being". If we design our urban environments strategically to incorporate nature at different scales it will "enhance human health and well-being". Intentional design strategies would also create more resilient urban fabrics. Some of the health benefits researched in this article are increased community connection, reduced stress, and enhanced physical well-being. The different scales in which you can improve natural connections are the building, street, and city scales. Holistic approaches to integration of nature at a building scale include planted trees, vegetation, elevated landscapes, etc. The street scale could utilize small parks, gardens, and areas of vegetation in areas that are public ally owned and beyond the boundary of property lines. When jumping to the city scale, design considerations would include city parks, greenways, or city farms. These are generally done at larger scales, which means there are less of them(maybe one or two within the city) that potentially "traverse a city".
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7. Maller, C. "Healthy Nature Healthy People: 'contact with Nature' as an Upstream Health Promotion Intervention for Populations." Health Promotion International 21, no. 1 (2005): 45-54. This article delves into more detail about the way in which we need nature to help us maintain a healthy lifestyle. By "insulating" ourselves from the outdoors and spending our time indulging in the "artificial stimulation" we are slowly damaging our health. The author suggests that due to the lack of access to nature, people are beginning to forget "their connection to the natural world". Improving the health of urban environments by including more connections to nature will promote better public heath. Nature provides humans with material, psychological, spiritual, and emotional needs.The author explains that providing views, being around plants, or being a part of nature-based therapy can enhance humans health and well-being. Examples that prove it helps people heal quickly, increases children's attention, and stress relief are all benefits of natural connections in urban environments. Humans experience a "psychological response" when introduced to nature which improves their happiness, relaxation, and sustained attention. The author suggests that a holistic approach to public health is needed(see Reeve) and that a socio-ecological approach would be beneficial. This approach promotes public health through economic development that maintains sustainable, holistic ideals(won't impair future generations, protects biodiversity, etc). 8. "Green Works Orlando." Green Works Orlando. Accessed October 12, 2016. http://www. cityoforlando.net/greenworks/. 9. Rich, Sarah. Urban Farms. New York: Abrams, 2012. This book discusses the strategies and success of urban farms across the United States. Places like Boston, Detroit, and Brooklyn are homes to several horticultural programs that provide food, jobs, education, and social activities to people within the local community and neigh-
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borhoods. Edible Schoolyard NYC, Brooklyn, New York Educational benefits of urban farming(for children): • Geography and climate (seasonal eating, ecology) • Composting • Harvesting • Math (vegetable growth charts) • Recycling • Culinary arts • Time management • Process of planning out a project • Careful observation • Problem solving • Increases self-confidence and empowerment • Farm laid out to assist in teaching about gardening • Greenhouse learning area • Covered/sheltered areas for lessons and learninga • Kitchen classroom for learning about how to clean and cook the foods • Rainwater collection system(for irrigation) • Photovoltaic panels for energyh 10. Gorgolewski, Mark, June Komisar, and Joe Nasr. Carrot City: Creating Places for Urban Agriculture. The Monacelli Press: New York, 2011. Building community and knowledge (Page 58-63) Shared gardens become "vehicles for forming and strengthening communities, as well as for sharing knowledge, learning, and leisure." • Food production can be a way to build community in cities.
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• Cooperation of many people can create change • Gardens run by local restaraunts or cafes • "Community gardens contribute to the health of the population they serve in two ways: by yielding fresh, healthy vegetables and by providing a place for neighbors to gather, enjoy nature, and socialize as they learn from each other and develop relationships." Pavilions can provide shelter, shade, and storage while providing a gathering space for events Community food centers - forum and support networks for community engagement, education, and participation in food and agricultural processes. Four components for the creation and maintenance of community: -Spirit: sense of belonging and a feeling of friendship/connectivity with generating social capital and maintaining a sense of community. Designers create components that bring in the pleasant and functional qualities of community gardens. Troy Gardens(Page 64-66) Madison, Wisconsin Ziegler Design Associates, Community Groundworks • Mixed-income housing • Community gardens • Community supported agricultural farm • Open space/fields(preserved land so no development occurs) • "Growing community ownership and cultivating a sense of place. It is about community residents and local institutions working together to preserve, sustain, and strengthen their community." Bronxscape, Louis Nine House – Bronx, NY (184-187) A rooftop garden and multifunction pavilion which includes spaces for cooking, working on seedlings, and for food harvesting. It designed on top of a small, four-story building that
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houses young adults who do not have homes or families. The motto is “share, prepare, seed, nurture”. This rooftop garden and pavilion provides spaces for vocational training about “the food cycle from planting crops to cooking, consuming, and finally composting”. The design team for this project consisted of several design students. They developed a way to make it pre-fabricated so it was easier to assemble which made it extremely cost efficient as well. The main pavilion is open-air, but covered to protect from the rain. The canopy was designed with thirty five photovoltaic panels in order to offset the buildings energy costs. The author describes the design as an “active urban oasis, a community space, and a retreat” for the residents who are in a transitional point of their lives. 11. Louv, Richard. Do Our Kids Have Nature-Deficit Disorder? Educational Leadership: Health and Learning, 2009. Vol. 67 No. 4 Pp. 24-30. -What is "nature-deficit disorder"? - Louv defines it as a growing gap between nature and children/human beings with implications for health and well-being. -Schools became windowless, eliminating recess, and banning of animals from classrooms since the 1970's -Social implications were video games, entertaiment media, devaluing natural play, poor urban design, parental fear of strangers, less open space, etc -What people can do to change these things? Create greener schoolyards, nature pre-schools, nature-based community classrooms, establish eco-clubs... -The movement to connect children to nature could send calmer, more curious, better balanaced children into the classroom. -Playgrounds and outdoor spaces also benefit the teacher by helping with stress reduction. 12. Chiesura, Anna. The role of urban parks for the sustainable city. Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol. 68, 129-138.
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Urban parks become a vital part of sustainable cities. A survey conducted in the Netherlands provides information about why urban dwellers go to these urban parks. The survey concludes that “urban nature fulfills many social functions and psychological needs of citizens” which makes urban parks a very valuable “ingredient” for sustainable cities. A majority of the people said they go to parks to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings. It gives their senses a break from the “stressful rhythm of the city” by indulging in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. It allows people to forget about cars, buildings, and crowds of people. The author describes this as the “physical contours of the city”. People want to get a sense of freedom or they want to feel connected to nature. Nature is a source of positive energy and feelings. People seek the urban parks in order to “re-create the spirit” through the enjoyment of nature. 13. Farmers’ Markets. Healthy Food Access Portal. Web. 16 November 2016. Figuring out how to develop and operate a farmers’ market is not an easy task. This website offers strategies and resources to help along this process. Farmers’ markets provide fresh, healthy, and local food to a community. It is more affordable and readily available as well. Markets also allow for producers of food and products to sell their products to people in their nearby communities. Starting up a market is challenging because of the seasonal changes, lack of indoor spaces, etc. The most important thing to consider when starting a market is the accessibility. The market needs to be in a location that is close to public transit spots. Generally, markets work best when they are at churches, schools, or affordable housing sites because it helps attract more of the locals in the community. 14. Ulmer, Jared M.. Multiple health benefits of urban tree canopy: The mounting evidence for a green prescription. Health & Place. Over many years, humans have adapted to the natural environments and until very recently have humans been learning how to adapt to urban environments. Urban environments cre-
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ate more sedentary lifestyles which cause “threats to physical and psychological health” of the public. Urban environments expose people to the dangers of vehicles, noise, pollution, crime, and other dangers of contemporary society. The real threat that comes into play is the change of lifestyle where people are more sedentary due to occupation, driving, and dietary changes. This urban lifestyle causes health risks such as obesity and the cost of public health care has increased because of these issues. The authors explain how there has been a continuously growing data base of information about nature in urban environments benefitting health promotion and disease prevention. Not only does it benefit public health, it also increases community health (less violence, less stress, and more social ties). 15. "Orlando, Florida." Orlando, Florida. 2016. Accessed November 23, 2016. http://www. city-data.com/city/Orlando-Florida.html. 16. "USDA Defines Food Deserts." 2015. Nutrition Digest. Accessed November 16, 2016. http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts. Food deserts are defined as impoverished areas that lack the availability of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole foods. These areas generally do not have fresh markets, grocery stores, or any type of healthy food providers. Instead, there is an emphasis on fast foods and “quickie marts” the focus on the sales of food that are highly processed and full of sugar and fat. The lack of availability of fresh foods are causing these areas to have public health issues, like obesity. Food deserts are causing such a large problem within public health of communities, therefore the First Lady, Michelle Obama, has initiated a “Food Desert Locator”. This is a tool that helps identity the problem areas where there needs to be more focus on providing healthier food sources and minimizing the issues with childhood obesity.
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17. "A Look Inside Food Deserts." CDC Features. September 24, 2012. Accessed December 01, 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/features/FoodDeserts/. According to the CDC: “Food deserts are areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lowfat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.” According to research, access to healthier foods does influence what people purchase and eat. Other research indicates that even after providing healthier food sources, like markets and grocery stores, people still choose to eat the unhealthy foods due to personal preference. 18. Broffman, Matthew. "Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House and Culinary Garden Breaking Ground in College Park." Bungalower. October 22, 2014. Accessed December 05, 2016. http://bungalower.com/2014/10/22/emeril-lagasse-foundation-kitchen-house-culinarygarden-breaking-ground-college-park/. In the neighborhood of College Park near Downtown Orlando, Florida there will be a community garden and kitchen education center developed. It will be located across the street from the Orlando Junior Academy and it will be part of their “Edible Education Experience”. The edible garden will be as much of a learning experience as the culinary classroom. The Kitchen House and Culinary Garden won’t be exclusive and it will open its doors to other schools and people within the community. The main goal of the facility is to teach students about where their food comes from, how to grow it, and how to prepare it to eat. This is a great horticultural experience for students and interested people in the community. Several architects, engineers, and local businesses have donated their services to help make this project come to life. There is also a lot of support from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, local chefs, and raw food advocates to make this project a reality.
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19. Wolch, J.R., J. Byrne, and J.P. Newell. Urban green space, public health, and environmental justice: The challenge of making cities ‘just green enough’. 1 September 2014. Landscape and Urban Planning, 125. Green spaces within urban environments “support the ecological integrity of cities” through the development of parks, reserves, greenways, trails, and community gardens. Within an urban area, these spaces help improve air quality, reduce noise, and provide fresh food. They provide people with psychological well-being as well as a place to interact with nature and other people in their community. There is a strong database of information that discusses the many benefits and types of green spaces. The author instead wanted to focus on the “ecological gentrification” that becomes an issue when green spaces are implemented into the urban fabric. The author implies the social injustice issues that arise when green spaces begin to beatify neighborhoods. They increase property values and make the neighborhood more intriguing to other classes of people. Ultimately, people originally from the neighborhood will be unable to afford to live there and will be pushed out deeper into suburbia. This all begins with the issue of environmental injustice. This occurs in areas of low-income earners and people of color where green space is limited or “poorly maintained”. The vacant lots and unused areas within these areas are becoming the main focus for city planners in order to improve the community. The authors suggest that this creates an “urban green space paradox” because as these spaces are improved, the area becomes more attractive, housing costs rise, land value increases, and public health is improved. It makes it less affordable for the low-income earners to live there, which causes gentrification to occur. This inner-ring suburban area is proven to have minimal
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greenspaces for their residents, but there needs to be a solution that does not have any negative side-effects. The authors suggest the idea of improvement projects that are “just green enough”. The solutions should be sought after having needs, desire, and other community concerns met at a more direct level. This means that the community needs to drive the project. Instead of having “market-driven” approaches, there needs to be more community involvement and activism in order to produce results that don’t include gentrification. More successful are the projects that address resilience through local concerns such as food security, job creation, and public health. Another way to avoid gentrification is by making the projects smaller in scale instead of large, property development strategies. Basically, community activism and smaller scale projects are strategies that can be considered when revitalizing green spaces within a community.
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