Weekly Roundup 059– 9th to 15th April

FEATURE REPORT/ ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

‘Another Reason to Love Urban Green Space: It Fights Crime’
Authored by Julian Spector

Looks like we just found more reason to love urban green spaces – The article throws light on a recent study that suggests adding greenery to a gray or vacant setting reduces criminal activity in the nearby areas. An urban green space provides opportunities for a community to grows its own vegetables and fruits. It also has a positive effect of  increasing social activity in the neighbourhood. Furthermore, a community taking care of its urban spaces is its way of saying “We care about our surroundings and we have our eyes on the street”. Together, all the above reasons are believed to indirectly lessen the criminal activities in an area. The author discusses three different cases from across the world, where improved urban vegetation led to a significant reduction of crime in these areas.

This study opens up several gateways for community gardening, urban agriculture and urban farming to define the design of our cities.

Read the whole piece here.

Published by citylab.



ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE WEEK

‘Food and Urbanism | The Convivial City and a Sustainable Future’
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing

Food and Urbanism, authored by Susan Parham gives the reader an easy understanding of how food is central to mankind’s survival and yet overlooked when it comes to the planning and design of cities. Since ancient times, food has been an essential ingredient for cultural understanding, social justice and various other forms of urban existence. It forms strong connections with people and places right from the stage of cultivation until its consumption and disposal. Owing to this, the book also presents several “gastronomic” possibilities for urban spaces, where food can play a key role in shaping our urban future. Overall, Food and Urbanism is a thrilling read which explores and explains the complex relationship between food and cities.

Read the publication here.

VIDEO/ PODCAST OF THE WEEK

‘How food shapes our cities’
Created by Ted Talks

They say we are what we eat. Like people, cities are also what they eat. Architect Carolyn Steel discusses how food can be used as a medium to read and understand the evolution of cities. She argues that Agriculture and Urbanism are bound together and that it is apparent through our ancient food networks. She says that understanding the flow of food from a farm to an urban table will help us reconnect with and redesign our cities towards a sustainable future. Carolyn Steel’s concept of Sitopia (a food place) is an illuminating talk about how we can use food as a powerful tool to shape our cities.