Detroit has a reputation for being an urban agriculture hub, but a new University of Michigan-led study shows a different reality. Joshua Newell, an urban geographer at U-M’s School for Environment and Sustainability and lead author, discusses how Detroit’s Lower Eastside utilizes less than 1% of vacant land for community and private gardens. Newell highlights that gardens are vital to reducing neighborhood blight and have the potential to provide other benefits to residents in the future. He also explains the team’s recommendation to scatter future gardens across the landscape rather than cluster them in limited locations.
