HOME GR/OWN: Milwaukee’s Social Justice Challenges and the Role for Urban Gardens

To view this presentation in sync with the lecture slides, please visit:
http://ppc.uiowa.edu/forkenbrock/home-grown

Tim McCollow, project manager for Milwaukee’s HOME GR/OWN initiative, discussed Milwaukee's urban food movement, and demonstrated how city vacancies and neighborhoods have been transformed with healthy food access and greenspace developments.

Recorded on 2/4/2016

Transcript

1. Milwaukee’s Social Justice Challenges and the role of Urban Gardens Tim McCollow City of Milwaukee eco (Environmental Collaboration Office)
2. HOME GR/OWN Issues facing MKE Vacancy/Public Health Placemaking Partners for Places
3. 3 Office of Env. Sustainability (now ECO) - what we do
4. ECO’s focus areas - Energy, Food, Green Infrastructure 4 jjjjjjjjjjjj
5. HOME GR/OWN what we do
6. HOME GR/OWN Mission ◦ Historically important neighborhoods has been severely impacted by the foreclosure crisis, lack of sufficient economic opportunity, private disinvestment, leaving many in poor health among vacant lots and foreclosed homes. ◦ Milwaukee’s HOME GR/OWN initiative will increase access to healthy, local foods and create new, green spaces in low-income neighborhoods. New farms, parks, gardens, community spaces. Strong focus on placemaking. ◦ HOME GR/OWN re-imagines how urban liabilities like vacant spaces can be turned into assets that: ◦ increase the availability of local, healthy foods - improving health ◦ supplementing incomes through new opportunities in the local food supply chain and urban horticulture, ◦ place-making in unsafe and disconnected neighborhoods. August 28, 2014 6
7. HOME GR/OWN Awards 2015 Mayor’s Design Award 2015 MANDI Award - “Best Public Space” 2015 SXSW Eco Places by Design Winner international design contest - Urban Strategies category 7
8. HOME GR/OWN In the News 43 positive stories in last 3 years Highlights: Architectural Digest National Public Radio National AP story Next City Fast Company Governing Iowa Public Radio ← woo hoo FoodTank (forthcoming) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 8
9. HOME GR/OWN why we do it
10. May 7, 2014 10 = ADDRESSED BY HOME GR/OWN CONCERNS OF MILWAUKEE RESIDENTS HOME GR/OWN addresses multiple community concerns - simultaneously
11. HOME GR/OWN - our priorities & focus 11
12. The ultimate goal: a MKE community food system ◦ What is a “community food system”? A community food system is a food system in which food: ◦ production, ◦ processing, ◦ distribution ◦ consumption ◦ recycling integrated to enhance the environmental, economic, social and nutritional health of a particular place. ◦ Community food systems are interconnected, place-based, ecologically sound, economically productive, socially cohesive, food secure and food literate. August 28, 2014 12
13. THE CHALLENGE 2,900 vacant lots MKE 5th poorest City in US 65% African American male unemployment central city food desert North Side concentration
14. The elephant in the room
15. Race geography in Southeast Wisconsin
16. Milwaukee’s Race Issue
17. Population maps show where the people aren’t
18. Aside - Fun with Pop’n maps An Iowan perspective
19. MKE, CHI, Madison, Davenport
20. Population maps show where the people aren’t
21. Iowa City - close-up
22. Iowa City - even closer
23. Back to Milwaukee
24. Poverty Levels Dark brown = >50% Medium brown =35-50%
25. Household Incomes Yellow = < $25,000 Tan = $25,000-$35,000
26. The vacancy issue Vacant lots & Foreclosed Structures Vacant lots Boarded-up homes Vacant Commercial space
27. Vacant Lots Vacant homes North Side Cluster
28. The vacancy issue Vacant lots Vacant lots in MKE are a long-term North Side issue caused by fires & razing.
29. North Side vacant lots - closer look
30. Impact of vacancy on 1 neighborhood - 13 x 13 blocks
31. Effect of vacant lots & foreclosed homes on population density on the North Side
32. Our most recent success new pocket parks & orchard parks in 10 months North Side Food Accessibility 32
33. 2,700 Vacant Lots in Central City
34. 1,200 Vacant Houses Owned by the City
35. Highly vacant commercial corridors
36. North Side economy
37. North Side economy today: Corner stores Gas stations Day care centers Cell phone stores Fast food restaurants but increasingly urban food
38. Public Health Issues
39. MKE Public Health Issues Poverty Obesity - 43% Diabetes Chronic diseases High infant mortality High % uninsured - few Dr visits Up to 74% of foood retail “unhealthy” HOW HOME GR/OWN helps: Increased access to healthy food Promotion of physical activity Cleaner neighborhoods Link between gardening & stress reduction Crime stabilization/drop due to New healthy, green spaces 39
40. Who gardens in MKE and why?
41. HOME GR/OWN & Urban Planning/Design
42. Central City Vacancy Fixing the “Donut City” Assume little to no in-fill residential Crime & perception of crime Activate vacant residential lots Use placemaking to create catalytic spaces - attract people across invisible barriers Vacant commercial corridors - streetscaping, ? Imagine creative, unconventional uses for the empty spaces 42
43. 5 year plan 10 year plan 20 year plans? How can we fill the void?
44. A brief introduction to placemaking Why it matters so much
45. Placemaking 101
46. Placemaking 201
47. PLACEMAKING
48. PLACEMAKING
49. The Impact of 1 Vacant Lot put to a New Use ◦ Place-making: Create neighborhood places of interest & gathering spots -> greater neighborhood cohesion (look out for each other) ◦ “Get Grandma out of the house and onto her porch” - increased safety ◦ In “greener” neighborhoods, crime tends to stabilize, then drop ◦ Healthy food grown in the garden can be sold to neighbors, supplementing family income ◦ Families eat healthier food ◦ Increased flood protection distributed stormwater management on each site – every improved vacant lot gets stormwater feature (rainwater harvesting, rain garden, bioswale) ◦ Sales of foreclosed properties increase ◦ Property values increase – the street looks better ◦ City expenses decrease – City not paying $ for maintenance anymore August 28, 2014 49
50. Our first success May ‘14: Comprehensive ordinance changes promoting urban agriculture Focus areas: Zoning changes: growing, compost Creation of commercial farm class Liberalization of rules on growing, accessory structures, hoop houses, farm buildings, commercial compost operations Health Dep’t food licensing changes followed in Nov ‘14 50
51. Our second success August ‘14: Completion of Ezekiel Gillespie Park Highlights: Green infrastructure: porous pavers, cistern, rain garden Fruit orchard & berries Built by commercial landscaper training an NGO that hired area residents Winner: 2015 MKE Best Public Space 51
52. fruit orchard cistern permeable pavers berry bushes native perennials Mayor’s Design Award for Neighborhood Revitalization Ezekiel Gillespie Park MKE “Best Public Space 2015”
53. 53 Ezekiel Gillespie Park - 14th & Wright 3 former vacant lots, inc. 1 razed home Cost: $82,000
54. More Ezekiel Gillespie Park 54
55. Our most recent success November ‘15: Completion of 20 new pocket parks & orchard parks in 10 months Highlights: Sites built by AA residents: “by the neighborhood, for the neighborhood” 20 unique designs, created with strong resident engagement Each site had NGO sponsor 230 fruit trees planted 28 vacant lots transformed Large public/private partnership Winner: 2015 SXSW Eco Places by Design international design contest - Urban Strategies 55
56. HOME GR/OWN’ s 2015 Partners for Places
57. 2015: Partners for Places: Repurposing 28 vacant lots into 20 parks & orchards
58. pocket parks orchard parks 6 14
59. Partners for Places: By the numbers 20 sites. 6 pocket parks 14 orchard-parks 17 neighborhood sponsors 12 operations partners 208 fruit trees planted 16 North Side residents employed 3 RainSheds being built 15 local & national news stories to date 59
60. Riverworks Deve Corp 16 Havenwoods Econ Deve Corp 38th ST Block Club Growing Power Dominican Center for Women MSOE/Heartlove Neighborhood Partners Housing Authority Mt Zion Baptist Church Walnut Way Amani United BNCP Safe & Sound All Peoples Church
61. 5 Philanthropic Funders
62. 12 Operational Partners
63. Designing lots with multiple benefits Healthy food options
64. Designing lots with multiple benefits Healthy food options Neighborhood cohesion “Get Grandma back on the front porch” block party
65. Designing lots with multiple benefits Healthy food options Neighborhood cohesion Local jobs & training “By the neighborhood, for the neighborhood”
66. Designing lots with multiple benefits Healthy food options Neighborhood cohesion Local jobs & training Stormwater management
67. Designing lots with multiple benefits Blight reduction Healthy food options Neighborhood cohesion Local jobs & training Stormwater management Stabilized, even decreased crime Increased property values: 3-30% Decreased City operating costs: $450/lot
68. How it’s possible
69. Inclusive design process
70. Residents/Neighborhood groups take Responsibility
71. plans, renderings, plants
72. Sunshine Park completed July 2015
73. Scale well-designed sites in Milwaukee’s toughest, most vulnerable neighborhoods 20 IMPACT of Partners for Places
74. Execution 20 sites constructed February - November, 2015 20 months total (grant -> planning -> finish
75. Designed by students ...future leaders and community planners and residents
76. African American adult job creation Sense of community Free access to healthy food Crime stabilization & cleaner streets Long term property value increase Blighted properties catalyzed
77. Transformed image of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods
78. The 6 new HOME GR/OWN pocket parks
79. Sunshine Park Lindsay Heights 14th & North Sponsor: Walnut Way
80. Scholars Park Metcalfe Park 38th & Wright Sponsor: The Middle Ground
81. Adams Park Harambee 2nd & Vienna Sponsor: Riverworks 2016 Brico Public Art
82. Dr. Carter Park Amani 24th Pl & Burleigh Sponsor: Amani United 2016 Brico art install
83. Metcalfe Rising Park Metcalfe Park 34th & Center Sponsor: BNCP
84. MLK Peace Place Park - Harambee MLK Dr & Ring St Sponsors: Heartlove, MSOE, Fidel Verdin
85. A few HOME GR/OWN orchard-parks
86. Nigella Orchard N. Harambee 2nd & Nash Sponsor: Riverworks
87. Amani Community Orchard Amani - 22nd & Locust Sponsor: Amani United
88. Growing Power Orchard - Harambee 57th & Silver Spring Dr Sponsor: Growing Power
89. Hope for Tomorrow Orchard 24th Pl & Meinecke Sponsor: Hopewell MB Church
90. Hope for Tomorrow Triangle Sponsor: Hopewell MB Church
91. Harambee Square Harambee 2nd & Center Sponsor: N. Harambee Neighbors
92. The Goden of Selah Harambee 2nd & North Ave Sponsor: Mt. Zion Baptist Church
93. Westlawn Community Garden 62nd & Custer Sponsor: Housing Authority
94. Cherry Court Community Orchard 23rd & Cherry Sponsor: SET Ministries/Housing Authority
95. All Peoples Orchard 2nd & Locust Sponsor: All Peoples Church
96. Total cost: $178,000 96 for 20 Partners for Places 2015 sites
97. Thank you and please remember 2 things.
98. May 7, 2014 98
99. HOME GR/OWN - City of Milwaukee Tim McCollow HOME GR/OWN Program Manager eco Office: 414-286-3748 tmccol@milwaukee.gov www.homegrownmilwaukee.gov You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter 99