Folding the Sheet, Drawing with graphite, 22x30 inches, Rick Beerhorst

"What happened in Detroit is spreading through out. With no buffer between the rich and the poor, the only thing left is revolution." dialogue from the film Detropia

I watched the film Detropia this week and was really taken with the beautiful way the film pictures the city of Detroit in all its current ruined splendor. One of the powerful statements of this picture is the possible prophecy that what has happened to the city of Detroit may be on it's way to many other cities around the world.

How do we respond to urban decay? How can our cities become more livable, walkable, sustainable? I grew up in the 60s and 70s when so many people were leaving the cities for the suburbs. It seems that the past 15 years people have been in the process of rediscovering the central core of our cities and moving back in with a renewed enthusiasm and ideas for what urban living can mean.

With our own version of a micro urban farm our family has chosen to mix some of what one would expect to find in rural living (Chickens, large garden filled with edibles, fruit trees, honey bees) within an old urban neighborhood with shops, art galleries and restaurants within walking distance. We want the culture of the city (bumping into neighbors as we walk to the grocery store, rock bands practicing next door) along with the strong connection to the natural world (keeping opossums from getting into the chicken coop) one expects to find in the country.

What is it like where you live and what do you feel that your city needs to become more alive and ready for a more sustainable future?