Sounds so Jetsonian, doesn't it? This wonderfully quirky and interesting professor once gave a guest lecture on this topic, and I was sort of hooked. I've been meaning to read up on Despommier's work every since, and was pleasantly surprised to see an op-ed by him in the NYT today. Read more about A Farm On Every Floor.
Despite my declaration today that I don't really like talking about healthcare, I did think this would be a helpful site for people to take a look at and receive some sort of reality check in case they are having nightmares about "socialized" medicine and the government plotting with Pinky to take over the world:
Health Insurance Reform Reality Check
I've been pretty quiet lately, having been preoccupied again with nerdy pursuits in Epidemiology and Healthcare Finance. I did, however, want to poke my head in to announce the release of a nerdy book I've eagerly been awaiting - The Heart of Power: Health and Politics in the Oval Office. I never imagined when I first started exploring public health as an undergrad that it would be the hot topic it is today. I know you might expect me to discuss healthcare reform more passionately on this blog, but well, you're wrong. I don't really like talking about such things - its highly academic for me and I still feel rather ignorant despite being in a Master's in Public Health program. Also, I'm clearly just insecure about my opinions. So instead, I'll recommend some enlightening books for us to all smile and nod over. Enjoy.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer on NYC food policy and its public health implications:
Putting Food Policy on the City's Front Burner
The Fourth Urbanism - No, we are not talking about a new dimension of reality here (although that would be nice). We're talking about a potentially fourth "school of urbanism" in addition to the existing three - New Urbanism, Everyday Urbanism, and Post-Urbanism - neatly described by Frank Gruber's article (Part 1) in The Huffington Post.
Chicago Design - I used a time machine to travel back to preschool and just stare at the pretty pictures in this piece on the celebration of architect Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago. When I finally had the heart to read and digest, I felt the need to go back to my Urban Studies texts on the history of the city of Chicago and become fascinated by a place other than NYC. A pretty picture for this blog:
If you are obsessed with good food and wonder why a hamburger costs less than an apple, you might be interested in learning more about Community Supported Agriculture in NYC. Don't know what that is? Community supported agriculture is a new (or not depending on how you view the modern food industry and how people "used to" eat), and developing model of agriculture and food distribution which is meant to reconnect the individual/consumer with the farmer/producer. CSA's have sprung up nationwide, allowing individuals and families to receive weekly shipments of fresh produce directly from local farmers. I'm desperate to join one, but have no idea what to do with a whole boxload of fresh fruits and vegetables (and sometimes dairy products) - feed myself for a month and store it in a an icebox since I have a studio-friendly skinny fridge? Alas, I may have to wait a while before it makes sense to join one.
To find out more, visit the link above or read up on some Michael Pollan. Happy food.
Cities fascinate me. Of all the relationships we manage in our lives, the one we struggle to maintain with our cities is the most fraught with love and hate. Last night, I loved my foggy, warm city where I could get a frozen hot chocolate at 11 pm. This weekend, I will hate my city for its random subway service changes that I can never seem to keep up with. For the last few weeks, a friend and I have been feeling the need to take a break from it all, the life, the pace, the noise, the endlessness of it all. The Earth Mother in me needs to hear the crickets and gaze at the stars as she falls asleep. Eventually the City Chick will takeover and want a a frothy, overpriced latte. We work with cities, and they constantly allow us to keep up with all the changes within us.
As an Urban Studies major, I was rather clueless. My classmates were advocates of community supported agriculture and the bicycle-friendly city, while I explored issues in urban health. My choice of major continues to raise a few eyebrows and questions, and sometimes even I contemplate how in the world I didn't end up a Biology or Psychology major. Over time though, I saw how "urban studies" is really the daily fabric of our lives, whether we live in cities big or small. And so I've decided to start placing what I find relevant about all things urban under a category of its own. I suspect that many will never fully understand Urban Studies (an interdisciplinary field that is so vast to begin with) or find it legitimate - hopefully this will help.
My first contribution is an article from the NYT, The Self-Service City. In often undetectable ways, our cities are evolving away from their traditional definition, and I wonder how this reflects the cultural and political evolution of the city dweller. It remains to be seen - and studied!
