organic transformation of history
Farmadeliphication seems like a good, if utopian, idea. It proposes taking the vacant lots of the city and turning them into farmland. It’s really pretty surprising how much plant life thrives in Philly, especially West Philly, so it seems plausible that lots could be used as vegetable gardens, if not full-blown farms. Unfortunately, most of the vacant space in Philly is in pretty dangerous neighborhoods, so I might worry that well-meaning people, especially people from outside the neighborhood, might run into trouble.
The pictures do trouble me somewhat. Some show rowhomes standing isolated in farm fields. Would these folks raze North Philly to raise crops? These are neighborhoods that have more than just crime - they have communities and histories. They just happen to be neglected and populated by the same neglected people the world saw on TV during Hurricane Katrina. Are they suggesting these neighborhoods don’t matter?
