re-imagining detroit

detroit could be the first city in the United States to go through a transformation to something like a farm-city. i've had this vision of urban transformation for a few years now. i didn't know how real this potential is in detroit until visiting there.

detroit works has been working on some ideas which are being presented for consideration by residents. some of what is said in this article is very exciting to me.

"...neighborhoods that are almost entirely abandoned might be used for reforestation or experimental fields where sunflowers and other plants could be used to detoxify contaminated land."

what if people came from all over the united states to lend their talents and energy to transforming the denuded landscapes of detroit? how many people would it require, and how many years of work, to create a new kind of city that provides for itself? is it possible to create such a city? would the city have to be broken up into smaller, densely organized villages with farmland around them? what parts of our culture would be retained and what would be shed in the transformation? what new cultural wealth could come through it?

if i got a call from my superhero friends there at the heartquarters, on the fringes of detroit, to come join in a convergence of superheroes, rainbow warriors, warriors of the heart, i'd be very compelled to lend myself to the cause.