Growing Saves
If I were to ask how much money you spend on produce in a week, what would you say? I think a very popular answer would be, too much. What if I told you there is a way to reduce the amount of grocery money coming out of your pocket? Now that I have your...
Of Gardening: These Things I Have Learned
I have learned that every plant has a personality; a strange life of it’s own. Gardening is not an effortless art-form. It takes all of the intention in the world for this practice to be sustainable and efficient. I registered for a Master Gardening class at the Urban Research and Outreach Center (UROC) in North...
Reflection on Tamales y Bicicletas’ Urban Solution to Pollution
“The solution to pollution is going to come from the people directly affected by these issues.” - Jose Luis Villaseñor, director of Tamales y Bicicletas On Sunday afternoon, July 22nd, the music was banging from Tipsy Bike as the Tamales y Bicicletas critical mass set out from the East Phillips Park’s Cultural and Community Center for...
Familiar Territory, New Nature: Jane Jacobs Walk Reflections
As participants of the Jane Jacobs Walk in Tampa, FL, we explored a key area of our city: the neighborhood link between VM Ybor, Tampa Heights and Seminole Heights. That link is Nebraska Avenue. The nature of Nebraska Avenue has changed. Still a notorious center lane of conflict and evasion, on the surface, the changes...
Walk It Out
A good walk early in the morning or just before the sun sets has amazing power. Power to clear the mind, to find peace, to calm an upset stomach or a troubled heart and mind, to produce creative thoughts, to stumble on places you never noticed were there before, to sing a new song: out...
Mapped Art
I’ve had this question in my mind for the past few months: is art sustainable? In other words, does the creation of art and the physical/built/natural environment come together in any way? I believe I’ve found one pretty good answer so far: the creation of art-based maps. Maps are important for a variety of missions: to...
10 Steps to Start-up a Community Garden
Peep more amazing artwork by Andrew Lyons on Lyonsa.com Wouldn’t it be cool if everywhere you turned in the city, there was a community garden sprouting up? An ecological urban oasis brimming with juicy fruit, fragrant herbs, hearty veggies and fantastical colors on every corner that everyone can maintain, as well as eat from. Tampa could look...
