Undeveloped land masses in Detroit has gained the attention of John E. Mohk, a Professor of Law at Wayne State University, Mohk believes that proper regulation enacted by Detroit officials through city ordinances will help to promote large scale growing efforts as opposed to only the locals growing food in their backyards.  Apparently, Mohk thinks that city officials are stalling because of their concern for the community.  Mohk claims that a lot of the available land in the city is contaminated by lead.  Could the need for major land redevelopment be another reason city officials are slow to address problematic city zoning? Or has the fear of Agricultural Commercialism caused impeded agricultural growth?

At this point, the benefit of agriculture of any kind serves a much needed purpose, but there are still other options to consider is the community well being is a concern.  In this episode of Practical Law Professor Mohk shares his perspective on the issue.

Urban Agriculture from Bloomfield Township on Vimeo.
Redevelopment efforts in urban areas in the inner city may align better with agendas that seek to rebuild existing housing structures or build new homes to replace dilapidated real estate. Real Estate works to serve the community better than agricultural efforts in this case because local residents are growing their own food which gives them access to fruits and vegetables to meet nutritional needs. Addressing hunger and nutritional needs can be taken care of through education and other programs like Let's Move First Lady Michelle Obama's Initiative. The goals outlined for Let's Move really encourages everyone to view nutritional health as a national issue. Meeting other basic needs like providing shelter, long-term stability, and affordable housing give low income families a chance to own property and improve their quality of life. In may cities, Habitat for Humanity works with members of the community to help first time home buyers obtain affordable housing. This organization is a God send for individuals who earn at least 18,000 annually, but many working class citizens will still be excluded from participation because of income limits. The needs within different communities will always vary, but making food and shelter available to those in need is something that needs to be done all the time. 
 
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