$90,000 Doris Duke grant to study “the real effects of urban agriculture”

Doris Duke (1912 – 1993) was an American heiress, horticulturalist, art collector, and philanthropist.

New Land Grant for Urban Living

By Melanie Grayce West
Wall Street Journal
March 15, 2011

Excerpt:

Developing a plan for the future of urban farms in New York City is the focus of the Five Borough Farm project through the New York nonprofit Design Trust for Public Space.

The organization was recently awarded $90,000 from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to work with organizations throughout the city to develop a map, quantify the many benefits of urban agriculture and develop a set of recommendations on how the city should support urban agriculture activity.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, established in 1996, primarily supports the arts, the environment, medical research and the prevention of child abuse. One of the key areas of importance to the foundation is the recognition that 80% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. “Activities that take place on urban land are just critical in supporting the health of our environment, everything from clean water and air to biodiversity,” says Edward Henry, president of the foundation.

The decision to fund the Design Trust for Public Space project “is because there is no hard data about the real effects of urban agriculture. Whether it’s on economics, health or qualitative issues about the environment,” says Mr. Henry.

Read the complete article here.