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Health and success begin at home, yet millions of Americans live in housing that is making them sick. Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning and asthma. NLC is committed to supporting member efforts to provide safe and affordable housing for every family. NLC has selected six cities through a competitive application process to come together on health hazards in housing. The Healthy Housing City Leaders’ Forum will first convene in Charlotte, North Carolina in December. The six participating cities are:

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Bloomington, Illinois
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Detroit, Michigan
• Durham, North Carolina
• Jersey City, New Jersey

Each city has convened a cross-sector team that includes city department heads, implementers, and health partners. With the generous support of The JPB Foundation, this initiative will enable city teams to develop and implement a targeted action plan to improve housing conditions in their community. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: Cities Speak

Roland Ebel of the Sustainable Food Systems Program at Montana State University conducted a research project to determine the extent to which an ancient Aztec agricultural technique could benefit 21st century horticultural needs. Ebel examined the use of “chinampas” with the hope of discovering their modern utility. A chinampa is a raised field on a small artificial island on a freshwater lake (usually surrounded by canals and ditches), where vegetables can be produced year round. The irrigation needs of chinampas is low and the productivity extremely high. Chinampas provide fresh produce for a megacity such as Mexico City and are conceivable around many of today’s exploding urban areas. Ebel’s findings are illustrated in the article Chinampas: An Urban Farming Model of the Aztecs and a Potential Solution for Modern Megalopolis “Today, many cities face very similar challenges as Mexico City did 700 years ag – a rapidly growing population, and less and less arable land available for food production. Highly intensive production systems with low resource demand are, therefore, a strategic goal of urban agriculture developers. Thus, while most strategists emphasize high-tech solutions such as complex vertical farms, I think it is worthwhile to learn from the achievements of our ancestors,” states Ebel.  Follow this link to read more. Sourced from: Morning Ag Clips

Jobs play a central role in the lives of most adults. As forces like globalization and automation reshape the labor market, it is clear that some people and places are positioned to do well while others risk becoming collateral damage. The well-educated and technically savvy find ample employment opportunities, while those with lower levels of education face a labor market that is decidedly less welcoming, with lower wages and less potential for career growth. Meanwhile, some regions dramatically outpace others in job growth, incomes, and productivity, raising disquieting questions about how best to promote broad-based economic growth. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: Brookings

As Americans, we see transportation as freedom. Give us a car and the open road, a bustling transit system, or bike lanes for miles. Transportation connects us to people and opportunity—and good infrastructure can make our lives better. This notion doesn’t end at the modes that move people. Freight trains are often the forgotten side of rail infrastructure, chugging day in, day out across our cities to deliver goods we rely on. Everything from consumer products to food to energy resources moves by rail. As infrastructure sits top of mind for policymakers at all levels of government, and we approach re-authorization of the federal highway program in 2020, it’s useful to reflect on our strengths. Privately funded freight rail is one of these strengths, an infrastructure asset that delivers stronger economies, more jobs, less congestion, and cleaner skies, all of which impacts municipalities. Here are five ways trains are driving cities forward. Follow this link to learn more. Sourced from: Cities Speak