The growing demand for urban farms and community gardens continues to sprout across the country. A new American Bar Association book "Urban Agriculture: Policy, Law, Strategy, and Implementation" provides an overview of information, perspectives and examples of urban agriculture to government officials, lawyers, planners and individuals, nonprofits and community organizations considering some aspect of farming within the city limits.
The book addresses the concerns and misconceptions that can occur when planning, developing and implementing an urban agricultural idea.
Written by experts involved in different aspects of urban agriculture, the book offers a historical view of the cultivating phenomenon. It also explores issues surrounding the legal and regulatory framework, environmental and tax considerations, nutritional strategies to combat the absence of healthy foods in neighborhoods, answers for blight in urban areas and resources to help explore the concept deeper both here and abroad.
"Urban Agriculture" analyzes the challenges and opportunities involving:
- Land use
- Environmental and regulatory legal issues
- Regulatory issues and Local governments
- Property owners
- Vacant properties
- Nonprofit organizations
- Neighborhood groups
Lawrence E. Bechler is a shareholder with the Wisconsin firm of Murphy Desmond S.C. He has briefed and argued municipal cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, as well as the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He currently serves as the committee coordinator of the ABA Section of State and Local Government Law.
Martha (Marti) Harrell Chumbler is an attorney with the Tallahassee, Fla., office of Carlton Fields Jorden Burt P.A., and has more than 35 years of experience in the area of state and local government law including land use regulation and litigation, state and local tax disputes, public records law, public procurement, and general administrative litigation.
Sorell Negro is a lawyer with Robinson & Cole LLP, where she practices land use, real property and environmental litigation. She currently serves as the CLE director of ABA's Section of State and Local Government Law, and chair of the Real Property, Trust, and Estate Law Section's land use committee.
Published: Thu, May 28, 2015
