Food-System-Sustainability-and-Agrarian-New-Urbanism-Reform-A-Better-Future-for-The-City-of-Auburn-and-Beyond

Auburn University Food System Sustainability and Agrarian New Urbanism Reform: A Better Future for The City of Auburn and Beyond Aubrey Sanders 20 April 2020 Sanders To the City Planning Department and fellow citizens of Auburn, Alabama, The Loveliest Village on the Plains has a spirit like no other It is heard in the voices of those who cry “War Eagle.” It is felt in the hearts of neighbors, who dearly care for the community that they serve It is seen in the rolls that stream from the grand oak trees of Toomer’s Corner It is smelled through the blossoms of flowers that grow on every corner and it is tasted through local chefs’ savory cuisine, whose roots grow in the fruitful Alabama soil Throughout its history, Auburn has helped advance the food system and wellbeing of Alabama, whilst creating one of the most unique food cultures of the southeast While the vitality of Auburn’s culture is strong, the modern world does not go without its challenges Suburban sprawl, monoculturalization, climate change, high food insecurity, and unsustainable food waste are threatening to degrade every aspect of life These challenges are great, but Auburn is stronger By creating a sustainable food system through the village model and agrarian new urbanism, Auburn can secure a future of personal wellbeing and freedom, economic opportunity and prosperity, social connectivity, strong civic leadership, and environmental sustainability for all As defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “Food systems encompass the entire range of actors and their interlinked value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries, and parts of the broader economic, societal and natural environments in which they are embedded The food system is composed of sub-systems (e.g farming system, waste management system, input supply system, etc.) and interacts with other key systems (e.g energy system, trade system, health system, etc.).” Sanders Food is one of the most identifiable characteristics of any civilization A great city cannot be without a great food system; Auburn is no exception to this Much of Auburn’s culture relates to its unique agricultural history Settled in the arid plains of East Alabama in 1836 by John Harper and settlers from Georgia, Auburn quickly became the agricultural epicenter of the region Auburn University was founded in 1872 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama According to Auburn University, “Throughout its history, the college has helped advance Alabama’s agricultural economy while improving the nutrition, health and standard of living for all citizens.” With the help of Auburn University’s agriculture program, “Alabama has more than 43,000 farms spread across 8.9 million acres The state’s agriculture ranks second in the country in broilers, catfish and quail, third for forestland, peanuts and sod, and sixth for pecans Forestry is an important part of the state’s agriculture sector Alabama boasts the third most timber acreage in the U.S., behind Georgia and Oregon” (Farm Flavor) Alabama’s food system produces $70.4 billion in total economic impact and creates 580,295 jobs, with one in every 4.6 jobs related to the Food system (Fields, Deacue) In the Auburn Metro Area, agriculture yields $2.6 billion in total economic impact, contributing to a significant portion of economic stimulus alongside education (Fields, Deacue) Auburn is home to many local farms (such as Hornsby, Farmer in the Dell, and Sweet Pick’ins), family-owned vineyards (such as Five Points, Hodges and Whipporwill), fisheries (like EW Shells Center), and farmers markets (such as the City Market, AG Heritage Park Market, and O Grows Market) These local producers and sellers feed the community and inspire great culture as unique as the soil they grow from The pinnacle of food culture in Auburn is savored in the cuisine of local chefs and home kitchens Whether it is a night out to enjoy the great craft of local restaurants (such as Acre, The Depot, and Ariccia Tattoria) or spending a relaxing day drinking Sanders freshly squeezed lemonade at Toomer’s Drugs, Auburn’s relationship with food beautifully presents its unique flavor Much of the flavor is passed down through family home kitchens The homegrown success of Chicken Salad Chick shows that the humble cultivation of Auburn’s grass roots food system has created cuisine renowned throughout the Southeast The recognition of the city’s great cuisine has inspired Auburn University to further develop its hospitality program through the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center The new center will be the core of culinary leaning, innovation, and experience for Auburn and beyond ‘The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center will be an academic learning environment equipped to launch our students into leadership roles in the culinary and hospitality industries The campus and community will also reap the benefits of having such a dynamic destination for food, hospitality and instruction so close to home,’ said Auburn University President Steven Leath ‘The potential impact is enormous The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center is going to be one of the most interesting and exciting culinary education centers in America, if not the world,’ said Frank Stitt, owner and executive chef of Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham and 2018 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurant ‘Our students will have unparalleled opportunities to learn best practices in the hospitality and culinary sciences within a luxury setting from the best in the industry The entire complex will provide guests with an immersion in hospitality that is second to none,’ said June Henton, dean of the College of Human Sciences (OCM Auburn) While Auburn enjoys a fruitful lifestyle, it is facing major challenges that are threatening to degrade every aspect of life Suburban sprawl, a detached urban-rural relationship, monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change are evidence Sanders that show a weakening of the current food system While many of these challenges are not new, unacceptable policy and development over the past century have undermined Auburn’s cultural food system and intensified such negative externalities The continuation of the current standards will inflict cultural loss, personal insecurity, social isolation, civic injustice, economic instability, and environmental unsustainability The fundamental source of negative externalities is a lack of civic consideration for the food system and public wellbeing, in favor of mid-century ideological progress As a result, city planning and civic leadership unintentionally fueled suburban sprawl Suburban sprawl marked the beginning of the food system’s downfall and the subsequent negative externalities of a detached urban-rural relationship, monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change Suburban development occurs when mismanaged city planning, transportation expansion and automobile dependent development in the city’s outlying areas causes the mortgage rates of the urban neighborhood to crash The development of suburban sprawl in Auburn began in the 1950s Federal low interest rates, the construction of the national highway system, and cheap energy made living outside of the city not only a viable option for a growing middle class, but a social aspiration to depart from the cramped city and hardship of depressions and world wars (Thomas Laidley) Auburn’s mid-century economy was fueled by its dependence on the car and the spread of its suburbs; “The construction of houses, utilities, and roads in the suburbs, along with the delivery of resources to suburban residents and workers, are integral components of the gross national product” (Thomas Laidley) In order to make sure that the suburbs would continue to promote economic growth, the city planning department employed weak single-use zoning laws and subsidized the use of cars (Thomas Laidley) As a result, Auburn has become completely reliant on the automobile, and zoning has become segregated Suburban development Sanders promised social, economic, environmental prosperity, generating large support from public to create a new, modern, mid-century America In the United States, “suburbs and exurbs attracted 91.8% of major metropolitan area population growth, while 8.2% of the growth was in the urban core (See Figure 1)” (Cox, Wendell) Figure 1: (Cox, Windell) Auburn is no exception According to the 2045 Lee-Russel Long Range Transportation Plan by the Lee-Russel Council of Government, Over the next 25 years, the region is projected to continue growing at a rate faster than the state average This growth will concentrate in certain [suburban] areas, creating new transportation challenges and opportunities for the region Most residential growth is projected to occur at the edges of cities and existing developed areas Commercial corridors are projected to expand in rapidly growing areas and redevelop along key regional corridors (Lee-Russel Council of Government) Sanders In reality, suburban sprawl has not been unable to provide its promises of sustainable social, civic, economic, and environmental growth In its process, suburban sprawl in Auburn undermined the social, civic, economic, and environmental systems that promote sustainable societal and cultural growth (Sanders, Aubrey) Suburban sprawl dismantled the relationship between the city and countryside The outward expansion of Auburn through subdivisions consumed the transect of the urban-rural geography In urban planning and design, “the rural-to-urban transect is a system that places all of the elements of the built environment in useful order, from most rural to most urban (See figure 2)” (Congress for the New Urbanism) Figure 2: The Transect Steuteville, Robert When the transect is intact, city planning promotes a sustainable and balanced environment When the transect is not intact, the environmental sustainability and relationship between the city and the country declines While cities naturally have a permeable transect of increasing density, suburban sprawl limited development to T3 and SD zones The overdevelopment of T3 and SD zones has drastically decreased density and created automobile dependency The mid-century ideology that everyone should live in the country suburb to be closer to nature has dismantled nature itself The agricultural land that is vital to the city’s society and culture has been touted as Sanders land for future suburbs Half a century of suburbanization has left the entire countryside labeled as a place of suburban development and abandoned the transect This creates an identity crisis, as the boundary and relationship between the city and country dissolves The consequences of this are the elevation of negative externalities created by suburban sprawl For the Auburn metropolitan area, this is evident through monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change The most immediate effect of suburban sprawl in Auburn is monoculturalization As defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a monoculture refers to a culture dominated by a single element: a prevailing culture marked by homogeneity Monoculturalization dominates the planning and architecture of suburban sprawl because it can be applied to virtually any city To easily observe monoculturalization, refer to the downtown figures 3-5, compared to the suburban developments of figures 6-8 Figure 3: Downtown Covington, GA Sanders Figure 4: Downtown Auburn, AL Figure 5: Downtown Nashville, TN Figure 6: US 278 Covington, GA Sanders 10 Figure 7: Opelika Road Auburn, AL Figure 8: Charlotte Ave Nashville, TN Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com) Suburban sprawl inherently creates monocultures of automobile dependency, that not consider the regions local culture and society In figures through 8, What is expressed about the people and history of the city? The figures not express the culture, society, value, or place of the city and its citizens The public realm is the space and identity of the city’s public The swaths of oversized parking lots, empty excuses for sidewalks, and insidiously designed strip malls signify a cruel collapse of the public realm As best stated by urban design author and Professor James Kunstler, “public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good Instead, what we have in America is a nation of places not worth caring about.” Look again at figures through Who would dare let their child walk down that sidewalk alone? Who would want bicycle to work? Who would Sanders 14 and wetter conditions could stress forests by increasing the winter survival of insect pests” (Qtd Sierra Club) Climate change will cause disastrous implications on Auburn’s economy and culture if the city does not act proactively to mitigate its effects and become more environmentally sustainable Furthermore, the struggling present food system will likely completely collapse under the pressure of economic competition, environmental destruction, and a weak urban-rural relationship Without a healthy countryside, the city cannot sustain itself, and eventually it will fall in disparity While Auburn cannot single handedly end climate change, it can become an influencing symbol of sustainability and resiliency through composed urban planning, design, and civic policy The continuation of current negative externalities would cause the loss of cultural and societal conditions throughout the region The challenges of the modern world that Auburn faces pushes many, particularly those in civic leadership positions, to believe that the dilemma is out of their control or too great to correct The sheer subtilty and long-term scale of the matter makes it all the easier for people to disregard it for the next generation to consider Perhaps it is fear, perhaps it is a lack of understanding, or perhaps the challenges make people intrinsically believe that the burden of facing these challenges is a lost cause Whatever the reason, there is one thing for certain that all citizens should believe; Auburn is not a lost cause The city is too socially, civically, economically, and environmentally vital to the entire region of East Alabama to simply give up The stakes of not standing up to the challenges of suburban sprawl, a detached urban-rural relationship, monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change are too great for Auburn to lose The time that the city has to stand up to these challenges is running out, and they cannot be brushed off to the next generation Sanders 15 This is not the first time that cities have faced great challenges Much of the knowledge required to face Auburn’s issues become clearer by studying the history of cities and agriculture The city and the agriculture were developed codependently The formation of cities and agriculture in Mesopotamia’s Fertile Crescent occurred when humans began to cultivate wild grain and settle near one another, where goods, knowledge, and safety could be exchanged As cities grew, civic responsibility grew alongside them, creating unique politics, culture, and societies Citizens began to form their own beliefs about how the city should be governed, and how its relationship with the countryside should be structured In Classical Greece, the philosopher Aristotle began to contemplate the challenges of feeding the city, growth and politics that faced the city of Athens In his book Politics, Aristotle observed the city of Athens and remarked on the city’s challenges and opportunities According to Aristotle, ‘Most persons think that a state in order to be happy ought to be large; but even if they are right, they have no idea what is a large and what a small state For they judge of the size of the city by the number of the inhabitants; whereas they ought to regard not their number, but their power.’ Hence, Aristotle was clearly of the opinion that the quality of the people which constitute the state matters, rather than their quantity Thus, more than the physical size of the population, its character is important (UKEssays) The population of a city must be the right size for its region to sustain itself, else it will eventually collapse In Auburn, suburban sprawl has unsustainably extended the size of the city and degraded the quality of its public realm, as Aristotle feared would occur to Athens The loveliest village on the plains is not a singular village, but a collection of multiple disconnected villages surrounding a historic urban core The idea that Auburn is a singular village is not valid The only connection that the majority of residents have to the city’s public realm is inadequate, Sanders 16 automobile dependent, commercial sprawl development that runs along its arterial corridors (refer to figure on page 10 once more) To become more enlightened about its true size and character, each suburban village should be thought of as its own city While most of such suburban villages not require an urban core as dense or vast as downtown Auburn, they require a sufficient town center and agricultural exterior to sustain themselves The relationship between the city and its country becomes prominent during the Middle Ages The politics of the Middle Ages created a system of feudalism that composed the relationship between the producers, markets and consumers A wonderful expression of this relationship is in Lorenzetti Ambrogio’s fresco The Allegory of the Effects of Good Government (Figure 9) Figure : The Allegory of the Effects of Good Government Palazo Pubblico di Siena As expressed by food urbanist Carolyn Steel in her 2009 TED Talk “How Food Shapes Our Cities,” Lorenzetti’s painting states that “If the city looks after the country, the country will look after the city And I want us to ask now, what would Ambrogio Lorenzetti paint if he painted this image today?” The unfortunate truth of this question is that the dismantled relationship between Sanders 17 the country and city, created by suburban sprawl, would paint a grim picture While the modern world has cultural, societal, and civilizational advances that should not be reversed to the likes of medieval Europe, the relationship between the countryside and the town needs to be restored in a matter that is civil by modern standards One thing that the modern world can take from the Middle Ages is the strong civic structure that made sure that the city and countryside had a strong relationship from producers, to markets and consumers The most dramatic shift between the city and country began in the industrial revolution The use of specialization, synthetic fertilizers, consolidation of land, and market concentration increased the availability of food, but disconnected the city from the country through infrastructure (Johns Hopkins School of Public Health) During the 20th century, the industrial food system became modernized and created consumer culture These developments seemed to control the issue of feeding the city through the completely automation of production, supermarkets, and culture (Champion, Ben) This concept drove cities into suburban sprawl, as the city no longer depended on its regional agriculture Instead, the city engulfed its surrounding land and left the regional countryside to decay In the development of a false reality, suburbia degraded the public realm, leaving both the city and country in dilapidation It is the mismanagement of food industrialization that lead to suburban sprawl and its negative externalities Mass production crops that sustain basic life are key to feeding a city, but neither mass production crops, nor highly processed foods, should be the center of food culture (as is often the case in suburbia) An automated mass production and highly processed food culture has not offered the promise of nourishment for all, as it has placed the control of hunger into the hands of a few and turned segregated suburban communities into food deserts (Sanders, Aubrey) By definition the modern food system is not a democracy, it is an aristocracy It is regional Sanders 18 agriculture in the hands of many citizens and local cuisine (such as that of Auburn) that should be the center of culture The reparations of suburban sprawl, a detached urban-rural relationship, monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change are complex and difficult, however it is not impossible by any means Fortunately, Auburn is in a pivotal position to create beneficial change Firstly, Auburn has an established local culture that can easily be uplifted Secondly, Auburn has a strong value in democratic community involvement through civic government Thirdly, Auburn is highly influential to the region of East Alabama and could serve as the catalyst to widespread change throughout the region Fourthly, Auburn is a rapidly growing city with a strong economy that can fund market driven development Fifthly, while Auburn has experienced suburban sprawl, the suburban village model can easily be adopted to revitalize itself Sixthly, Auburn is located in a region of fertile land with unique environmental features Seventhly, Auburn University may serve as a basis of further research and sharing of ideas for the reparation of the city Eighthly, Auburn is in a position to proactively fight and become resilient to climate change Through the village model, agrarian new urbanism, civic policy, rural networking, market driven development, and democratic community involvement, the city of Auburn can create a sustainable food system to resolve suburban sprawl, a detached urban-rural relationship, monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change The global definition of a sustainable food system is regulated by the Food and Agriculture Organization United Nations As defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Sanders 19 “A sustainable food system is a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised This means that: – It is profitable throughout (economic sustainability); – It has broad-based benefits for society (social sustainability); and – It has a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment (environmental sustainability) the global food system needs to be reshaped to be more productive, more inclusive of poor and marginalized populations, environmentally sustainable and resilient, and able to deliver healthy and nutritious diets to all These are complex and systemic challenges that require the combination of interconnected actions at the local, national, regional and global levels (FOA, United Nations) The greatest way to promote a sustainable food system is to act proactively, not reactively, on the civic, social, and economic level Agrarian new urbanism is the key to a sustainable future for Auburn and beyond As defined by urban planning and design firm DPZ, and endorsed by the Congress for the New Urbanism, “Agrarian Urbanism is a method of design that incorporates and intensifies agricultural activity across the Transect, promoting a variety of associated economic, environmental and social benefits from a [village] center to its rural edge Agrarian Urbanism is a concept that involves food not as a means of making a living, but as a basis for making a life and structuring the places in which we live.” To clear up any confusion or misunderstandings of definitions, there needs to be a concise definition of the term’s suburban neighborhood, village, and city for the purposes on this essay The lingo of suburban sprawl overuses the term neighborhood A suburban neighborhood is a parcel of developed residential zones, that does not have the mixed use required to provide Sanders 20 its own goods and services In the context of a suburban neighborhood, the resident is not a citizen of its village, but rather a resident separated through discriminatory subdivisions For example, Grove Hill is an automobile dependent suburban neighborhood without mixed use The residences of Grove Hill not associate themselves with any other suburban neighborhood, despite their cultural, societal, and environmental similarities A village is a geographical area with mixed use development, that is comprised of societal, cultural, and environmental features (both natural and manmade) that share similar characteristics A village may be comprised of rural agricultural land, only if such land is adjacent to the urbanized area For example, the Auburn village of Moore’s Mill is a geographical area south of I-85 that is comprised of mixeduse zones that have similar societal, cultural, and environmental characteristics The village of Moore’s Mill is also comprised of adjacent rural agricultural land (such as Lazenby Farms) A city is the entirety of a regions urban area and is comprised of a collection of distinct villages that share a common civic identity For example, the City of Auburn is an urbanized area comprised of multiple unique villages (such as the Moore’s Mill village) south west of the City of Opelika that is that share a common civic identity The principle level of organization and planning for a sustainable food system is at the civic level The basis of civic organization needs to be democratic and nondiscriminatory, so that it involves all levels and types of civic responsibilities As stated previously, the loveliest village on the plains is not a singular village Auburn is a collection of multiple villages (that are currently referred to as suburban neighborhoods) that surround the historic downtown village The only connection that the majority of residents have to the city’s public realm are inadequate, automobile dependent, commercial sprawl developments that runs along the city’s arterial corridors The idea that Auburn is a singular village is not valid, and the City of Auburn must not Sanders 21 categorize it in such a way If the City of Auburn is to truly understand its diverse citizens, culture, and needs, it must know the location, context, and size of its various villages The civic leadership of the City of Auburn should adopt a new method of categorizing the different areas of the city by using the village model (not the suburban neighborhood model) The village model creates a map outlining the geographic areas of the villages that comprise the city of Auburn Once each village has been outlined, the city should create a village council to serve as the civic leadership of each village The members of the village council shall be democratically elected by the citizens by of the village The city council should be comprised of elected members of the city as a whole, and members of each district It should hold regular and frequent meetings; wherefore council members are able to freely speak and exchange ideas The civic structure of the village model would provide greater equality and quality for leadership positions of all responsibilities Urban planning and design are the key to agrarian new urbanism and the creation of a sustainable food system By using the civic structure of the village model, each village should be able to conduct urban planning and design in a more sustainable, human scale, and connected manner, whilst adhering to the common codes of the City of Auburn as a whole To so, each village should have an urban planner and designer representative who focuses on the development of their respective village(s) It is critical that the urban planner and designer must not be assigned to more villages than he or she can conduct with utmost care and quality It is beneficial for the urban planner and designer to be residences of their assigned village All urban planning and design representatives should hold regular and frequent meetings to freely express ideas and opinions While the villages should be allowed to conduct minor changes to codes and design, the planners and designers should adhere to citywide zoning and code regulations The Sanders 22 regulations should be reviewed and changed as necessary by the city planning and design department, with democratic approval of the city council and citizens With a more detailed approach to urban planning and design that emphasizes quality of private, social, civic, economic, and environmental wellbeing for all, Auburn will be better equipped to creating a sustainable food system through agrarian new urbanism This will greatly improve the city’s ability to effectively fight suburban sprawl, a detached urban-rural relationship, monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change In order to create a sustainable food system, adequate public realm, and a better quality of life, the city zoning and planning codes should be reformed to promote agrarian new urbanism Planning and design should follow the recommendations of the United Nations, Congress for the New Urbanism, and citizens of Auburn The greatest effort should be made to end suburban sprawl and create more human scale, non-automobile dependent, planning and design to stimulate neighborhood revitalization Planning and emphasis should be focused on the new urbanism transect, wherefore agrarian agriculture reestablishes a permeable edge between the city and countryside Along with the reparation of suburban sprawl, the relationship with the countryside and agricultural community should be re-established This may include agricultural incentives, council representation, and other means to include the agricultural community in the village and city scale civic discussion Planning, design, and development should always be transparent, with community involvement and participation The City Planning and Design Department should hold regular public competitions, invite speakers, hold exhibitions, etc in order to stimulate the flow of ideas While the possibilities of establishing a sustainable food system could not possibly all be covered in one essay, there are a few interesting ways to promote sustainability On the basis of Sanders 23 urban planning and design, the marketplaces for fresh local produce should be reinstated into the heart of each villages commercial center Along with it, restaurants, public kitchens, and culinary schools will grow alongside the marketplace to grow the culinary culture of the village and restore the publics value of food and culture Commercial development should be mixed use, with an ideal focus on local small business enthusiasm with big business support For example, a Publix may be permitted to be the market center of the village, however it should also be required to be on a public square amongst local small businesses and host a local farmers market Additionally, community gardens should be easily assessable, especially in areas with residences without a private yard To promote community wellness and health, the city should focus on reducing food waste, become climate change resilient, increase food security, and provide both educational and economic opportunities through the food system Reducing food waste will have positive social, economic, and environmental impacts throughout the region Along with the restoration of the value of food in the eyes of the public, there are some other ways to improve food waste reduction Some innovative ways to improve food waste include public and private gardens with composting, and a public leftovers program to donate leftover food and unsold produce to the community either at a reduced price or for free to those in need Food security is an issue that can be significantly improved through agrarian new urbanism and civic policy The increased availability of healthy food through community gardens and local markets would act re-actively (alongside the food pantry) to fight food insecurity The food pantry program should also be extended to have an easily accessible location in each village Food pantries are also important contributors to decreasing food waste, as uneaten food can be donated to those in need The most beneficial aspect of agrarian new urbanism is the proactive fight against food security through Sanders 24 economic and educational opportunities As stated previously, agriculture has an immense economic ripple effect As more agricultural land is opened up by repairing suburban sprawl, the opportunities to enter into the lucrative food system economy increase More agriculture, local businesses, educational opportunities, and a quality public realm will create a more stable and prosperous economy Urban planning and design should also prepare to be more climate change resilient This is especially important for the conservation of storm water runoff, as drought will become a prominent environmental issue Auburn is a remarkable city, with a remarkable culture While the challenges of suburban sprawl, a detached urban-rural relationship, monoculturalization, high food insecurity, excess food waste, and climate change are immense, the spirit of Auburn is stronger By creating a sustainable food system through agrarian new urbanism and the village model, auburn can secure a future of personal wellbeing and freedom, economic opportunity and prosperity, social connectivity, strong civic leadership, and environmental sustainability for all While this paper outlines the general theory and actions of achieving a sustainable food system, there is more research and ideas awaiting discovery The city of Auburn controls its own destiny It is time to decide as a citizen, as a village, and as a city which path to take, a monoculture no different than any other, or the great agrarian city of opportunity, wellbeing, culture, and civic virtue Sanders 25 References “Our History.” About Auburn University College of Agriculture , Auburn University, agriculture.auburn.edu/about/our-history/ “Articles, Facts & Infographics about Alabama Agriculture.” Farm Flavor, Feb 2014, www.farmflavor.com/alabama-agriculture/ Fields, Deacue, et al “Economic Impacts of Alabama’s Agricultural, Forestry, and Related Industries.” The Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Auburn University, Feb 2013 “Auburn University to Build World-Class Culinary Center for Students, Tourism Industry.” Auburn University, 15 Feb 2019, ocm.auburn.edu/newsroom/news_articles/2019/02/151035-culinary-center.php Laidley, Thomas “The Problem of Urban Sprawl.” Context - Psychology for the Public, 30 Sept 2016, contexts.org/articles/the-problem-of-urban-sprawl/ Sanders, Aubrey “Suburban Sprawl in America: The Fallacy of Social, Civic, Economic, and Environmental Systems in the Suburban Context.” Auburn University, Nov 2019 “Monoculture.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/monoculture Kunstler, James “James Howard Kunstler.” TED Speakers, TED - Ideas Worth Spreading, Feb 2004, www.ted.com/speakers/james_howard_kunstler Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), photograph of 3108 U.S.278 NW Covington, Georgia, taken July 2019 Sanders 26 Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), photograph of 5212 Charlotte Ave Nashville, Tennessee, taken July 2019 Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), photograph of 1712 AL-15 Auburn, Alabama, taken July 2019 Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), photograph of N College St Auburn, Alabama, taken July 2019 Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), photograph of Clark St Covington, Georgia, taken July 2019 Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), photograph of 150 2nd Ave, Nashville, Tennessee, taken July 2019 Cox, Wendell “Population Growth Concentrated in Auto Oriented Suburbs and Metropolitan Areas.” Population Growth Concentrated in Auto Oriented Suburbs and Metropolitan Areas | Newgeography.com, 14 Jan 2020, www.newgeography.com/content/006527population-growth-concentrated-auto-oriented-suburbs-and-metropolitan-areas “2045 Long Range Transportation Plan.” Lee-Russel Council of Government, Feb 2020 “Definitions of Food Security.” USDA ERS - Definitions of Food Security, 2006, www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-offood-security/ Cook, Catrina “Re: Auburn Alabama Recycling Data.” Message to Aubrey Sanders April 2020 Email Sanders 27 “The Impacts of Climate Change in Alabama.” Sierra Club, Sierra Club Alabama Chapter, 25 Sept 2019, www.sierraclub.org/alabama/climate "Aristotle’s Theory of the Ideal State." UKEssays.com 11 2018 All Answers Ltd 04 2020 “Effetti Del Buon Governo in Città e in Campagna (Parte Centrale).” PALAZZO PUBBLICO DI SIENA, Scala, Florence, www.kollectium.com/prodotto/effetti-del-buon-governo-in-cittae-in-campagna-parte-centrale/ Steel, Carolyn “How Food Shapes Our Cities.” TED, 2009, www.ted.com/talks/carolyn_steel_how_food_shapes_our_cities “Industrialization of Agriculture.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Aug 2016, www.foodsystemprimer.org/foodproduction/industrialization-of-agriculture/ Champion, Ben “Historical Development of U.S Food System.” Kansas State University “Sustainable Food Systems Concept and Framework.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Oct 2018 “DPZ.” Agrarian Urbanism | DPZ Initiatives, Congress for the New Urbanism, www.dpz.com/Initiatives/AgrarianUrbanism Steuteville, Robert “Great Idea: The Rural-to-Urban Transect.” CNU, Apr 2019, www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2017/04/13/great-idea-rural-urban-transect Sanders 28