Most major conurbations in the developed world pride themselves on continually updating their built environment, whether it is through urban renewal programs or through the process of creative destruction, which reinvents certain areas (such as the demolition of old factories for a new planned residential development). In this process, individuals may forget about these seemingly obsolete...

Self-proclaimed "gangsta gardener" Ron Finley is changing the conversation on food and community in his south-central Los Angeles neighborhood. On a mission to transform his neighborhood "from food desert to food forest," Finley successfully reformed land-use laws to expand access to sustainable produce and increase his neighbors' capacity to grow their food. In his TED Talk, he discusses his...