http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/29/news/economy/farming_detroit.fortune/index.htm?cnn=yesI think this is fascinating! And exactly the kind of thing Detroit needs to reinvent itself and be at the forefront once again. The city is so underpopulated that it is full of land that will never fill up again, and this would stimulate their economy tremendously.
Of course, the naysayer near the bottom has the exact attitude that has brought Detroit down in the first place. The developer is opposed by the founder of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network that says he is using his money and connections to capitalize on the small gardening projects that they have pioneered, and he is opposed to the fact that the developer is white and most of his key players are white in a 82% black city.
Detroit has always shot itself in the foot by the mentality of refusing outside help (except for government bailouts) from the predominantly white suburbs and demanding that most city contracts are by companies that have a minority owner.
That city really needs to stop segregating themselves and excluding outsiders because they need serious, serious help there. My mother's house there that I rent out is worth less than half of what she paid in 1979!