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• 1. [Article] Assessing Soil Lead Contamination at Multiple Scales in Oakland, California: Implications for Urban Agriculture and Environmental Justice

  As urban agriculture grows in popularity throughout North America, vacant lots, underutilized parks, and other open spaces are becoming prime targets for food production. In many post-industrial landscapes ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Assessing Soil Lead Contamination at Multiple Scales in Oakland, California: Implications for Urban Agriculture and Environmental Justice Author: McClintock, Nathan Year: 2012 As urban agriculture grows in popularity throughout North America, vacant lots, underutilized parks, and other open spaces are becoming prime targets for food production. In many post-industrial landscapes and in neighborhoods with a high density of old housing stock, the risk of lead (Pb) contamination at such sites is raising concerns. This paper evaluates the extent to which soil Pb contamination may be an obstacle to the expansion of urban agriculture in Oakland, California. Using a combination of soil sampling at 112 sites, GIS, “hot spot” analysis, and reconstructed land use histories, the research reveals that soil Pb concentrations are generally lower than federal screening levels of 400 ppm, but significantly higher in West Oakland, the city's oldest area and home to a predominantly low-income and African American population. Lead levels are significantly lower in the affluent, predominantly white Oakland hills. Spatial analysis at city- and neighborhood-scales reveals clusters of Pb contamination related to land use history. Site-scale analyses at 12 sites reveals a high level of variability (in some cases related to land use history) that must be taken into consideration when planning for urban agriculture. Title: Assessing Soil Lead Contamination at Multiple Scales in Oakland, California: Implications for Urban Agriculture and Environmental Justice Author: McClintock, Nathan Year: 2012 As urban agriculture grows in popularity throughout North America, vacant lots, underutilized parks, and other open spaces are becoming prime targets for food production. In many post-industrial landscapes and in neighborhoods with a high density of old housing stock, the risk of lead (Pb) contamination at such sites is raising concerns. This paper evaluates the extent to which soil Pb contamination may be an obstacle to the expansion of urban agriculture in Oakland, California. Using a combination of soil sampling at 112 sites, GIS, “hot spot” analysis, and reconstructed land use histories, the research reveals that soil Pb concentrations are generally lower than federal screening levels of 400 ppm, but significantly higher in West Oakland, the city's oldest area and home to a predominantly low-income and African American population. Lead levels are significantly lower in the affluent, predominantly white Oakland hills. Spatial analysis at city- and neighborhood-scales reveals clusters of Pb contamination related to land use history. Site-scale analyses at 12 sites reveals a high level of variability (in some cases related to land use history) that must be taken into consideration when planning for urban agriculture. Close

• 2. [Article] Assessing the Potential Contribution of Vacant Land to Urban Vegetable Production and Consumption in Oakland, California

  As urban agriculture grows in popularity, researchers are attempting to quantify its potential contribution to local food systems. We present the results of a vacant land inventory conducted in collaboration ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Assessing the Potential Contribution of Vacant Land to Urban Vegetable Production and Consumption in Oakland, California Author: McClintock, Nathan, Cooper, Jenny, Khandeshi, Snehee Year: 2013 As urban agriculture grows in popularity, researchers are attempting to quantify its potential contribution to local food systems. We present the results of a vacant land inventory conducted in collaboration with the HOPE Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder, community-based initiative in Oakland, CA, USA. Vacant lots, open space, and underutilized parks with agricultural potential were identified using GIS and aerial imagery. Using visual interpretation, we identified 1201 ac (486.4 ha) of public land and 337 ac (136.4 ha) of private land that could potentially be used for vegetable production. Based on USDA loss-adjusted consumption data, we calculated the potential contribution of these sites to the city's current and recommended vegetable needs. Calculations were based on average yields under three different management practices: conventional at 10 tons/ac (22.4 Mg/ha); low-biointensive at 15 tons/ac (33.6 Mg/ha); and medium-biointensive at 25 tons/ac (56.0 Mg/ha). Four different land use scenarios were considered: (1) all identified sites ( Title: Assessing the Potential Contribution of Vacant Land to Urban Vegetable Production and Consumption in Oakland, California Author: McClintock, Nathan, Cooper, Jenny, Khandeshi, Snehee Year: 2013 As urban agriculture grows in popularity, researchers are attempting to quantify its potential contribution to local food systems. We present the results of a vacant land inventory conducted in collaboration with the HOPE Collaborative, a multi-stakeholder, community-based initiative in Oakland, CA, USA. Vacant lots, open space, and underutilized parks with agricultural potential were identified using GIS and aerial imagery. Using visual interpretation, we identified 1201 ac (486.4 ha) of public land and 337 ac (136.4 ha) of private land that could potentially be used for vegetable production. Based on USDA loss-adjusted consumption data, we calculated the potential contribution of these sites to the city's current and recommended vegetable needs. Calculations were based on average yields under three different management practices: conventional at 10 tons/ac (22.4 Mg/ha); low-biointensive at 15 tons/ac (33.6 Mg/ha); and medium-biointensive at 25 tons/ac (56.0 Mg/ha). Four different land use scenarios were considered: (1) all identified sites ( Close

• 3. [Article] Cultivating the Commons An Assessment of the Potential for Urban Agriculture on Oakland’s Public Land

  This is an inventory of open space with potential for agricultural production on land both owned by public agencies and within the city limits of Oakland, California. The inventory was conducted between ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Cultivating the Commons An Assessment of the Potential for Urban Agriculture on Oakland’s Public Land Author: McClintock, Nathan, Cooper, Jenny Year: 2010 This is an inventory of open space with potential for agricultural production on land both owned by public agencies and within the city limits of Oakland, California. The inventory was conducted between the summer of 2008 and spring of 2009 and is part of an ongoing movement to develop a more resilient, sustainable, and just food system in Oakland. This project aims to locate Oakland’s "commons"—land that is owned by public agencies and therefore a public resource—and assess the potential for urban agriculture (UA) on this land. We hope that this assessment can be used 1) to inform policy decisions that concern Oakland’s food, health, and environmental quality, and 2) by non-profit organizations and city officials as a tool with which to identify potential sites for UA programs. Title: Cultivating the Commons An Assessment of the Potential for Urban Agriculture on Oakland’s Public Land Author: McClintock, Nathan, Cooper, Jenny Year: 2010 This is an inventory of open space with potential for agricultural production on land both owned by public agencies and within the city limits of Oakland, California. The inventory was conducted between the summer of 2008 and spring of 2009 and is part of an ongoing movement to develop a more resilient, sustainable, and just food system in Oakland. This project aims to locate Oakland’s "commons"—land that is owned by public agencies and therefore a public resource—and assess the potential for urban agriculture (UA) on this land. We hope that this assessment can be used 1) to inform policy decisions that concern Oakland’s food, health, and environmental quality, and 2) by non-profit organizations and city officials as a tool with which to identify potential sites for UA programs. Close

• 4. [Article] Uneven Development of the Sustainable City: Shifting Capital in Portland, Oregon

  Portland, Oregon is renowned as a paradigmatic "sustainable city". Yet, despite popular conceptions of the city as a progressive ecotopia and the accolades of planners seeking to emulate its innovations, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Uneven Development of the Sustainable City: Shifting Capital in Portland, Oregon Author: Goodling, Erin, Green, Jamaal, McClintock, Nathan Year: 2015 Portland, Oregon is renowned as a paradigmatic "sustainable city". Yet, despite popular conceptions of the city as a progressive ecotopia and the accolades of planners seeking to emulate its innovations, Portland’s sustainability successes are inequitably distributed. Drawing on census data, popular media, newspaper archives, city planning documents, and secondary-source histories, we attempt to elucidate the structural origins of Portland’s "uneven development", exploring how and why the urban core of this paragon of sustainability has become more White and affluent while its outer eastside has become more diverse and poor. We explain how a "sustainability fix" – in this case, green investment in the city’s core – ultimately contributed to the demarcation of racialized poverty along 82nd Avenue, a major north-south arterial marking the boundary of East Portland. Our account of structural processes taking place at multiple scales contributes to a growing body of literature on eco-gentrification and displacement and inner-ring suburban change while empirically demonstrating how Portland’s advances in sustainability have come at the cost of East Portland’s devaluation. Our "30,000 foot" perspective reveals systemic patterns that might then guide more fine-grained analyses of particular political-socio-cultural processes, while providing cautionary insights into current efforts to extend the city’s sustainability initiatives using the same green development model. Title: Uneven Development of the Sustainable City: Shifting Capital in Portland, Oregon Author: Goodling, Erin, Green, Jamaal, McClintock, Nathan Year: 2015 Portland, Oregon is renowned as a paradigmatic "sustainable city". Yet, despite popular conceptions of the city as a progressive ecotopia and the accolades of planners seeking to emulate its innovations, Portland’s sustainability successes are inequitably distributed. Drawing on census data, popular media, newspaper archives, city planning documents, and secondary-source histories, we attempt to elucidate the structural origins of Portland’s "uneven development", exploring how and why the urban core of this paragon of sustainability has become more White and affluent while its outer eastside has become more diverse and poor. We explain how a "sustainability fix" – in this case, green investment in the city’s core – ultimately contributed to the demarcation of racialized poverty along 82nd Avenue, a major north-south arterial marking the boundary of East Portland. Our account of structural processes taking place at multiple scales contributes to a growing body of literature on eco-gentrification and displacement and inner-ring suburban change while empirically demonstrating how Portland’s advances in sustainability have come at the cost of East Portland’s devaluation. Our "30,000 foot" perspective reveals systemic patterns that might then guide more fine-grained analyses of particular political-socio-cultural processes, while providing cautionary insights into current efforts to extend the city’s sustainability initiatives using the same green development model. Close