(above) Legacy City of Springfield, Massachusetts, where basketball was invented. Today's New York Times (2/3/2024) has an article about Gary, Indiana. The midwest "Legacy City" of nearly 70,000 people, like many other once vibrant manufacturing centers, is looking to reinvent itself. Many Extension professionals working in similar cities, as I do, are finding new ways to leverage the many assets that these cities have. One important point that the article makes is that investing in existing...

Interesting Michael. Thanks for sharing this.

The introduction of the Controlled Environment crop insurance program underscores the USDA's commitment to the Front Porch Cracker Barrel supporting urban agriculture and fostering new markets for American producers.

That is an interesting point about leveraging existing assets. Gary, Indiana might be a great place to focus on historic architecture and proximity to nature. Wordle Unlimited

Improving the quality of life in smaller, and older (legacy) cities (like Springfield, Mass) is something I have been working on for many years with my students as part of my Urban Extension work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Photo: Springfield, Massachusetts downtown Placemaking project.