Urban October

Urban October is an opportunity for everyone to be part of the conversation about the challenges and opportunities created by the fast rate of change in our cities and towns. Each October, everyone interested in sustainable urbanization from national and local governments to universities, NGOs and communities is encouraged to hold or participate in activities, events, and discussions.

The month began with World Habitat Day on October 5 and will end with World Cities Day on October 31.

This year’s World Habitat Day global observance was held virtually, and was hosted by the city of Surabaya, in Indonesia while other celebrations of World Habitat Day were held round the globe using the theme Housing For All: A Better Urban Future.

World Cities Day 2020 is the seventh global celebration since it was launched on October 31, 2014 in Shanghai, China. The theme is Better City, Better Life and the sub-theme for this year is Valuing our communities and cities, and the Global Observance will be hosted in Nakuru, Kenya.

Today 55% of the world’s population live in cities and towns and the number is growing every day. The United Nation’s Agenda for Sustainable Development, and Sustainable Development Goal 11 “to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable” puts sustainable urbanization at the center of the global agendas for development. Follow this link to learn more.

Sourced from: UN-Habitat

The Impact of COVID-19 on Federal, State, and Local Budgets – Panel Discussion

The Impact of COVID-19 on Federal, State, and Local Budgets will be the sixth in a series of events on “Cities and Regions in the Post-Coronavirus Era,” initiating community conversations on what lessons we can learn from this crisis to create a more resilient and sustainable world. How much have federal, state, and local budgets been (or will be) impacted by COVID-19 and what will the implications of this impact mean going forward for communities? Did we learn anything from the Great Recession of 2008 that has helped or will help us during this financial crisis? This discussion with be moderated by Harvey Miller, and is taking place on Friday, October 23, 2020 from 12-1 p.m. ET. Follow this link to learn more.

Sourced from: CURA

UN Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on COVID-19 in an Urban World

The UN Secretary-General has launched the UN Comprehensive Response to COVID-19 to save lives, protect societies, recover better. As part of the response, the UN Secretary-General is issuing policy briefs to provide ideas to governments on how to address the consequences of this crisis and COVID-19 in an urbanizing world is part of this series. The Policy Brief describes how cities can manage the pandemic and emerge as the hubs of energy, resilience, and innovation that make them such vibrant and appealing places for many to live. It also looks at how the pandemic has exposed deep inequalities in how people live in cities, and how cities serve their residents, with the most vulnerable suffering the most. Follow this link to learn more.

Sourced from: UN-Habitat

Feeding Youth Outside of School During COVID

As COVID-19 continues to push families further into financial distress, making sure that families have access to all the benefits that they can is critical for the long-term viability of our communities. Pre-COVID-19 more than 37 million people, including more than 11 million children lived in a food-insecure household. According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) more than 1 in 5 Black and Latinx adults with children reported in July that they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat. Follow this link to learn more.

Sourced from: Cities Speak

Confronting Prejudice: How to Protect Yourself and Help Others

Dealing with prejudice—whether it’s microaggressions, bias, or discrimination—is physically and psychologically demanding. But avoiding it is not always an option. “Not everyone has the luxury of leaving a prejudicial workplace or neighborhood,” said Natasha Thapar-Olmos, PhD, Program Director at OnlinePsychology@Pepperdine,  “But there might be things we can do and some tools to cope.”

So what is Prejudice?

Word choice matters. We often use words like prejudice, bias, and bigotry interchangeably, and there are aspects to each of these concepts that overlap. But when addressing prejudice, it’s important to understand some of the subtle distinctions. To understand prejudice, we also need to understand stereotypes. A stereotype is an oversimplified and widely held standardized idea used to describe a person or group. A form of social categorization, stereotypes are a shortcut for the brain when grouping information. Follow this link to learn more.

Sourced from: Pepperdine

Oh, Deer: How to Keep Your Yard from Becoming a Buffet

The Ohio Department of Natural Resource Division of Wildlife is accustomed to fielding complaints about nuisance deer, especially in urban areas. With the coronavirus pandemic keeping folks at home, more people are planting gardens for the first time. Someone new to the game might not know how to handle a hungry four-legged visitor, said Geoff Westerfield, a wildlife biologist with ODNR.  Stark County’s deer population tends to be stable in rural areas, such as Minerva, and growing in more urban areas. In rural areas, ODNR can adjust hunting regulations to help keep populations in check. In cities, that’s not typically an option, and without control, populations will grow, he said. Follow this link to learn more.

Sourced from: Canton Repository

Join a North Central Region NUEL’s Action Team

The North Central Region of NUEL is seeking a vibrant, forward thinker to participate in national discussions focused on sustaining an integrated approach to urban Extension.

As an Action Team representative for the North Central Region you will be asked to participate in each of the quarterly regional meetings and the monthly NUEL Steering Committee meetings. Your role during the meetings will be to share and explore ideas aimed to strategically enhance urban Extension’s relevance locally, responsiveness statewide, and recognition nationally. This role will require, on average, four hours of your time per month. This is a great opportunity to highlight your knowledge and skills while advocating for yourself and your urban Extension peers.

If you are interested in becoming an Action Team representative, please email a 250-word bio that highlights your commitment to urban Extension, which Action Team you would like to contribute to, and why you are perfect for this position. Send this information to Nicole at debose.8@osu.edu no later than September 29. This position carries a 3-year term and will begin on January 1, 2021. The Action Teams are listed on the NUEL website.

For any question, please reach out to Nicole Debose.8.

Sourced from: NUEL

More Than a Token: Urban Agriculture Has Much to Offer Close to Home

Jodi Kushins, of Over the Fence Urban Farm, knows she doesn’t grow a lot compared to some farms. She feeds about 20 households through her CSA program, with 2,500 square feet in her yard and her neighbor’s yard. “It’s like a drop in the bucket,” she said. “Seeing a semi truck full of produce and then thinking about the very, very tiny amount of food I’m able to produce in my yard definitely gives me pause.”

Kushin’s farm is one of more than 30 in Columbus, up from about five in 2014. Urban agriculture is driven by desires for food security and fresh foods, vacant land in post-industrial areas and interest in connecting with farmers, said Mike Hogan,  Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Franklin County. “We know we’re not gonna feed the world with urban agriculture,” Hogan said. But Hogan believes that urban agriculture needs to be part of the city food systems. In Cleveland, about 80% of the vacant land could provide 20% of all the produce needed. Follow this link to learn more.

Sourced from: Farm and Dairy