Love is a Movement

Imagining an Uptown Harbor Park

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:55:00 +0000

I am amazed sometimes at how well we have hidden some of our most valuable resources. For those of us who live in the Uptown neighborhood of Memphis, we reside on the banks of the beautiful Mississippi River harbor. Yet, unlike our neighbors in Harbor Town, the Uptown side has very little access to the harbor. I believe that residents in Uptown would get great use out of a well designed and maintained harbor park, and the great thing is that we already have a space just begging to be converted to one.

A few months ago, I decided to explore the Uptown side of the harbor and was amazed at what I found. Just up Saffarans street, there is road that crosses some old railroad tracks and leads up to a large green space that is currently just sitting unused. As I looked around, I really caught a vision for what this empty space could be.

Above is the view of the harbor from the Harbor Town side. The opposite bank is the Uptown side.
Above you can see a broader view of the harbor - the Uptown bank runs along the right side. By removing (just a few) of trees that line the rim, you could really open up the view of the water and even create a public access point for canoes and kayaks!
Above is the green space that could easily be converted into a nice harbor park. The harbor runs alongside the trees on the left side. With a view of the water, some picnic tables and a nice walking path, this park would have the makings for a great place to spend time.
Above you can see the backside of the concrete wall that currently keeps people from entering this stretch of land (I snuck through the fence to get this view). Maybe the concrete wall could be removed or even turned into an intentional public art wall.

I really think there is a lot of potential here. Anyone out there know someone who could make this happen?

Support the Positive

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:51:00 +0000

Take a few minutes and vote for some positive projects in Memphis attempting to win a huge grant from Pepsi - every vote helps! Click on each of the project boxes to learn more about them.

Change of Pace

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:44:00 +0000

So I'm a little behind on things.

After 5 great years of learning some incredible things about urban community development with Memphis Urban Ministry, I have recently found myself in the midst of a new job and a new challenge - learning about and working for changes in public education.

There are some exciting things happening in public education right now - especially in Memphis.

So, while I adjust to the new pace of life, you should read this.

Up and Downtown: No Snow Plows in Memphis?

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:35:00 +0000

Did you know: The city of Memphis doesn't own a single snow plow.

Growing up in Missouri I remember how, every time it snowed, I would curse the seemingly army-sized fleet of snow plows that would be out in full force, shoveling away any hope we had of getting out of school. Though I have gained a great deal of respect for snow plow drivers in my later years; growing up, they were some of my least favorite people (apologies to my snow plow driving Uncle Jim).

I can't say I blame the city for not spending money on a piece of equipment that would rarely be used here, but I guess I'm still not used to the idea of not having snow plows around. Seems strange to me.

This past weekend in Memphis we didn't get much snow - it was mostly ice - so I don't think a snow plow would have done much good anyways.

Snow/Ice days can be fun, but if they last too long, I get susceptible to cabin fever. So, on Saturday I decided to brave the elements and take some pictures from around the neighborhood. I ended up putting them into a little slide show for our Uptown Newsletter website, complete with banjo background music, which you can see below:

Uptown on Ice from Uptown Front Porch on Vimeo.

Designing Community: The Fabric of Housing

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:36:00 +0000

I have a passing interest in how urban design impacts and reflects urban life. I think the ways our communities are designed often gets ignored, especially in urban areas. Sometimes the implications of bad design can fuel complex problems within communities. Other times, our designs can offer some pretty interesting insights into the values of our society...

Take for instance, an interesting tidbit from the famous book Suburban Nation, written by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck. In the example, the authors point out two distinct designs for housing.

The first design is of a house created to fit into a more expansive suburban environment. The authors note how roof lines in houses like this one are created to mimic the skyline of an entire village. The multiple jagged peaks and height variations give appeal to the eyes because the house gives the impression of multiple houses side-by-side at various depths. But the reality is that it's just one big house.

The second house design is that of a more traditional layout, typically found in an older neighborhood. This design has one complete peak, and a basic distinguishable shape. There are relatively few variations in the skyline of this house and from the design, it's quite obvious that this is one house in the midst of many other houses.

For some reason, I find this pretty interesting. While it's probably more of a subconscious observation for most of us, the authors in Suburban Nation note that the simple design of the second house is intended to stand in the presence of a larger community. The variety comes, not from the one house alone, but instead from its place amongst the rest of the neighborhood.

The house with multiple peaks and roof lines, on the other hand, is designed to stand alone - mimicking the appearance of an entire community, all wrapped up into one house. The authors suggest that houses like this give off the impression that they don't have the need for integration into the life of the community.

It's an interesting thought. In a culture that has become so individualized and independent, I do wonder occasionally if some of those values don't get translated into the ways that we design our buildings. Or I guess it could it be the other way around? Maybe our buildings influence the values that we live out within our communities? It's probably a little bit of both.

I'm curious as to what we can draw from this, if anything. Is this a valid observation? Maybe it's too much of a stretch?

Memphis: Freedom and the Front Porch

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:42:00 +0000

On Monday, the weather in Memphis was beautiful. So, as I like to do when it's nice outside, I went out and sat on our porch swing and read a book.

Monday also happened to be a holiday to remember the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

As I sat on my porch and read, I also watched the kids play in the park across the street. At one point, one of the kids we've gotten to know came over, walked up onto our porch, and told me about his new orange arm cast and about the fall he had taken while playing at the park a few days ago. He described in great detail how he had broken two of his fingers. He also bragged about the fact that he didn't cry (He later told me that he did cry, but only just a little). When he left, he told me to enjoy the rest of my day - and I told him to do the same.

It was a simple, everyday kind of interaction - nothing to make a big deal about. But I think we often forget the power of those simple interactions.

I got to thinking about all of the struggles in our city - racism, segregation, poverty - there are so many issues with so much history behind them. Sometimes I get depressed just thinking about it all.

Yet, in the midst of all of the negative, it's easy to forget the simple triumphs of Dr. King. No, the world is not yet set right - there is still plenty of hate to go around and racism lingers around like a bad cold.

But on Monday, for whatever reason, I just wanted to remember the beauty of what Dr. King has done.

Through his life, Dr. King set in motion a series of events that now affords me the chance to sit on my porch and talk to the kids in my neighborhood without the color of their skin factoring into the situation at all. Maybe that doesn't sound like much, but I believe it is. I believe the largest human injustice issues in the world today will only be conquered by small human interactions that begin with a foundation of equality. I believe the mission of Dr. King begins on my front porch.

We talk so often of the freedom from oppression that African Americans now enjoy thanks the life of Dr. King and there is no doubt that this freedom must be celebrated.

But sometimes I think we forget the freedom that Dr. King's life has provided to those of us who might have found ourselves in the realm of the oppressor. Today I have the freedom from this realm - freedom from the pressure to hate or look down on another human being, simply because of their skin color. Today I am free to love my neighbor more fully.

Today, I too am free because of the life of Dr. King.

"Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Up and Downtown: The Blind Side and Community Transformation

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:00:00 +0000

A while back, a guy from Portland (thanks David) told me about a book that highlights the story of a Memphis kid who grew up in the face of poverty and went on to become a great football player, with the help of a wealthy family from the suburbs who took him in and basically raised him - you might have heard about it ;)

My friend also mentioned that the kid in the story came from a housing project called "Hurt Village", which immediately made me perk up because "Hurt Village" is the housing project that once stood just blocks from our house in what is now called Uptown. So, I immediately found a copy of the book and went on to discover the inspiring story of a kid who grew up walking the streets that I now see outside my window every day.

Since then, the book has become a movie, and now a Hollywood blockbuster.

I love the story.

I hate that it had to happen the way it did.

The story of Michael Oher in "The Blindside" reminds us that we have reached the point where there are some neighborhoods so neglected that a boy who grows up in one of those neighborhoods must be "rescued" from that neighborhood and placed in another one to thrive.

I think it forces us to ask the question - Should anyone have to be rescued from their own neighborhood to make it in life? To be safe? To be loved?

I'm all for rescue operations, but I like the idea of restoration a whole lot better. A rescue implies that the condition that is left behind isn't any better than it was prior to the rescue. Restoration is the process of transformation. Restoration means creating schools where every child can be nurtured and developed. It means creating structures where families aren't constantly afraid of being the victim of a crime each time they step outside of their house. It means investing in neighborhoods that haven't seen new investment in decades.

I love the story of Michael Oher and the family that took him in, but the reality is that there are thousands of other kids just like Michael Oher walking around Memphis at this very moment. The only difference is that they will never be "adopted" by a wealthy family from across town. They will never be "rescued" from the depths of poverty, crime, and despair - at least not by a single family.

But...what if there was a serious strategy for community restoration? Just imagine what would happen if we decided to give the thousands of "Michael Oher's" walking around Memphis today access to the best education possible, access to affordable housing, a safe place to live, and access to jobs for their families. What would happen if an entire community was equipped to support the growth of a child? I think we would find entire communities of people who no longer need to be rescued in order to survive. This strategy probably wouldn't result in story lines dramatic enough to build a Hollywood blockbuster around, but I'd trade in a good movie for a good community any day.

So, maybe it's time for a new strategy.

I think we're long past time to be relying solely on rescue operations.

Excerpt: Follow Me to Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:45:00 +0000

I've been reading a great book by Shane Claiborne and John Perkins titled Follow Me to Freedom. Here's a great excerpt from Shane talking about the dangers of our "missional ADD" generation and the commitment it takes to really affect change:

"I think back to those words John (Perkins) told me on our front steps of Potter House ... "You'll see things begin to change ... after about 10 years." Commitment is not a cultural value. Wanna be radical? Commit to a neighborhood for 10 years! Every generation has its good and every generations has its bad. One of the great things about my generation is our global awareness. With the Internet and all, the world has shrunk into a global neighborhood. Folks are aware of what's happening in Uganda and East Timor. Young folks care about who made their clothes and where their bananas come from and how much the folks who grew their coffee got paid. But there is also a sort of missional ADD. Young people want to do everything ... for three months. They want to go to Africa. They want to do Mission Year, and City Year, Americorps, Peace Corps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps. They want to do Teach for America and be an intern here and an apprentice there. But it can be very parasitical. They glean all this knowledge and experience but can end up doing internships until they're 40! Then they are ready to retire! Incidentally, these short-term experiences have to lead to long-term commitment. Otherwise, you end up running around from experience to experience and doing all sorts of little projects that are great for your own information and sense of meaning, but they have very little lasting fruit or enduring impact on anyone else."

Thoughts?

Memphis: Holiday Event Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:05:00 +0000

Emily and I have determined that attending the downtown Christmas parade is going to be a new holiday tradition for us. The parade route traveled along south Main and featured lots of Christmas floats, marching bands, cool cars, and strange green people standing on top of buses (see picture below). Best thing about the parade? It's completely free. Even parking was really easy and free.

Also on Saturday was the St. Jude Marathon. This is one of the best events in Memphis, raising money for one of the best organizations in the world. This year there were nearly 16,000 runners! It was really incredible to watch the thousands of runners making their way through downtown Memphis. Part of the route came through our neighborhood (Uptown), where I helped with an "aid station". Below are a couple of pics from Uptown's view of the St. Jude Marathon.

Note: Congrats to Laura Beth and James on completing the half marathon!

Up and Downtown: Skatelife Memphis Grant

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:03:00 +0000

There's a really cool project going on across the street from our house at the Greenlaw Community Center. Skatelife Memphis recently won a grant from Nike to build a skate ramp for the kids who come to the community center. The grant covers 2/3's of the total cost, so if you can help with some of the additional support of the project or want to learn more about it, just click here. Lots of our neighborhood kids have been participating in this - we're hoping to see more kids get involved - this grant will definitely help!

Skatelife is also making some waves around the city as plans are being discussed for the future of the Mud Island River Park. Skatelife is promoting the idea of a large, well designed skate park on the tip of Mud Island and the idea seems to have become the clear front runner. Smart City Memphis recently put together a good article highlighting the reasons why this is a really good idea - you can read it here.

Not sure how skate parks fit into creating better urban neighborhoods? Check out this video about another skate park project in Los Angeles that is highlighted on the Skatelife Memphis Facebook page:

Watts Towers Skatepark Project - Donate Now! - watch more skate, snow, surf, and moto videos

Excerpt: Sidewalks in the Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0000

First up is an excerpt from a great book titled Sidewalks in the Kingdom.

We do not see cities or traditional neighborhoods in this country because we have not lived in them or thought specifically about them for a long time. We tend to think of cities as abstractions - a city is a place where humanity is gathered in large numbers. And so our discussions about cities tend to be indistinguishable from discussions about crowds. What are the problems and pitfalls of humanity in its aggregate form? We've given very little thought to the physical structure of our cities and how that provides the framework for the human relationships that go on in these places. This intellectual oversight in our culture has led to bad policies, which in turn have made our cities harder to see. Consider the Federal Housing Administration's clear preference in their loan program for suburban-sprawl housing over urban neighborhoods and the ill-fated "urban renewal" program of the 1950's and 1960's, which destroyed the fabric of the urban core in favor of the inhumane, monolithic "projects." This oversight has been reflected in our theology as well. Try to find any concrete description of what actually constitutes a city in our myriad theologies of the city, and you will see what I mean. The time is ripe, therefore, for a theology of the city that takes into account its physical structure.

Question:
What are the obstacles for pursuing biblical justice (freedom for the oppressed, peace in the midst of violence, renewal for the weary, restoration for the broken) in a place that is monolithically segregated?

Time to Shake Things Up

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:33:00 +0000

So, I think maybe determining some "blog topics" might be a good way to revive some life back into this fairly stale little place on the internet. A little facelift wouldn't hurt either, so I'm doing both.

Here are some topics I'm going to try to stick with - anything that should be added?

Up and Downtown - stories from the neighborhood
Excerpts - I'd like to take some excerpts from some of my favorite authors to spark some thought and discussion
Designing Community - looking at how urban design affects urban life and social justice
Curious Theology - basically just me asking questions about deep things I probably don't understand - this could be dangerous
Memphis - interesting facts, photos, and issues relating to our beautiful city

We'll see how it goes...

Heaven Breaks

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

I continue to develop my thoughts on heaven - I still have a long way to go, but I love the lyrics of this song by Sleeping at Last. It's called Heaven Breaks.

It always starts like this,
A harmless and simple thing to fix.
Contagious and spreading quick...
Like cracks in ice,
Wholly claiming our lives
While we sleep.

We'll pray for Heaven's floor to break,
Pour the brightest white on blackest space,
Come bleeding gloriously through
The clouds and the blue.
Forcing one place from two,
Filling formulaic views,
Only love proves to be the truth.

When heaven meets the earth,
We will have no use for numbers
To measure who we are and what we're worth.

When Heaven meets the earth,
We will have no need for mirrors
To tell us who to be
And where we fit into this awkward point of view.

When angels meet the earth, may our bodies be light.
When angels meet the earth, may our heavy hearts untie.
When angels meet the earth, may our bodies be light.
May our bodies be light for you.

Uptown Newsletter - October Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Enjoy the October edition of our community newsletter HERE!

Uptown Newsletter Hits the Streets

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Recently I started to work on getting our Uptown community newsletter up and going again - it had "gone out of production" pretty soon after we moved to Uptown.

So, Here's the first edition.

After finally getting our first edition printed, I had some fun walking around Uptown delivering these things - it was a great excuse to meet people and admire some of the older homes that are scattered throughout our neighborhood!

In the process of delivering newsletters, I also realized that most of the homes that have a "Beware of Dog" sign posted on the door, for the most part, actually do have a ridiculously scary dog on the other side. I used to think this was just a security "fake out" tactic, but I no longer believe this to be the case. Some of the dogs that I saw could have eaten me in two bites.

Steelers in Memphis: The Phenomena

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:49:00 +0000

Ever since moving to Memphis, I've always been fascinated by this city's obsession with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just take a drive around Memphis and you are likely to see Steelers flags waving in the air and Steelers logo magnets stuck on the side of cars.

Recently, I had someone explain the phenomena to me. Apparently, back in the day, the only teams that were on TV in the Memphis area were the Steelers or the Cowboys, and for some reason in the Memphis area, the Steelers became the team of choice. Today, despite the fact that the Tennessee Titans are only a couple of hours away, I wouldn't be surprised if Steelers fans outnumbers Titans fans.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there is another Steelers team that I'm rooting for - The newly formed "Uptown Steelers"! The Uptown Steelers are made up of 3rd and 4th graders from the neighborhood and just started practicing this week. They've got a great team of coaches and they seemed to be having a great time yesterday when I went out to get some pictures of them for our upcoming Uptown newsletter.

Check them out:

Blue Eyes or Green Eyes?

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:02:00 +0000

Until the color of a mans skin
is of no more significance than the color of his eyes -
Me say war.

-Bob Marley, from his song War

I've always liked this Marley song. Can you imagine if, in our society, the place in which you lived was determined by your eye color? All of the green eyed people lived in "this" part of town and all of the blue eyed people lived in "that" part of town. And then, somehow along the way, the blue eyed people became more powerful than the green eyed people and started limiting access to resources for the green eyed people. As a result, the green eyed people lived in the "bad" part of town and the blue eyed people lived in the "good" part of town.

Overtime the blue eyed people began to refer to the green eyed people in derogatory terms like "those people". The green eyed people then grew to resent the blue eyed people for their disrespectful attitudes and responded in various ways, sometimes violently.

Over time, the blue eyed people began to feel bad for their rejection of the green eyed people from society and so they started to conduct political campaigns, service projects, and mission trips to assist the lowly green eyed people from the terrible conditions in which they lived. They called this justice.

Ok so maybe this isn't the best metaphor, but I think you get the picture. It's completely ridiculous. Blue eyed people despising green eyed people?

You would call me crazy if I told you that I didn't want to live next to a green eyed person right? But do you ever wonder how we got to the point where skin tone is considered to be any more sane as a way of separating groups of people than that of eye color?

Churches and politicians are notoriously bad at perpetuating these ridiculous classifications. They use the almighty "demographic" to determine who is most likely to "vote" for a particular platform or "attend" a particular service. And so the cycle of segregation continues. Old people here - young people there. Black people here - white people there. Liberals here - conservatives there. Rich people here - poor people there. Blue eyed people here - green eyed people there...maybe it's not so far fetched.

I know a man who has spent most of his life living in the streets of Memphis. He now lives in an apartment of his own. One of the things he likes to tell people is this: "At the end of the term "homeless person" is the single word "person"'. I think that's a good reminder to us all. At the end of all of our societal identifiers is always the word "person". Black "person". White "person". Poor "person". Gay "person". Green eyed "person".

I believe Memphis would be so much better off if we just scrapped the demographic sheets and the political agendas and gave up the language of segregation. No more political agendas catered to blue eyed people or green eyed people, because that's just ridiculous to begin with. We're all just people - we all deserve justice. A blue eyed person doesn't deserve justice anymore than a green eyed person.

I also believe churches would be so much better off if we would quit spending so much time on "cultural relevance" (code phrase for catering to specific demographics) and more time on "people relevance". Culture divides people into groups. But the Christian scriptures speak of the absence of this segregation: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." If we believed this, would have churches created specifically for blue eyed people and those created specifically for green eyed people? What about for black people and for white people? It's completely ridiculous when you really stop and think about it.

Ignoring these distinctions results in a different way of living. Now blue eyed people can live next to green eyed people. Sounds reasonable right? Now blue eyed people can go to the same schools as green eyed people. Now blue eyed people can vote for the same candidate as green eyed people. And now blue eyed people can be a part of the same spiritual family as green eyed people. Is this idea really that crazy?

As Bob Marley put it, until we learn to put these ridiculous societal distinctions aside, we will continue to experience "war".

Gentrification: A New Mantra

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:43:00 +0000

I'm really fascinated by the way cities are shaped. The more I learn about my own city (Memphis) the more I see the practical implicatations that various development strategies have on the life of various neighborhoods. As a Christian, I am also deeply concerned about the impact that any development strategy might have on the lives of the poor.

One of these strategies is often referred to as "gentrification". I hear about the evils of gentrification all the time. Some even toss around that term when they discuss the neighborhood that Emily and I live in. Typically, gentrification is reffered to as a an influx of wealthy people into a low-income neighborhood for the purpose of redevelopment. The wrong approach to gentrification can often result in the formerly low-income neighborhoods facing an increase in property values, which in turn increases rent, and as a result can force some lower income residents to move out. I would have to agree that this is something that must be addressed and countered, but let's not stop there.

Arguing that gentrification is the primary source of problems for the poor in 21st century urban America is ignoring the reality. I'm by no means a proponent of gentrification, but before we get too far in an analysis of gentrification we must first stop and consider the more pressing questions like: What made a particular neighborhood become classified as "low-income" to begin with? What factors contributed to the creation of a neighborhood that would cause the "gentry" to want to come in and redevelop? How can we keep from recreating these concentrations of poverty in other parts of our city in the future? To me, these are the "root" questions. If we hadn't established these huge concentrations of poverty in years past, the idea of "gentrification" wouldn't even exist.

One of the biggest factors in the extreme segregation of our city is urban sprawl. Over the last 20 years in the city of Memphis, the low-income population has been scrambling to stay close to the jobs that have steadily moved further and further east. I would have to imagine that the impact of this sprawl has forced thousands and thousands of low-income residents to either be dispersed or settle into a life of desperate poverty, isolated in the shadows of downtown Memphis. To me, this alternative is no more desirable in terms of justice for the poor than are the effects of gentrification.

Somewhere, we have to find a place to meet in the middle. I recently came across an interesting article in Time Magazine that was written in June, 2008. In the article, the author quotes a study done on gentrification and the actual impact that it has on neighborhoods - here's a pretty interesting segment:

"A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Pittsburgh and Duke University, examined Census data from more than 15,000 neighborhoods across the U.S. in 1990 and 2000, and found that low-income non-white households did not disproportionately leave gentrifying areas. In fact, researchers found that at least one group of residents, high school–educated blacks, were actually more likely to remain in gentrifying neighborhoods than in similar neighborhoods that didn't gentrify — even increasing as a fraction of the neighborhood population, and seeing larger-than-expected gains in income."

T h e a r t i c l e goes on to state that there is no denying that problems do arise out of gentrification, but that many of the perceived problems are largely over-exaggerated and sometimes actually non-existent. I would guess that a similar case could be made by those who would defend the sprawling model of development - which could be described by some as "newer, cleaner, and safer". It just goes to show that when we begin discussing something we don't understand or have set our minds against, we tend to only point out the negative extremes - but rarely is anything all bad.

It seems that cities tend to play up both of these extremes - massive sprawl and massive central city redevelopment can both get caught up in the corporate engines, primarily running on a profit motive. The developers will continually promise of a life problem free living - for a certain price - but the reality is, that will never be the case. It's time we come to grips with the reality of community living.

Community living requires a resiliancy and willingness to fight and care for those around us, even when the problems seem really big. Unfortunately, the more we run (sprawl) or the more we make "them" run (gentrification), the bigger the problems become. So what if everyone just stopped running? What if Memphis just stopped worrying about "growing" and just started worrying about sustaining and living with the things we already have? If we did so, I believe we could see a beautiful new Memphis emerge. Our city, already one of the most diverse cities in America, has the opportunity to become a national model of justice based gentrification. In this new Memphis, no longer will we ignore the forgotten residents of our city (because it's hard to forget about them when they live next door). In this new Memphis, no longer will schools be segregated, no longer will churches be segregated, and no longer will jobs be available only to those who can afford the commute.

My hope is that our city can integrate intentional efforts at sustainability with a healthy dose of compassion. I believe they must go hand-in-hand. I like how the great Bob Lupton puts it:

"Gentrifcation is our new reality. Some rail against it; others laud it's arrival. But for good or ill, it is our new reality, and it will only increase in the years to come. Gentrification means to welcome a new economic and social life for our cities and, with the proactive involvement of the saints, can introduce a whole new era of hopefulness for the poor. Our mantra must be: gentrification with justice."

The Best Response to Poverty

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Poverty is a really difficult thing to grasp. What causes it? What impact does it have? How can we address it?

It seems everyone has an answer to poverty: Government creates welfare, churches set up programs, celebrities set up publicity campaigns.

But maybe in all our efforts to address poverty we overlook what poverty really is. Some might say it's the lack of adequate resources. I'd say that's partially true.

I like what Bob Lupton says about poverty:

"The greatest form of poverty is having nothing of value to give."

When we look at poverty through the eyes of charity, we only see ways for us to maintain our role as the "giver". But when we expand our view, we seek out ways to initiate an equal exchange, allowing everyone to experience the joy that comes with giving.

Poverty isn't just about resources - it's about equality and God's humanity. No one, whether they live in the heart of Africa or in the heart of Memphis, should be stripped of the dignity that comes with giving. God has placed in each of us something of value to give. The role of "giver" was never meant to be assigned to a select few in society.

So how can we address the overwhelming drain of poverty? It seems to me that we have the responsibility to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to give of the gifts that God has generously given to each of us.

Uptown Update

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:06:00 +0000

The Garden

The Uptown Community Garden is coming along great! Even though our little plot is lagging behind, other plots are really taking off. Check out our new tile centerpiece!

Here's a great looking pepper. (It's not in our plot, but we can still admire it can't we?)

The Neighborhood

Yesterday I was taking a drive around our neighborhood and was reminded of some of the really cool things in Uptown. I love how our neighborhood has a mixture of new homes, old homes, and newly restored old homes. (I got several of these photos from the Uptown Swings website.) I've also added a list of links on the right side of my blog if you're interested in reading/learning more about Uptown.

Here is a really cool old house that was restored:

This was an old fire station - now it's a house:

These are some apartments that were redone:

As I drove around, I couldn't help but think how much potential there is for the area as I headed north on 2nd Street. There is some really beautiful, hilly terrain (unusual for Memphis) and some incredible old buildings. Unfortunately, the area has been largely abandoned. The huge old train dock on 2nd just sits there lonely on a hill, waiting for the trains to return...maybe someday.

I'm also curious about the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum - this place is also on 2nd St., and really close to our house. We need to stop in sometime soon, when it's open. Anyone been there?

Our cars were broken into for the first time since living in Uptown a few weeks ago. Since we don't keep anything in our cars (I don't even have a CD player), I'm sure it was a pretty disapointing experience for this individual. Experiencing a break-in is never fun, but we did get to support a great local business as a result - Jack Morris Auto Glass - we highly recommend them.

My overacheiving wife has been hard at work building a flower bed in our back yard. Take a peek:

Development

We're still waiting for some important developments to take place in the neighborhood. The biggest development we are waiting for is a grocery store, but I'm guessing that it's going to take a while now with the current landscape of the economy.

I'm also curious about the status of the Greenlaw Community across from our house. Supposedly bids were put out from the city to outsource the management of several community centers by local organizations, but I still haven't heard if anyone has signed on for our community center. Anyone know anything?

"Johnny Calipari" via the Chris Vernon Show

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:56:00 +0000

It's been a rough month for the University of Memphis basketball program.

But if you've been following the situation, I think you'll find this to be pretty funny:

Check it out here.

I heard this on the Chris Vernon show today.

The Milk Carton Drip System

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Over at the Vance Garden we are experimenting with a Milk Carton Drip System. By poking a small hole in the bottom of a gallon size milk carton and filling it with water, the water will slowly drip out over the course of a couple of days. The purpose of this is to provide a more consistent source of water for the plant and also help us to keep from wasting as much water.

It seems to be working ok so far. Sometimes, when the water has completely dripped out, the cartons will blow around - which is not good when a carton lands on one of our small & fragile little plants. We could probably put some small rocks in the bottom of the cartons to weight them down a bit.

Take a look:

Sustainable Neighbors

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:10:00 +0000

Here's another example why quick fixes won't cut it for the city of Memphis. Our city city has a growing problem. We're like kids with sagging pants - we're wearing a size 40, when we really only need to be wearing a size 30.

Basically, our pants are too big. Memphis is a city that continues to sprawl out in unsustainable ways. Did you know that Memphis is now larger in land size than New York City? It's even estimated that soon, after planned annexations are executed, Memphis will have the land size of Los Angeles - but with only a fraction of the people.

Why does this matter? As a city sprawls, it becomes increasingly more difficult for the poor to have access to the resources, services, and jobs that would create a more equal playing field for its residents - socially and economically. I don't think that's just an issue of convenience. To me that's a justice issue. To me, our sprawl is only perpetuating the destructive economic and often racial segregation that has placed such a stigma on our city.

Unfortunately, we sometimes try to compensate this problem with charity. Maybe a big company will write a big check, or a church will send a weekend mission team to share some love with a neglected neighborhood. Maybe a civic group will donate some clothes to a clothes closet. All great things. Yet we just can't ignore the reason that the need is so great for these things to begin with.

I'm afraid that sometimes we let our charity become a substitute for being good neighbors. In the Christian scriptures, the idea of being a good neighbor is teamed up with the greatest command of all. We're told to love God and love neighbor. The Christian scriptures say that everything else revolves around that. I also think that it would be inaccurate to change the implications of the scripture to say "love God and give charitably" - although giving is also highly thought of in scripture. Being (and loving) a neighbor is something more complex than charity - usually it's much more complicated. Determing the ways to love a neighbor can lead down all sorts of paths that charity would never touch - paths that I would suggest force us to consider even the impact that the design of our city has on the lives of its residents.

Even simple things make a big difference. For example, how does the installation of a sidewalk impact a community where many of the residents rely on walking to work, school, or the grocery store? It sounds so trivial right? A sidewalk. But a sidewalk can make it possible for a family without a car to get their kids to school safely. A sidewalk can allow a family to get to a grocery store that they couldn't have had access to before. A sidewalk can help sustain a fragile community. On the otherhand, an interstate highway that pushes resources, jobs and business many miles away does nothing to promote the well being of the most fragile populations in our city.

These are the things we begin to think about when we start looking, not just at ways to develop the fringes of our city, but when we instead begin to search out ways to make the living spaces we already have more livable, efficient, and just. In essence, I believe this is an essential part of the pursuit of "loving our neighbors". This is a love that looks to sustain itself over time - not just on weekends or in the form of big checks. This sustainble love is only present when we learn to be sustained neighbors.

As God sustains us, let us be about the business of sustaining our communities in the wholeness of our creator.

Ribbon Cutting at Uptown Community Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:20:00 +0000

Last night was the ribbon cutting for the Uptown Community Garden, and I would definitely say it was a huge success. There was a big crowd - lots of Rotary Club members came out along with a great showing from our Uptown neighborhood residents. We even had our local Uptown hot dog stand come out to add to the festivities.

A while back someone said to me that they thought a few older folks might have interest in a community garden, but they didn't think young kids or 20-30 year olds would have any desire to be a part of a community garden. So far, I think we've proven that statement to be completely wrong. Both the Uptown Garden and the Vance Garden have experienced enormous interest from kids in the neighborhood, along with a good crowd of 20-40 year olds, and thankfully, some of the older folks too.

I was talking to a kid in our neighborhood the other day who was in complete amazement as I showed him a seed and explained how tomatoes are planted in the ground and eventually pop up out of the dirt. When I asked him where he thought tomatoes came from, he just said, "the store". I'm guessing the image in his mind was of some Kroger worker in a back room "making" tomatoes that would then get put on the shelf. To think that tomatoes actually grew up from the dirt completely blew his mind. He later told me that he thought "making" his own tomatoes would be pretty cool. I think it's pretty cool too.

Here are some pics from last night:

The Levit Shell

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Fowler) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:43:00 +0000

Looking for something free and fun to do in Memphis? I think everyone should check out the recently revived Levit Shell outdoor amphitheater in Overton Park. Starting in May, and running every Thursday through Saturday there will be free concerts spotlighting a wide range of music genres from country to world music to R&B and many others. Personally I'm looking forward to Los Cantadores (Memphis mariachi band) on June 20.

You can check out the 2009 spring schedule for the Levit Shell in this article over at the Commercial Appeal.

Between the free days at the Zoo, National Civil Rights Museum, Brooks Art Museum (pay what you want Wednesdays) and the always free Mud Island River Park, Shelby Forrest, Shelby Farms, and now the Levit Shell, there really are a lot of great things to do in Memphis for little to no money.

Anyone else have good ideas for free/cheap/fun things to do in Memphis?